Charles Spencer welcomes cheeky spaniel puppy into Diana’s childhood home
Charles Spencer and his family have welcomed a new mischievous member of the family who has already become a dab hand at stealing slippers.
The ninth Earl Spencer - Princess Diana’s brother - shared the news with his followers on Twitter, complete with an adorable video of the cheeky pup.
The dad-of-seven wrote: “New puppy pretty pleased with itself for retrieving a third slipper for his growing collection.”
Joey paraded around the Spencers’ house on the Althorp estate, West Northamptonshire, proud as punch with the slipper in his mouth, trotting around with his tail held high.
The spaniel takes himself off to his bed where there are already two blue slippers, a dog coat and collar, with puppy toys strewn in front of the sofa.
New puppy pretty pleased with itself for retrieving a third slipper for his growing collection. pic.twitter.com/fdh7L4Cwhl
— Charles Spencer (@cspencer1508) October 23, 2021
Love dogs?
The estates conservation manager responded to the video joking: “Am I going to see a barefoot boss around the Estate?”
On Monday, Charles’ wife, Karen, told her Instagram followers that Joey had "arrived 4 days ago after the longest 8 weeks of [our daughter] Charlotte's life."
Whilst the black and tan tinker is the newest furry family member, he’s by no means the only one, with the author and his wife having their own little menagerie.
They also share their estate with Tim, the resident peacock, a herd of deer, two rescue lambs called Lucky and Minty, as well as Ella the cat and Flame and Toffee the hens.
The 57-year-old welcomed eight-week-old puppies Forager and Rufus to the estate in early 2020, and Karen often shares photos of their elderly Labrador, Otis, who she describes as a ‘dog of a lifetime’ who follows her everywhere.
The Althorp estate is the very place where the late Lady Diana spent much of her childhood with her brother.
The princess is said to have developed a passion for animals as she was growing up here, and adored her beloved guinea pig, Peanuts, who went on to win the 'fur and feathers' section in the Sandringham show.
She also had rabbits and a ginger cat called Marmalade as a child, as well as a Shetland pony named Souffle.
And he’s not the only member of the family who adores a spaniel, with his nephew Prince William and wife Kate Middleton welcoming a new puppy into their home last year shortly before the death of their beloved spaniel, Lupo.
It came as Kate’s brother, James, breeds spaniels, gifting the couple and their three young children the pooch during the pandemic.