Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer

Infobox Person
name = Albert Spencer
title = 7th Earl Spencer


caption = Albert Spencer, Viscount Althorp, in WW1 uniform. Painted by John Singer Sargent, in 1915.
birth_date = birth date|1892|5|23
birth_place = London, England
death_date = death date and age|1975|6|9|1892|5|23
death_place = Northampton, Northamptonshire
spouse = Cynthia Hamilton
children = Anne Spencer (b.1920)
Edward John Spencer (1924-1992)
parents = Charles Robert Spencer
Margaret Baring

Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer (23 May 1892-9 June 1975), known formally as The Hon Albert Spencer until 1910 and from then until 1922 as Viscount Althorp, and less formally as "Jack" Spencer, was a British peer. He was the paternal grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales.

He was born in London, the son of Charles Robert Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer and his wife, the former Margaret Baring, second daughter of Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke. [Williamson, D "The Ancestry of Lady Diana Spencer" In: "Genealogist’s Magazine", 1981; vol. 20 (no. 6) p. 192-199 and vol. 20 (no. 8) p. 281-282] His godparents included King Edward VII. [Mosley, C (ed.) "Burke’s Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition" (Burke’s Peerage & Gentry (UK) Ltd., Stokesley, North Yorkshire), 2003; vol. 3 p. 3695]

After his education at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge"Who was Who, 1971-1980" (Adam & Charles Black, London, 1981) p. 746] , he served in the First World War as a Captain in the First Life Guards [ Mosley, C (ed.) "Burke’s Peerage & Baronetage, 106th edition" (Burke’s Peerage, Crans, Switzerland), 1999; vol. 2 p. 2673] , and was active in the local politics of Northamptonshire as a Conservative councillor. He opened his ancestral home, Althorp, to the public and was a well-known art connoisseur, being a trustee of the Wallace Collection and chairman of the Royal School of Needlework. ["The Times", Thursday, Jun 12, 1975; p. 20 col. F] He was a Fellow of both the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Royal Society of Arts, and for eight years in the 1960s he was Chair of the Advisory Council of the Victoria and Albert Museum. He was active in the Territorial Army for 43 years from 1924. He was Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire from 1952 to 1967.

He married Lady Cynthia Hamilton, second daughter of James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn, in 1919 and had two children.

He died at St Matthews Nursing Home, Northampton after a short illness ["The Times", Tuesday, Jun 10, 1975; p. 30 col. B] , and was succeeded as Earl by his son, John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, the father of Diana, Princess of Wales.

References