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{{Short description|British socialite and local politician (1929–2016)}}
{{Infobox Person
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}}
| name = Raine Spencer
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1929|9|9}}
{{Infobox person
| spouse = 1.] m.1947 div.1976 d.1997<br />2.] m.1976 d.1992 <br />3. Comte Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun m.1993 div.1995
| name = The Countess Spencer
| parents = Alexander McCorquodale<br />]
| honorific_prefix = ]
| image = Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer.png
| caption = Countess Spencer in 1950
| birth_name = Raine McCorquodale
| birth_date = 9 September 1929
| birth_place = 6 Culross Street, ], London, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|10|21|1929|09|09|df=y}}
| death_place = Mayfair, London, England
| resting_place=]
| occupation = Socialite and politician
| spouse = {{plainlist|
*{{marriage|]|1948|1976|end=divorced}}
*{{marriage|]|1976|1992|end= {{abbr|d.|died|}}}}
*{{marriage|Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun|1993|1995|end=divorced}}
}}
| parents = Alexander McCorquodale<br />]
| children = ]<br />Rupert Legge<br />Charlotte Paternó Castello, Duchess of Carcaci<br />Henry Legge
}} }}
'''Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer''' ({{nee}} '''McCorquodale'''; 9 September 1929 – 21 October 2016) was a British socialite and local politician. She was the daughter of Alexander McCorquodale and the romantic novelist and socialite ] and the stepmother of ].

'''Raine Spencer''', the Dowager Countess Spencer, born 9 September 1929, is a British ], ] and stepmother of the late ]. She is the daughter of the novelist, ] and Alexander McCorquodale. Aged 23, she became the youngest member of ]. As Lady Lewisham, and later Lady Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years.

A larger than life figure, her actions frequently cause mention in the British and foreign press. Her taste has frequently been questioned and her relationship with the late Princess of Wales much discussed. Her three marriages, have at varying times, accorded her five titles - The Honourable Mrs Gerald Legge; Viscountess Lewisham, the Countess of Dartmouth, Countess Spencer and Comtesse Jean-François de Chambrun. Following the collapse of her third marriage, she chose to revert to the Spencer title given her by the husband she had nursed from serious illness to recovery.

Now in old age, her appearance at any public function, always well-dressed and ] and usually with a huge smile, is guaranteed to attract press attention and comment. Her court appearance at the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, provided some of the lighter moments in the otherwise sombre proceedings, when she appeared on the large screen in the adjoining press room, she was given an affectionate cheer - an ironic reception, from the journalists who write so profusely about her.


==Early years== ==Early years==
Raine McCorquodale was the only child of novelist ] and Alexander George ] of ] in ], an Army officer who was heir to an old ] fortune. Her parents divorced in 1936, and her mother promptly married Alexander's cousin, Hugh McCorquodale, by whom she had two sons, Ian and Glen.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/10/21/raine-countess-spencer--obituary/|title=Raine, Countess Spencer – obituary|date=2016-10-21|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-04-12|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{subscription required}}</ref>


==Countess of Dartmouth==
]
In 1947, 18-year-old Raine McCorquodale was launched as a ] into London high society. She had a successful season, not only being named debutante of the year, but becoming engaged to be married to the heir to an earldom, ].<ref name="Friend not foe">{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/raine-spencer-friend-not-foe-765302.html |title= Raine Spencer: Friend not foe |work= The Independent |location= London |date= 15 December 2007}}</ref> She and Legge married on 21 July 1948. He succeeded to the ] Viscount Lewisham in 1958 and became the ] in 1962. The couple had four children:<ref name=":0" />
The former Raine McCorquodale is the only child of novelist ] and her first husband, Alexander McCorquodale, an Army officer who was heir to a ] fortune. The McCorquodales divorced in 1936 and Barbara Cartland promptly married Alexander McCorquodale's cousin, Hugh McCorquodale, by whom she had two sons, Ian and Glen McCorquodale.


