John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer


Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, , styled Viscount Althorp until June 1975, was a British peer and nobleman. He was the father of Diana, Princess of Wales, meaning he is the maternal grandfather of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, respectively second and sixth in the line of succession to the British throne.

Early life, education and military career

Lord Spencer was born Edward John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the only son and younger child of Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, on 24 March 1924. He was educated at Eton, the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, and the Royal Agricultural College. Popularly known to his family and friends as Johnnie Althorp, he served as a Captain in the Royal Scots Greys from 1944 to 1945, and was Mentioned in Despatches. He landed in France the day after D-Day. He led a British Army unit in an operation to liberate two French towns, La Neuve-Lyre and La Vieille-Lyre. From 1947 to 1950, he served as Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir Willoughby Norrie, then Governor of South Australia.
Spencer held the offices of County Councillor for Northamptonshire, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire and Justice of the Peace for Norfolk. He served as Equerry to King George VI and to Queen Elizabeth II, and was invested as a member of the Royal Victorian Order in 1954. He was known by the courtesy title Viscount Althorp until 1975 when he became the 8th Earl Spencer upon his father's death. He was Member of the House of Lords from 9 June 1975 until his own death.

Family life

On 1 June 1954 Spencer and Frances Ruth Roche, the younger daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy, were married in Westminster Abbey by Percy Herbert, Bishop of Norwich. Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family attended the wedding ceremony. They had five children:
John and Frances Spencer were divorced in 1969. Immediately thereafter, on 2 May 1969, Frances married Peter Shand Kydd, while the Earl was granted custody of their children by the courts. In 1976, Lord Spencer married Raine McCorquodale, former wife of the 9th Earl of Dartmouth and daughter of Capt. Alexander McCorquodale, a British Army officer, by his wife, the romantic novelist Barbara Cartland.
In 1978, Spencer suffered a severe stroke, from which, at one stage, he was not expected to recover, and which kept him in hospital for eight months. He died of a heart attack on 29 March 1992, and was succeeded by his son Charles, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Coat of arms