What Is Princess Diana's Sister Sarah Spencer Doing Now?
In "The Crown," the hit Netflix series which chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II, we catch a glimpse of Princess Diana's family members who played a pivotal part in her integration into the royal family. Her maternal grandmother, Ruth Sylvia Roche, Baroness Fermoy, was reportedly a close friend of the Queen Mother, while her sister, Sarah Spencer, was the person who introduced her to King Charles, whom she would later marry.
The show painted Spencer in a bad light — bossing Diana around and asking her to do various household chores for a measly fee. In reality, however, Diana thought of the world of her older sister, with royal biographer Sarah Bradford noting that she "hero-worshipped" Spencer. Per People, Diana also reportedly saw Spencer as one of her only confidantes, describing her as "the only person I know I can trust."
When Princess Diana died, Spencer was one of the few people who helped uphold her sister's legacy. She busied herself with The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and took charge of distributing millions to various causes. Along with their other sister, Jane, she also made it a point to maintain relationships with Diana's children, Princes William and Harry, and supported them in any way she could.
Sarah Spencer remains close to the royal family
After Princess Diana's passing, Sarah Spencer and the rest of the Spencer family maintained close ties with Diana's children, Prince William and Prince Harry. While they made efforts to dodge the spotlight, they were often spotted being in attendance at prominent events in their nephew's lives, including their weddings to their spouses, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.
"Harry has always kept in close touch with the Spencers and they have all received invitations," a family friend shared with Vanity Fair. "Harry gets on well with his aunts and uncle and they have met Meghan. His cousins all have the golden ticket—an invite to the ceremony and reception and the evening party." In return, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended Spencer's daughter, Emily's wedding, while Prince Harry flew all the way to South Africa to take part in her son's nuptials.
And while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship with the royal family soured, the Spencers remain steadfast in their support for them. They made sure to be present in the lives of Diana's grandchildren, too. In 2023, the two Spencer sisters even traveled to Montecito to attend Lilibet's christening.
Sarah Spencer became the president of Princess Diana's charity
Despite rumors that there was bad blood between Princess Diana and her sister Sarah Spencer, there's no denying that Diana wouldn't have married King Charles if it weren't for her older sister. Surprisingly, it was Spencer who dated the then-Prince Charles first, but it was a short fling rather than a full-blown relationship. "I introduced them. I'm Cupid," she told The Guardian. Biographer Sarah Bradford also noted in her book that Spencer told Woman's Own that she was "not in love with Prince Charles" and that they had a "brotherly-sisterly" dynamic. "I can assure you that if there was to be any engagement between Prince Charles and myself, then it would have happened by now," she said. "I wouldn't marry anyone I don't love, whether it was the dustman or the King of England. If he asked me I would turn him down."
As we all know, Diana ended up being the one to marry King Charles. But the late royal reportedly maintained a close relationship with her sister until her death in 1997. As part of making right by her memory, Spencer stepped up to continue Diana's charity work and spearheaded The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund until its dissolution in 2012. According to The Telegraph, the organization's goal was to function as "a resolute and influential champion of disadvantaged people on the margins of society" and throughout its 15 years of service, it donated millions to causes close to Diana's heart.