Charles Spencer's 'drama' ahead of fire at Princess Diana's childhood home

It was an eventful weekend for Charles, 9th Earl Spencer at his ancestral estate Althorp.

Princess Diana's brother often posts photos of his Northamptonshire mansion on social media, from beautiful wildlife to serene scenes at Diana's burial, but the latest one was far from uplifting. Charles revealed the Fire and Rescue Service had to be called out amid a blaze "started by youths", which came just hours after he captured "drama" on camera.

On Sunday morning, Charles shared a moody snap of his property with ominous grey clouds hanging overhead, writing: "Thunder & lightning at @althorphouse last night, followed by the drama of this swirling pewter sky."

While the clouds eased up later in the day to reveal patches of blue sky, the nicer weather was obscured by a plume of black smoke from a building surrounded by fields and trees. "Fire started by youths in balaclavas this afternoon, in an industrial unit on the estate at Althorp - thanks to @northantsfire for their bravery," Charles explained.

Prince Harry's visit to Althorp

This comes just days after his nephew Prince Harry had stayed at Althorp during a visit to the UK, according to PEOPLE.

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The Duke of Sussex left his wife Meghan Markle and kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in Montecito as he joined Prince William at their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes' funeral at St Mary's Church in Snettisham, Norfolk. Lord Fellowes, one of the late Queen's aides, passed away just three days before the 27th anniversary of Diana's death on 31 August.

It's possible that Harry would have used his visit as an opportunity to visit his late mother's final resting place – as he had done with Meghan seven years earlier.

In his memoir Spare, Harry detailed his special moment with Meghan at the Oval Lake, which is not open to the public.

"Gliding across the pond, I gazed around at Althorp's rolling fields and ancient trees, the thousands of green acres where my mother grew up, and where, though things weren’t perfect, she'd known some peace," he wrote.

After leaving Meghan for a moment alone on the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, Harry added: "When I returned, she was on her knees with her eyes closed and her palms flat against the stone."

Charles' family home

Charles grew up at Althorp with his three older sisters including Princess Diana. He inherited the 13,000-acre estate and 90-room home when his father John died in 1992.

Charles previously shared the property with his ex-wife Karen, with whom he welcomed daughter Charlotte.

The couple announced their split in June following 13 years of marriage, and the Countess said she was looking forward to "closing this chapter" as she was on the hunt for her next UK residence.

In a heartfelt post to her Instagram followers, she penned: "I'm looking forward to reconnecting with everyone on social media soon. I’ll be posting more regularly again starting in September.

"I'm currently still at Althorp, and as we move into the fall, I look forward to closing this chapter out with you all and launching the next. I will be sharing an update on my projects and reflecting on all the wonderful things I have learned during my time here on this beautiful Estate."

Karen also revealed that her beloved sheep Lucky and Minty would be joining her once she departs the property.

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