* ] (23 September 1949). He married Fiona Campbell in June 2009. They have one son.
In 1947, the 18 eighteen-year-old Raine McCorquodale was launched as a ] into London high society, she had a successful season, not only being names as "Deb of the Year," but becoming engaged to be married to the heir to an earldom, the ].<ref> The Independent: Saturday, 15 December 2007</ref> She and Legge married that same year. He succeeded to the ] Viscount Lewisham in 1958 and became the ] in 1962. The couple had four children:
* Hon. Rupert Legge (1 January 1953). He married Victoria S. Ottley in 1984. They have two children.
* Lady Charlotte Legge (16 July 1963). She married ] on 19 December 1990. They have three children.
* Hon. Henry Legge (28 December 1968). He married ] (daughter of ]) on 21 December 1995. They have three daughters.


Following her marriage, Lady Dartmouth began to take a strong interest in politics. At age 23, she became the youngest member of ] as a ], working from her home in ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Elegant Mayfair apartment formerly owned by Countess Spencer |url=https://www.tatler.com/article/mayfair-apartment-countess-spencer-princess-diana-stepmother-for-sale-pound85-million |website=Tatler |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> As Lady Lewisham, and later Lady Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years. She sat on Westminster's town planning, parks and personnel committees, and was later elected to represent ] on the ], then ] on the ]. In this capacity she took a special interest in environmental planning and ancient buildings. She chaired the Covent Garden Development Committee and the government working party for the ] in Stockholm.<ref name="Friend not foe"/>
* ], born on 23 September 1949
* Hon. Rupert Legge, born on 1 January 1953
* Lady Charlotte, born on 16 July 1963. She married ].
* Hon. Henry Legge, born on 28 December 1968. He married Cressida Hogg, the youngest daughter of Sir Christopher Hogg.


In 1973, she began an affair with ], Viscount Althorp, her colleague on an architectural heritage committee. The Earl and Countess of Dartmouth were consequently divorced in 1976.<ref name="Friend not foe"/>
Following her marriage, she began to take a strong interest in politics. A ] at 23, she became the youngest member of ]. As Lady Lewisham, and later Lady Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years. A member of Westminster's town planning, parks and personnel committees; she was later elected to represent ] on the ]. In this capacity she took an especial interest in environmental planning and ancient buildings. <ref> The Independent: Saturday, 15 December 2007</ref> Additionally, Lady Dartmouth served as chair of the Covent Garden Development Committee and and on government working party for the ].<ref> The Independent: Saturday, 15 December 2007</ref>

In 1973, Lady Dartmouth began a relationship with ], a colleague on an architectural heritage committee. As a consequence of the resultant affair, the Dartmouths were divorced in 1976. <ref> The Independent: Saturday, 15 December 2007</ref>


==Countess Spencer== ==Countess Spencer==
] in ]. Countess Spencer oversaw a large restoration and redecoration project of the Spencers' ancestral home.]]
Viscount Althorp succeeded ] as the 8th ] on 9 June 1975. The Earl Spencer and Raine, Countess of Dartmouth were married at ], London, on 14 July 1976. As Countess Spencer, Raine was unpopular with her stepdaughter ] and her siblings, who referred to their stepmother as "Acid Raine".<ref name="Oxford DNB">{{cite book |chapter = Spencer, (Edward) John |first = Hugo |last = Vickers |title = ] |date = 14 May 2009 }}</ref>


In 1978, Lord Spencer suffered a ]; his wife nursed him, and his recovery is credited to her care and devotion coupled with the use of an untested drug.<ref name="Oxford DNB"/> Following her husband's illness, Lady Spencer was widely criticised by the press and conservationists for her redecoration of ], the Spencer family seat; it was felt that the heavy use of new gilding and wallpapers failed to compensate for the missing treasures which included, besides properties and land, works by ] and ], furniture, china, porcelain, silver, gold, and family documents sold to fund the project and necessary restoration of the house.<ref name="Oxford DNB"/>
]


The Earl fully endorsed and assisted in his wife's alteration to Althorp and fund-raising activities.<ref name="Oxford DNB"/> However, this was not enough to stop Earl Spencer's son and heir, ] (later the ninth Earl) from describing his stepmother's taste in decoration as having "the wedding cake vulgarity of a five-star hotel in Monaco."<ref name="Friend not foe"/>
Lady Dartmouth and, the former, Lord Althorpe were married at Caxton Hall, London, on 14 July, 1976, Lord Althorpe had succeeded his father as 8th Earl Spencer in 1975. As Countess Spencer, she was unpopular with Spencer's children, the youngest of whom was to become ].<ref>Spencer, (Edward) John, Oxford DNB. 14 may 2009.</ref> However, media reports have suggested that at the time of her death, Diana was reconciled with her step-mother, while her relationship with her mother, ], had been strained.<ref> name="vanityfair">{{cite web|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/features/2007/07/diana200707 |title=Diana's Final Heartbreak: Fame & Scandal: vanityfair.com |publisher=Vanityfair.com |date= |accessdate=2008-11-11}}</ref>


