Honestly, the media loved the "commoner" narrative when Diana Spencer first stepped onto the global stage in her yellow overalls. It made for a great story. A shy kindergarten teacher marrying the heir to the throne? It’s pure Disney. But if you actually look at the family tree of Princess Diana, you’ll realize she was anything but a commoner.
She was an aristocrat to her core.
In fact, some geneologists love to point out that Diana actually had more "English royal blood" in her veins than Prince Charles did. While Charles carries the heavy German lineage of the House of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Diana’s tree was a tangled, fascinating mess of old English dynasties. We’re talking about a woman whose ancestors were helping run the country while the Windsors were still the Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
The Spencers: From Sheep Farmers to Power Players
The Spencer family didn't start with crowns. They started with sheep. Way back in the 15th century, Henry Spencer was a guy who knew how to manage livestock. By 1508, Sir John Spencer had made enough money from wool to buy Althorp, the massive estate in Northamptonshire that remains the family seat today.
It’s a huge house. 90 rooms.
The wealth grew fast. By the time King James I came along in 1603, Robert Spencer was reportedly the richest man in England. The King made him a Baron because, well, that's what you did when someone was that rich and influential. From there, the family tree split into two massive branches: the Earls of Sunderland (who later became the Spencer-Churchills of Blenheim Palace) and the Earls of Spencer.
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The Winston Churchill Connection
You've probably heard that Diana was related to Winston Churchill. It’s not just a rumor. They both descend from Charles Spencer, the 3rd Earl of Sunderland. This makes Diana and the famous Prime Minister distant cousins. Basically, if you’re looking at the family tree of Princess Diana, you’re looking at the same root system that produced the man who led Britain through World War II.
The Secret Royal Bloodline (The "Illegitimate" Kind)
Here is where it gets spicy. Diana was a descendant of King Charles II. Twice.
But there’s a catch. She didn't descend from a queen. She descended from the King's mistresses. Specifically, she traces her line back to Henry Fitzroy and Charles Lennox, two of the King’s illegitimate sons.
She also has a line going back to King James II through his daughter Henrietta FitzJames. Because these were "illegitimate" lines, they didn't have a claim to the throne, but the blood was there. It’s a funny irony of history: when Prince William eventually becomes King, he will be the first descendant of Charles II to ever sit on the British throne.
All thanks to Diana.
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The American Connection Nobody Talks About
We usually think of Diana as the ultimate English rose, but her family tree has some surprisingly deep roots in the United States. Her great-grandmother was Frances Eleanor Work, an American heiress from New York.
Frances was the daughter of a wealthy stockbroker. She married James Roche, the 3rd Baron Fermoy, but the marriage was a disaster and ended in a high-profile divorce. Because of this American link, Diana is actually a distant cousin to several U.S. Presidents, including:
- George Washington (8th cousin, seven times removed)
- John Adams
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
She’s even distantly related to Hollywood icons like Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. It’s a wild reminder that the "Old World" aristocracy and "New World" money were constantly mixing behind the scenes.
The Immediate Circle: Parents and Siblings
Diana was the fourth of five children born to John Spencer (the 8th Earl Spencer) and Frances Roche. Her childhood wasn't the fairy tale people imagine. Her parents' marriage was notoriously "poisonous," according to some biographers.
They divorced when Diana was just seven.
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Her father eventually won custody, which was rare back then. He later married Raine, Countess of Dartmouth (the daughter of romance novelist Barbara Cartland). Diana and her siblings famously hated their stepmother, nicknamed her "Acid Raine," and even sang "Rain, Rain, Go Away" when she walked into rooms.
The Siblings
- Lady Sarah McCorquodale: The eldest. She actually dated Prince Charles first. She famously said she was "Cupid" because she introduced him to Diana.
- Lady Jane Fellowes: The "middle" sister who stayed mostly out of the limelight. Her husband, Robert Fellowes, was actually the Queen’s private secretary.
- John Spencer: A tragic figure often forgotten. He was born a year before Diana but died just hours after birth.
- Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer: The youngest. He’s the one who gave the blistering eulogy at Diana's funeral. He still runs Althorp today.
Why the Family Tree Matters Now
The family tree of Princess Diana isn't just a history lesson. It’s a blueprint for the modern monarchy. Look at Prince William and Prince Harry. They carry the Spencer fire—that specific mix of aristocratic duty and a rebellious streak that has defined the Spencers for 500 years.
When you see Lady Kitty Spencer (Diana’s niece) modeling for Dolce & Gabbana or Louis Spencer (the current heir to the Earldom) pursuing acting, you see the same "socialite power" that Diana used to change the world.
The Spencers were always more than just "the family the Prince married into." They were a dynasty that was arguably more entrenched in English soil than the Royals themselves.
If you want to understand Diana, stop looking at the crown. Look at the sheep farmers from 1508. Look at the American heiresses. Look at the "scarlet women" of the Stuart court. That’s where the real story is.
Actionable Insight for History Buffs:
If you're interested in the Spencer lineage, the best way to see it for yourself is to visit Althorp House during the summer months when it's open to the public. You can view the family portraits that date back centuries and see the evolution of the Spencer face—a look that is undeniably present in the current Prince of Wales.