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The ongoing drama involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continues to escalate and is now affecting Harry's relations with the Spencer side of his family. Harry has been looking to strengthen ties with the maternal relatives as tensions grow with the British royal family. However, it appears that connection may not be so easy or welcoming.
Harry recently visited Althorp, the ancestral home of the Spencer family, while in the UK for his uncle's memorial service. On the surface, this visit seemed like a family affair to pay respects. However, reports suggest Harry may have had hopes of using Althorp as a second home, perhaps hoping to find refuge there from the pressures of royal life.
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Althorp would hold deep personal significance for Harry, as it was the childhood home of his late mother, Princess Diana, and where she is buried. As a spacious, historic estate located far from London, it could offer the privacy and relaxation that Harry and Meghan have been seeking since stepping back from royal duties. Especially after being asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage earlier this year, Althorp could have been an attractive sanctuary.
Nonetheless, it seems those aspirations have been denied by the current Lord Spencer, Harry's cousin Viscount Althorp, also known as Charles Spencer. Lord Althorp has made it clear that Harry is not welcome to stay at Althorp on any permanent basis. As the heir to the historic Althorp estate and a private man himself, Lord Althorp understandsably wants to protect the estate and his family from unwanted media intrusion.
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Allowing Harry and Meghan to use Althorp regularly could invite immense scrutiny and disruption. The thought of his cousin essentially moving in and maintaining his relevance from the estate may be intolerable. While Harry may hope to strengthen family bonds through Althorp, Lord Althorp does not appear willing to compromise the privacy and integrity of the historic Spencer property.
It is notable that Harry's connection and acceptance at Althorp was never guaranteed, despite his emotional ties there through his late mother. Diana herself struggled to feel fully embraced by the Spencers when she was alive. Letters from Charles Spencer declined Diana's request to live at Althorp, citing privacy concerns and offering a smaller alternative property instead.
This echoes the current situation, where Lord Althorp is keeping Harry and Meghan at arm's length, much like how Diana was once kept distant. While Harry seeks solace through his Spencer relations, the family does not owe him unfettered access or hospitality either.
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Some reports suggest Harry may instead be offered the much older Spencer property Wormleighton as an alternative. However, this remote and less secure estate seems an ill-fit for a high-profile former royal and his family. It smacks more of a polite refusal than a genuine welcome.
The speculation from some is that Charles Spencer could be leveraging Harry in his long-standing feud with the British monarchy. By presenting himself as a caring uncle to Harry, Spencer draws publicity to both himself and Princess Diana's legacy, which he maintains. However, allowing Harry residency at Althorp would go much further and compromise Spencer's control.
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While Harry may hope for a closer bond with his Spencer relations, the realities of family dynamics, history, and practical demands mean a genuine welcome seems unlikely. The Spencers have always valued their privacy and independence highly. Just as they kept Diana at arm's length then, they now appear intent on keeping some distance from Harry and Meghan too through refusing them a secure base at Althorp. Harry's connections to the estate hold primarily sentimental weight rather than a right to long-term stay and access.
In the end, despite seeking refuge through his mother's side of the family, Harry faces much the same lack of wholehearted embrace and accommodation from the Spencers as his parents experienced before him. While relations may be strengthened superficially through shared legacies and heritage, the Spencers' intent to safeguard Althorp remains unchanged. For Harry, true respite from royal and media pressures seems as elusive as ever, as one door after another closes at both his paternal and maternal family homes.
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