Lord and Lady Spencer led an opulent lifestyle, entertaining frequently and generously, and travelling greatly. In February 1981, they became globally known following the engagement of Lady Spencer's stepdaughter Diana to ].<ref name="Oxford DNB"/> The Countess attended ] in 1981, but was not seated with her husband: while the Earl and Mrs Shand Kydd and their other children sat opposite the Royal Family, the Countess and Mr Shand Kydd, the bride's step-father, were both seated in the congregation. Countess Spencer did not appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.
In 1978, Earl Spencer suffered a brain haemorrhage; his wife nursed him, and it is to her care and devotion coupled with the use of an untested drug, that his recovery is credited. <ref>Spencer, (Edward) John by Hugo Vickers, Oxford DNB. 14 may 2009.</ref> Following the Earl's illness, his wife was widely criticised, by the press and conservationists, for her redecoration of ], the Spencer family seat; it was felt that the heavy use of new gilding and wallpapers failed to compensate for the missing treasures, which included besides properties and land, works by Van Dyck and Gainsboroug, furniture, china, porcelain, silver, gold and family documents sold to fund the project and necessary restoration of the house. <ref>Spencer, (Edward) John by Hugp Vickers, Oxford DNB. 14 may 2009.</ref> It should be noted that the Earl fully endorsed and assisted in his wife's alteration to Althorp and fund-raising activities.<ref>Spencer, (Edward) John, Oxford DNB. 14 may 2009.</ref> However, this was not enough to stop Earl Spencer's son and heir describing his stepmother's taste in decoration as having "the wedding cake vulgarity of a five-star hotel in Monaco." <ref> The Independent: Saturday, 15 December 2007.</ref>


When Lord Spencer died on 29 March 1992, the dowager Countess and her former stepchildren had a poor relationship.<ref>{{cite book |author-link = Kitty Kelley |first = Kitty |last = Kelley |title = The Royals |year = 1998 |isbn = 9780446605786 |url = https://archive.org/details/royalsnotforsale00kitt |url-access = registration }}{{Full citation needed|date= October 2016}} (The reliability of Kelley's book has been questioned).</ref><ref>{{cite book |author-link = Tina Brown |first = Tina |last = Brown |title = ] }}{{Full citation needed|date= October 2016}}</ref> Just two days later, on 31 March 1992, her former stepson – the new Earl Spencer – threw Raine out of the manor house on Althorp. Raine was not allowed to take a single item unless she could prove that the item belonged to her and all of her staff were fired without notice. Diana stood guard in person in the Spencer bedroom and watched as maid Pauline Shaw put the Countess's extensive clothing in four ] suitcases.
The Spencers led an opulent lifestyle entertaining frequently and generously, and travelling greatly. In February 1981, they became globally known following the marriage of the Earl's daughter, Diana, to the ]. <ref>Spencer, (Edward) John by Hugo Vickers, Oxford DNB. 14 may 2009.</ref>
When Diana discovered the embossed capital letter "S" on the suitcases, she decided that these suitcases also belonged to the Spencers. At Diana's instruction, the maid hastily unpacked the multi-piece designer wardrobe and instead stowed it in black garbage bags. The young earl kicked all of the sacks down the stairs.<ref name=":0" /> She received a £4 million inheritance and a ] in London's ] from her husband.<ref name="Friend not foe"/>


