In honor of what would have been his late mother's 85th birthday, Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, shared a rare portrait on Instagram.
The 9th Earl Spencer shared the beautiful painting of his mother, Frances Shand Kydd, and wrote, "My mother—on this, her 85th birthday. She was born in Sandringham, Norfolk, on the very same day that King George V died—in the same parish. She died 3 days after the 50th anniversary of her marriage to my father. This portrait is to be found in the Library at @althorphouse."
The portrait shows a young Shand Kydd, with coiffed blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a rosy complexion. Understandably, comparisons have been drawn to a young Princess Diana.
View full post on InstagramPrincess Diana's mother passed away in 2004. At the time, People reported that Shand Kydd had died at home in Scotland, having been admitted to hospital days earlier. A spokesperson for the family told the publication, "Earl Spencer’s mother passed away peacefully this morning after suffering from a long illness. Now this is private time for the family to grieve."
As noted by People, "Diana and her mother shared what was described as a turbulent relationship." However, according to the publication, Diana's mother wrote "thousands of replies to the letters of sympathy she received after her daughter’s death and took active roles in charities, as a way to have kept Diana’s memory alive."
Last year, Earl Spencer shared a rare childhood photo of Princess Diana on social media. In the sweet photo, Diana, who is wearing a striped sun dress, puts her arm around Charles's shoulders. Her shoulder length blonde hair looks golden in the sun, and both brother and sister wear socks with their sandals.
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