Princess Diana's brother left in tears after very poignant 60th birthday present
Charles, Earl Spencer celebrated his 60th birthday on Monday May 20 and was taken aback by one special present.
Earl Charles Spencer watches peacock at Althorp estate
Earl Charles Spencer, the younger brother of Princess Diana, marked his milestone 60th birthday on Monday this week and was moved to tears by a gift from a friend.
To celebrate the occasion the Earl hosted a party at Althorp House, his ancestral home in Northamptonshire, but was overcome with emotion when he was presented with a canoe.
While this may seem an unusual present, the canoe will be used for Charles to sail to an island on Oval Lake in the grounds of Althorp, where his beloved older sister is buried.
Earl Spencer told the Daily Mail: "I had 30 friends and family to stay over the weekend. I was brought down to the lake at Althorp by a friend on Saturday.
"Her husband hand-made this astonishingly beautiful canoe for me, as a surprise, over many months. I cried on seeing it. It's almost too exquisite to paddle."
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He added: "The husband said, 'I just thought it would be useful when you visit your sister'. Such an overwhelmingly beautiful thought."
Diana's grave on the island can only be visited by boat, and the canoe has already been pictured sitting on the bank next to the lake at the 13,000 acre estate.
Visitors can pay tribute to the late Princess of Wales when Althorp is open to the public in July and August, which are the anniversaries of Diana's birth (July 1) and death (August 31).
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Those looking to pay their respects to the late Diana at Althorp can leave floral tributes and letters to her at a memorial near her resting place.
Lord Spencer previously explained: "It has been decided to bury Diana, Princess of Wales, in the grounds of Althorp Park, where her grave can be properly looked after by her family and visited in privacy by her sons."
There had been plans originally to bury her in the family tombs at the local church but the Earl said he was "worried" about her safety there.
In spite of his feud with the Royal Family Prince Harry remains close to the Spencer side, and has continued to foster good relations with them.
Harry's uncle Earl Spencer, his aunt Lady Jane Fellowes - Diana's older sister - and his cousin Louis Spencer all turned up to support him at the 10th anniversary service for the Invictus Games on May 8.
In contrast none of the senior royals accepted their invitations, as King Charles and Prince William both had prior engagements already in the diary.