==Comtesse de Chambrun==
The Earl died in 1992, her relationship with her stepson being poor, the dowager Countess immediately left Althorp.<ref>] '']''. (The reliability of Kelley's book has been questioned). </ref><ref> ] ] </ref> The abrupt move from Althorp was, however, cushioned by a £4 million inheritance and a ] in London's ] from her husband.<ref> The Independent: Saturday, 15 December 2007.</ref>
In July 1993, Raine Spencer married a third husband, Count Jean-François ] (a descendant of the ] and a member of a prominent French family related to the American ]), after a 33-day courtship.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/07/23/loc_o.dechambrun.html |title = Jean Pierre Pineton, marquis, dies at 101 |newspaper = Enquirer |access-date = 11 November 2008 }}</ref> They married in a civil ceremony in London.<ref name=ppr>{{cite news |title = Di's stepmother marries French count |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6GlBAAAAIBAJ&pg=3958,493855&dq=princess+diana&hl=en |access-date = 16 August 2013 |newspaper = Point Pleasant Register |date = 9 July 1993 |agency = Associated Press |location = London |via= Google News }}</ref>


The Count, a younger son of Jean-Pierre Pineton de Chambrun, Marquis de Chambrun (a deaf biochemist-artist), was previously married to an American, Josalee Douglas, a niece of US Ambassador to the United Kingdom ]. The Countess again attracted charges of vulgarity in Britain when it was discovered that pictures of the wedding had been sold to ''Hello'' magazine for a reputed £70,000.<ref name="Friend not foe"/> Diana and her siblings did not attend the wedding ceremony.<ref name=ppr/> It was at this time that, while none of her former Spencer stepchildren attended this wedding, it was claimed that there was a ''rapprochement'' between her and the Princess of Wales.<ref name="Friend not foe"/>
==Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun==
Raine Spencer married thirdly, in 1993, Count Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, a descendant of the ], a member of a prominent French family related to the American ] family, after a courtship of 33 days. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/07/23/loc_o.dechambrun.html |title=Jean Pierre Pineton, marquis, dies at 101 |publisher=Enquirer.com |date= |accessdate=2008-11-11}}</ref> The Count, a younger son of Jean-Pierre Pineton de Chambrun, Marquis de Chambrun (a deaf biochemist-artist), was previously married to American Josalee Douglas. The Countess again attracted charges of vulgarity, in Britain, when it was discovered that pictures of the wedding had been sold to Hello Magazine for a reputed £70,000.<ref> The Independent: Saturday, 15 December 2007.</ref>
It was at this time, that while none of her Spencer step-children attended her remarriage, it was claimed that there was a rapprochement between her and the Princess of Wales.<ref> The Independent: Saturday, 15 December 2007.</ref>


The de Chambruns' marriage was short-lived and the couple were divorced in 1995. Styled since the marriage as Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, Raine chose to revert to her previous surname and style of Raine, Countess Spencer, despite this being against convention.<ref>{{cite book |title = Burke's Peerage and Baronetage |edition = 106th |location = Crans, Switzerland |publisher = Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd |year = 1999 |volume = 2 |page = 2674 }}</ref>


==Later life==
The de Chambruns' marriage was to be short-lived and the couple divorced in 1995. Styled since the marriage as Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, the Comtesse chose to revert to her previous surname and style of Raine, Countess Spencer. <ref>Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 2, page 2674.</ref>
During Diana's divorce from Prince Charles, she and Raine reportedly reconciled and grew closer, and the two were frequently photographed meeting for lunch.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-31 |title=From 'wicked stepmother' to unlikely ally: inside Diana's relationship with Raine Spencer – 25 years on from the princess's death |url=https://www.tatler.com/article/princess-diana-death-raine-spencer-relationship-tina-gaudoin-book |access-date=2022-11-25 |website=Tatler |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Caroline |date=21 October 2016 |title=Countess Raine Spencer, stepmother of Princess Diana, dies aged 87 |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/21/countess-raine-spencer-stepmother-of-princess-diana-dies-aged-87 |access-date=7 March 2018}}</ref> Diana's relationship with her mother ] had been strained; Diana and her mother had not communicated for several months before Diana died.<ref name="vanityfair">{{cite news |title=Diana's Final Heartbreak: Fame & Scandal |newspaper=Vanity Fair |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/features/2007/07/diana200707 |url-status=dead |access-date=11 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024063510/http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/features/2007/07/diana200707 |archive-date=24 October 2008 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>


