A building on the estate where Diana, Princess of Wales grew up has been burned down after being targeted by vandals, according to her younger brother Charles, Earl Spencer. He said: “Stunned to learn that one of ⁦Althorp House’s farmhouses – fortunately, unoccupied at the time – was apparently burnt down by vandals last night. With thanks to ⁦@northantsfire for doing their very best. So very sad that anyone would think this a fun thing to do.”

The building is one of a number on the estate, with Charles still calling Althorp House home. The estate is also the final resting place of his sister, Diana.

The Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue service are still at the scene today, with a cordon in place.

It continued: “The service remains on scene after a fire on Mill Lane in Kingsthorpe, Northampton.

“We were called at around 1:30am this morning (May 28) & crews arrived to find an unoccupied two-story property fully on fire.

“At the height of the fire, four crews from across the Service wearing breathing apparatus used hose-reel jets to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading.

“This morning, one crew remains on the scene with a water bowser to continue dampening down any remaining hotspots.”

Although Diana spent her earliest days living in another house on the Althorp Estate called Park House, she moved into the main stately home when her father, John Spencer, succeeded to the Spencer Earldom in 1975.

Diana famously met her future husband, King Charles, when he was visiting Althorp to see her elder sister, Lady Sarah, in 1977.

She was buried on a small island surrounded by a lake on the estate so family members including Prince William and Prince Harry could visit her resting place without the eyes of the world watching.