Earl Spencer has shared his devastation following an arson attack on the Althorp estate in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Charles, 61, who is the brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, posted images of the blaze on his social media accounts.
One picture showed the damage to the two-storey farmhouse in the grounds of the Althorp estate.
"Stunned to learn that one of the @AlthorpHouse'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 is a fun thing to do," the Earl wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
© X / @cspencer1508In an Instagram Stories post, he added: "Luckily unoccupied at the time but deeply disturbing that one of our farmhouses was torched by vandals last night. Sincere thanks to @northantsfire for trying to save it."
In a statement, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to the scene on Mill Lane at around 1.30am on Wednesday. It added: "Crews arrived to find a derelict two-story property fully on fire.
© X / @cspencer1508"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 further.
One crew remained on the scene into this afternoon with a water bowser to continue dampening down any remaining hotspots, and then returned to their station shortly before 1pm."
© X / @northantsfireThe estate's long-standing head gamekeeper Adey Greeno also posted on X: "The farmhouse that we lost to a deliberate act of vandalism last night has now had to be razed to the ground for safety reasons. So sad. The world we live in."
Diana's childhood home
Althorp House was where Diana and her siblings – Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Lady Jane Fellowes and Charles – lived as children.
Charles has been custodian of Althorp House in Northampton since the death of his father, John Spencer, in 1992. The Earl has helped to restore the Grade I stately home, including a major renovation of the roof and stonework in 2009.
© Alamy Stock PhotoFollowing her death after a tragic car crash in Paris in 1997, Diana was laid to rest on a small island in the middle of the ornamental Round Oval Lake on the vast estate.
© GettyAlthorp will be open to the public from 3 July to 31 August, with visitors able to explore its house and grounds. Diana's grave remains private on its secluded island, but members of the public are able to pay tribute at a separate memorial.