In December 2007, Spencer was again featured in the news, giving evidence at the London inquest into ]. Making a rare public comment on her relationship with her former stepdaughter, she said: " always said I had no hidden agenda. So many people, because she was so popular and so world famous, wanted something out of her. It was a very draining life." Later she told the court, "Well, we all want the dark handsome gentleman to walk through the door."<ref name="BBC News December 2007">{{cite news |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7141205.stm |work = BBC News |first = Victoria |last = Bone |date = 13 December 2007 |title = Diana's stepmother captivates inquest |access-date = 22 October 2016 }}</ref>
== 21st century ==


Latterly, Spencer was a member of the board of directors of ], and occasionally worked in the store, although as she told the inquest "Ironically, I never went shopping in Harrods. It was my husband who practically lived there."<ref name="BBC News December 2007"/> Her principal home was in ], London.
In December 2007, Raine Spencer again featured in the news; giving evidence at the London inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Making a rare public comment on her relationship with her stepdaughter, she quoted the princess as saying: "She always said I had no hidden agenda. So many people, because she was so popular and so world famous, wanted something out of her. It was a very draining life." Later she told the court "Well, we all want the dark handsome gentleman to walk through the door." <ref>Thursday, 13 December 2007.</ref>


Spencer died at age 87, following a short illness, on 21 October 2016.<ref>{{cite news |title = Princess Diana's stepmother dies at 87 |work = BBC News |date = 21 October 2016 |access-date = 21 October 2016 |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37731924 }}</ref> No members of the ] attended her funeral.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Simon |title=Princess Diana's Stepmother Raine Spencer Private Funeral |url=https://people.com/royals/princess-dianas-stepmother-raine-spencer-remembered-at-private-funeral/ |date=7 November 2016 |access-date=20 March 2022 |website=PEOPLE.com |language=en |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108145212/https://people.com/royals/princess-dianas-stepmother-raine-spencer-remembered-at-private-funeral/ |archive-date=8 November 2016}}</ref> Several months after her death, a selection of her belongings were auctioned off by Christie's, the auction generated £1,905,938 for her family.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.christies.com/The-Collection-of-Raine--26984.aspx,%20https://www.christies.com/The-Collection-of-Raine--26984.aspx,%20https://www.christies.com/The-Collection-of-Raine--26984.aspx|title=The Collection of Raine, Countess Spencer|website=www.christies.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-30}}</ref>
Today, Raine Spencer is a member of the board of directors of ], and occasionally works in the store, although as she told the inquest "Ironically, I never went shopping in Harrods. It was my husband who practically lived there." <ref>Thursday, 13 December 2007.</ref> Her principal home is in Mayfair, London, where she remains a regular face on the London social scene.

==Titles and styles==
*'''1929–1947:''' ''Miss'' Raine McCorquodale
*'''1947–1958:''' '' Mrs Gerald Legge
*'''1958–1962:''' Viscountess Lewisham
*'''1962–1976:''' ''The Right Honourable'' The Countess of Dartmouth
*'''1976:''' Raine, Countess of Dartmouth
*'''1976–1992:''' ''The Right Honourable'' The Countess Spencer
*'''1992–93:''' ''The Right Honourable'' The Dowager Countess Spencer
*'''1993–95:''' Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun
*'''1995–2016:''' ''The Right Honourable'' Raine, Countess Spencer


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Reflist}}<!--added above categories/infobox footers by script-assisted edit-->


{{Diana, Princess of Wales}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chambrun, Raine de}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Raine}}
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Latest revision as of 09:08, 19 January 2025

British socialite and local politician (1929–2016)

The Right HonourableThe Countess Spencer
Countess Spencer in 1950
BornRaine McCorquodale
9 September 1929
6 Culross Street, Mayfair, London, England
Died21 October 2016(2016-10-21) (aged 87)
Mayfair, London, England
Resting placeNorth Sheen Cemetery
Occupation(s)Socialite and politician
Spouses
Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth ​ ​(m. 1948; div. 1976)​
John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer ​ ​(m. 1976; d. 1992)​
Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun ​ ​(m. 1993; div. 1995)​
ChildrenWilliam Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth
Rupert Legge
Charlotte Paternó Castello, Duchess of Carcaci
Henry Legge
Parent(s)Alexander McCorquodale
Dame Barbara Cartland

Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer (née McCorquodale; 9 September 1929 – 21 October 2016) was a British socialite and local politician. She was the daughter of Alexander McCorquodale and the romantic novelist and socialite Barbara Cartland and the stepmother of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Early years

Raine McCorquodale was the only child of novelist Barbara Cartland and Alexander George McCorquodale of Speen in Berkshire, an Army officer who was heir to an old printing fortune. Her parents divorced in 1936, and her mother promptly married Alexander's cousin, Hugh McCorquodale, by whom she had two sons, Ian and Glen.

