Lady Glenconner Defends Princess Diana's Stepmother Against Earl Spencer's Accusations

Lady Anne Glenconner has publicly defended Raine Spencer, the stepmother of Princess Diana, in response to disparaging remarks made by Earl Charles Spencer in his recent book, "Swan Song." Lady Glenconner, a former lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, described Raine Spencer, the late Countess Spencer, as "wonderful" and "generous," particularly in her relationship with Earl Spencer after her marriage to his father in 1976.

In an interview with Hello! magazine, Lady Glenconner credited Raine Spencer, who died in 2016, with helping to save the life of John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer, during an illness. Lady Glenconner also noted that Raine Spencer was a godmother to her own daughter, May, and was "very generous to her."

"I liked her," Lady Glenconner stated. "I was godmother to her daughter, Charlotte, and she was godmother to my daughter, May, and she was very generous to her." She added, "I think from the children's point of view, she probably was difficult, but she was wonderful with Johnnie [Earl Spencer] – she saved his life when he was ill. And then, interestingly, she became great friends with Diana."

Earl Spencer's memoir, "Swan Song," portrays his late stepmother unflatteringly, detailing various conflicts, including a notable altercation at Althorp House in 1989. According to Earl Spencer's account, Diana pushed Raine down a flight of stairs after Raine commented on Diana's then-husband, Prince Charles, marrying "someone quite as stupid" as Diana.

Robert Hardman, a royal biographer, noted in the Daily Mail that "the charge sheet against Lord Spencer's late stepmother, Raine, runs on for pages" in the book. Earl Spencer suggested that Raine's marriage to his father and their time at Althorp House still "clearly rankle" him. He claimed in his memoir that Diana learned of the marriage through the newspapers and criticized Raine for selling assets from the Althorp estate, accusing her of "feathering her own nest."

The Spencer siblings reportedly nicknamed Raine Spencer "Acid Raine," and Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, alleged they would sing "Raine, Raine, go away." Earl Spencer wrote in his book about his belief that his father was "scared of not supporting Raine because he needed her so much at every level of his life."

Despite the familial tensions, Raine Spencer and Princess Diana reportedly made amends after Johnnie Spencer's death in 1992. Diana expressed gratitude for the "love" Raine had shown her father. Following Diana and Prince Charles' divorce in 1996, Diana extended an invitation to Raine for dinner at Kensington Palace, a gesture seen as a significant reconciliation. The two remained close in the final year of Diana's life, speaking daily by phone before Diana's death in Paris in 1997.

Raine Spencer married her third husband, Count Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, after being asked to leave Althorp by Earl Spencer. That marriage lasted three years. Raine Spencer died in October 2016 after a battle with cancer.