Her name is Lady Kitty Spencer, and she’s had quite the upbringing.
The niece of the late Princess Diana, Spencer is the daughter of Charles Spencer and Victoria Lockwood. As is the case for every member of the British Royalty, she was destined to grow up in the spotlight—but that didn’t quite happen, as she moved with her father to South Africa in 1995.
At the time, Kitty was only 5 years old. She grew up in South Africa, attending the University of Cape Town to study politics, English literature, and psychology. She lived most of her life away from the public eye, or at least away from the tabloids that would have undoubtedly pursued her had she grown up in Britain.
But in 2007, Lady Spencer attended a memorial ceremony for Princess Diana, and suddenly the British media became obsessed. After all, she looks quite a lot like her late aunt—a considerable compliment.
Lady Kitty’s mother, Victoria Lockwood, is a former model.
During Kitty’s upbringing, Victoria went through a public divorce with Charles Spencer, then began a downward spiral that eventually resulted in rehab for addiction. The tabloids mercilessly reported on every aspect of the story, exposing the family’s secrets and making Kitty’s upbringing quite difficult.
Nevertheless, Kitty’s family remains close, perhaps strengthened by their experience. Kitty frequently posts pictures of her parents and siblings on her Instagram.
It’s possible that Kitty Spencer could stand to inherit a fortune.
Divorce proceedings in 1997 revealed Charles Spencer’s fortune to be about $154 million. His lawyers made the case that most of this money was inaccessible—but that might have been for the benefit of the divorce.
In any case, Kitty Spencer will likely receive an enormous inheritance. That’s not to say that she needs it—she reportedly lives a glamorous lifestyle, attending high society parties and traveling almost constantly.
Spencer is in demand as a model, so she’s likely quite wealthy on her own. She’s also been romantically linked to Count Niccolò Barattieri di San Pietro, an Italian property developer.
In 2015, several papers began to speculate that Lady Spencer would inherit the family estate at Althorp.
Traditionally in the British aristocracy, male children inherit family estates and titles. However, Lady Spencer’s brother, Louis, is several years younger than her, prompting questions of whether she should be the one to inherit Althorp.
“In general, I’m totally pro gender equality. But I’m quite happy that that’s [going to be] my brother’s responsibility. I just think it’s the correct way,” she told The Telegraph.
“I like that the house stays within the same family with the same surname. I wouldn’t want it any other way for the Spencers. And I just know my brother is going to do an impeccable job.”
Lady Kitty shares her aunt’s commitment to charity.
She has raised money for Centre Point, a charity for the homeless, and Give Us Time, a program for ex-military servicemen and their families.
“I liked that it nurtures the family unit,” Spencer said of Give Us Time. “It was the first [charity] I’d heard about of its kind.”
While Lady Spencer probably won’t slip out of the spotlight anytime soon, she seems to be more comfortable with her role as a public figure. The British public loves her, and it’s easy to see why—after all, there’s something strangely familiar about the Honourable Lady Kitty Spencer.