Countess of Dartmouth

In 1947, 18-year-old Raine McCorquodale was launched as a debutante into London high society. She had a successful season, not only being named debutante of the year, but becoming engaged to be married to the heir to an earldom, Gerald Humphry Legge. She and Legge married on 21 July 1948. He succeeded to the courtesy title Viscount Lewisham in 1958 and became the 9th Earl of Dartmouth in 1962. The couple had four children:

Following her marriage, Lady Dartmouth began to take a strong interest in politics. At age 23, she became the youngest member of Westminster City Council as a Conservative, working from her home in Grosvenor Square. As Lady Lewisham, and later Lady Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years. She sat on Westminster's town planning, parks and personnel committees, and was later elected to represent Lewisham South on the London County Council, then Richmond upon Thames on the Greater London Council. In this capacity she took a special interest in environmental planning and ancient buildings. She chaired the Covent Garden Development Committee and the government working party for the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.

In 1973, she began an affair with John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, her colleague on an architectural heritage committee. The Earl and Countess of Dartmouth were consequently divorced in 1976.

Countess Spencer

Althorp House in Northamptonshire. Countess Spencer oversaw a large restoration and redecoration project of the Spencers' ancestral home.

Viscount Althorp succeeded his father as the 8th Earl Spencer on 9 June 1975. The Earl Spencer and Raine, Countess of Dartmouth were married at Caxton Hall, London, on 14 July 1976. As Countess Spencer, Raine was unpopular with her stepdaughter Lady Diana Spencer and her siblings, who referred to their stepmother as "Acid Raine".

In 1978, Lord Spencer suffered a brain haemorrhage; his wife nursed him, and his recovery is credited to her care and devotion coupled with the use of an untested drug. Following her husband's illness, Lady Spencer was widely criticised by the press and conservationists for her redecoration of Althorp, the Spencer family seat; it was felt that the heavy use of new gilding and wallpapers failed to compensate for the missing treasures which included, besides properties and land, works by Sir Anthony van Dyck and Thomas Gainsborough, furniture, china, porcelain, silver, gold, and family documents sold to fund the project and necessary restoration of the house.

The Earl fully endorsed and assisted in his wife's alteration to Althorp and fund-raising activities. However, this was not enough to stop Earl Spencer's son and heir, Charles, Viscount Althorp (later the ninth Earl) from describing his stepmother's taste in decoration as having "the wedding cake vulgarity of a five-star hotel in Monaco."

Lord and Lady Spencer led an opulent lifestyle, entertaining frequently and generously, and travelling greatly. In February 1981, they became globally known following the engagement of Lady Spencer's stepdaughter Diana to Charles, Prince of Wales. The Countess attended their wedding in 1981, but was not seated with her husband: while the Earl and Mrs Shand Kydd and their other children sat opposite the Royal Family, the Countess and Mr Shand Kydd, the bride's step-father, were both seated in the congregation. Countess Spencer did not appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.

When Lord Spencer died on 29 March 1992, the dowager Countess and her former stepchildren had a poor relationship. Just two days later, on 31 March 1992, her former stepson – the new Earl Spencer – threw Raine out of the manor house on Althorp. Raine was not allowed to take a single item unless she could prove that the item belonged to her and all of her staff were fired without notice. Diana stood guard in person in the Spencer bedroom and watched as maid Pauline Shaw put the Countess's extensive clothing in four Louis Vuitton suitcases. When Diana discovered the embossed capital letter "S" on the suitcases, she decided that these suitcases also belonged to the Spencers. At Diana's instruction, the maid hastily unpacked the multi-piece designer wardrobe and instead stowed it in black garbage bags. The young earl kicked all of the sacks down the stairs. She received a £4 million inheritance and a townhouse in London's Mayfair from her husband.

