John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer

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The Right Honourable
The Earl Spencer
MVO
Earl and countess spencer.jpg
8th Earl Spencer
Preceded by 7th Earl Spencer
Succeeded by 9th Earl Spencer
Personal details
Born Edward John Spencer
(1924-01-24)24 January 1924
London, England, UK
Died 29 March 1992(1992-03-29) (aged 68)
Humana Hospital, Wellington, London, England, UK
Spouse(s) Frances Spencer, Viscountess Althorp
Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer

Edward John "Johnnie" Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer MVO (24 January 1924 – 29 March 1992), styled Viscount Althorp until 1975, was a British peer and the father of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Contents

Education and military career [edit]

Lord Spencer was born the son of Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer and was educated at Eton, the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, and the Royal Agricultural College. A Captain in the Royal Scots Greys, Lord Spencer fought in the Second World War from 1944 to 1945, and was Mentioned in Despatches. From 1947 to 1950, Lord Spencer served as Aide-de-Camp to then-Governor of South Australia, Willoughby Norrie.[1]

Politics and Royal service [edit]

Lord Spencer held the offices of County Councillor for Northamptonshire (1952), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire (1959) and Justice of the Peace for Norfolk (1970).[1] He served as Equerry to King George VI (1950–52) and to Queen Elizabeth II (1952–54),[2] and was invested as a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (M.V.O.) in 1954.[1]

Marriages [edit]

On 1 June 1954 Lord Spencer and Frances Ruth Roche, the younger daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy, were married in Westminster Abbey by Percy Herbert, Bishop of Norwich. They had five children:

Lord Spencer and Frances were separated in April 1969. Frances later married Peter Shand Kydd and Lord Spencer married Raine, Countess of Dartmouth on 14 July 1976, the former wife of the 9th Earl of Dartmouth, and the daughter and only child of the romantic novelist Barbara Cartland and Alexander McCorquodale.

Titles and styles [edit]

Ancestry [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c Staff. "Person Page 100 earl daniel spencer was his great great grand father 89: Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer". thePeerage.com. 
  2. ^ Royal Household of Buckingham Palace. "Diana, Princess of Wales biography". Royal.gov.uk, the official website of the British Monarchy. "Earl Spencer was Equerry to George VI from 1950 to 1952, and to The Queen from 1952 to 1954." 

External links [edit]

Honorary titles
Preceded by
Sir Gyles Isham, Bt
High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
1959
Succeeded by
Evelyn Fanshawe
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by
Albert Spencer
Earl Spencer
9 June 1975 – 29 March 1992
Succeeded by
Charles Spencer