Charles Spencer welcomes precious new addition at Althorp House

Earl Charles Spencer attends the ICAP charity day at ICAP on December 9, 2015 in London
Earl Charles Spencer attends the ICAP charity day at ICAP on December 9, 2015 in London (Max Mumby/Indigo)

Charles Spencer has welcomed a fluffy new addition to his sprawlingfamily estatein Northamptonshire.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, the author and historian shared a sweet picture of his new Fox Red Labrador gazing into the garden whilst perched obediently in a doorway.

puppy sat in doorway
Charles melted hearts with a snapshot of his new puppy (Instagram)

Captioning his post, Charles simply wrote: "New pup." Unsurprisingly, the Earl's fans and friends flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts, with one writing: "Such a beautiful addition to your family. Congratulations", while a second gushed: "So adorable, enjoy every minute with your lovely new pooch", and a third added: "There's nothing like the sweet newness of a young pup. Years of loving loyal companionship."

Charles at Althorp House
Charles is custodian of Althorp House (Getty Images)

Whilst Charles, 59, appeared to surprise many with his new family addition, he previously revealed his plans to adopt a new pet pooch earlier this month.

The father-of-seven visited an animal shelter on 13 April where he quickly bonded with a pen of adorable pups. At the time, he shared: "One of these darlings is joining me for a new life at Althorp in a few days. Can't wait!" Take a look in the video below...

Aside from their new canine companion, Charles and his wife Karen are also doting pet parents to peacocks Tim and Jim, a gaggle of peahens, red deer, guinea fowl, and two adorable sheep called Minty and Lucky.

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Meanwhile, in March, the pair also welcomed Rudy the cat. Alongside a carousel of adorable images, Karen, 51, wrote: "Meet our new barn cat Rudy!

"Rudy wandered into the Park one day last fall and we all fell for him. We took him to the vet to see if he was chipped and he was, but the owners kept hanging up when the vet called".

She continued: "So he has hit the cat lottery and is living in the stables. He's responsible for making sure we don't have rodent problems. He gets lots of cuddles as he wanders all around the house offices keeping all the dogs in check!"

peacock walking in garden
Charles and Karen also own two fabulous peacocks (Instagram)

Charles grew up at Althorp with his three older sisters including Princess Diana. He inherited the family home when his father John died in 1992. The beautiful property is set on 13,000 acres, 550 of which are the house and gardens, and boasts 90 exquisite rooms which are currently in the process of being renovated.

An aerial view of the burial site of Diana, Princess of Wales on the Round Oval lake
An aerial view of the burial site of Diana, Princess of Wales (Getty Images)

The estate is also home to a Grecian-style temple dedicated to the late Princess who is buried on the property's ornamental Oval Lake. While the temple is open to the public, Diana's resting place is only accessible via boat and is off-limits to the public.