Comtesse de Chambrun

In July 1993, Raine Spencer married a third husband, Count Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun (a descendant of the Marquis de La Fayette and a member of a prominent French family related to the American Roosevelt family), after a 33-day courtship. They married in a civil ceremony in London.

The Count, a younger son of Jean-Pierre Pineton de Chambrun, Marquis de Chambrun (a deaf biochemist-artist), was previously married to an American, Josalee Douglas, a niece of US Ambassador to the United Kingdom Lewis Williams Douglas. The Countess again attracted charges of vulgarity in Britain when it was discovered that pictures of the wedding had been sold to Hello magazine for a reputed £70,000. Diana and her siblings did not attend the wedding ceremony. It was at this time that, while none of her former Spencer stepchildren attended this wedding, it was claimed that there was a rapprochement between her and the Princess of Wales.

The de Chambruns' marriage was short-lived and the couple were divorced in 1995. Styled since the marriage as Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, Raine chose to revert to her previous surname and style of Raine, Countess Spencer, despite this being against convention.

Later life

During Diana's divorce from Prince Charles, she and Raine reportedly reconciled and grew closer, and the two were frequently photographed meeting for lunch. Diana's relationship with her mother Frances Shand Kydd had been strained; Diana and her mother had not communicated for several months before Diana died.

In December 2007, Spencer was again featured in the news, giving evidence at the London inquest into Diana's death. Making a rare public comment on her relationship with her former stepdaughter, she said: " always said I had no hidden agenda. So many people, because she was so popular and so world famous, wanted something out of her. It was a very draining life." Later she told the court, "Well, we all want the dark handsome gentleman to walk through the door."

Latterly, Spencer was a member of the board of directors of Harrods, and occasionally worked in the store, although as she told the inquest "Ironically, I never went shopping in Harrods. It was my husband who practically lived there." Her principal home was in Mayfair, London.

Spencer died at age 87, following a short illness, on 21 October 2016. No members of the Spencer family attended her funeral. Several months after her death, a selection of her belongings were auctioned off by Christie's, the auction generated £1,905,938 for her family.

Titles and styles

  • 1929–1947: Miss Raine McCorquodale
  • 1947–1958: Mrs Gerald Legge
  • 1958–1962: Viscountess Lewisham
  • 1962–1976: The Right Honourable The Countess of Dartmouth
  • 1976: Raine, Countess of Dartmouth
  • 1976–1992: The Right Honourable The Countess Spencer
  • 1992–93: The Right Honourable The Dowager Countess Spencer
  • 1993–95: Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun
  • 1995–2016: The Right Honourable Raine, Countess Spencer

References

  1. ^ "Raine, Countess Spencer – obituary". The Telegraph. 21 October 2016. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 April 2018.(subscription required)
  2. ^ "Raine Spencer: Friend not foe". The Independent. London. 15 December 2007.
  3. "Elegant Mayfair apartment formerly owned by Countess Spencer". Tatler. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  4. ^ Vickers, Hugo (14 May 2009). "Spencer, (Edward) John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
  5. Kelley, Kitty (1998). The Royals. ISBN 9780446605786. (The reliability of Kelley's book has been questioned).
  6. Brown, Tina. The Diana Chronicles.
  7. "Jean Pierre Pineton, marquis, dies at 101". Enquirer. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  8. ^ "Di's stepmother marries French count". Point Pleasant Register. London. Associated Press. 9 July 1993. Retrieved 16 August 2013 – via Google News.
  9. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage. Vol. 2 (106th ed.). Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd. 1999. p. 2674.
  10. "From 'wicked stepmother' to unlikely ally: inside Diana's relationship with Raine Spencer – 25 years on from the princess's death". Tatler. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  11. Davies, Caroline (21 October 2016). "Countess Raine Spencer, stepmother of Princess Diana, dies aged 87". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  12. "Diana's Final Heartbreak: Fame & Scandal". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  13. ^ Bone, Victoria (13 December 2007). "Diana's stepmother captivates inquest". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  14. "Princess Diana's stepmother dies at 87". BBC News. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  15. Perry, Simon (7 November 2016). "Princess Diana's Stepmother Raine Spencer Private Funeral". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  16. "The Collection of Raine, Countess Spencer". www.christies.com. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
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