Charles Spencer has shared a sweet family photo on Instagram and fans are marvelling at just how strong the Spencer genes are.
The Earl Spencer posted a snap of his grandparents, Albert and Cynthia Spencer — Princess Diana's paternal grandparents — enjoying tea in the courtyard of Althorp, the family estate.
The black-and-white image shows the sophisticated couple seated at a wicker table with a full tea spread. "My grandparents having tea in Althorp’s courtyard – Summer, 1940," he captioned the post.
Albert Spencer was the 7th Earl Spencer, and his wife, Cynthia, was Countess Spencer. When Albert died in 1975, Charles' father, John Spencer, inherited the title and moved with his five children — including Diana — to the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire.
Diana's remarkable resemblance
Charles Spencer has long been the keeper of his family's history, often sharing rare photographs and anecdotes with his 280,000 Instagram followers.
In July, the Earl posted a charcoal sketch of his grandparents in 1919, a year before they married. The sketch of Cynthia Spencer had fans in a frenzy, obsessing over the uncanny resemblance between the Countess and her granddaughter, Princess Diana.
"I can see Diana in your grandmother, so beautiful," one commenter wrote.
"I can see Diana in Cynthia... the Spencer genes run strong!" another added.
"Easy to see Diana and William in these," another commenter pointed out.
Beyond sharing looks, Diana also believed that she and her grandmother shared a psychic link.
In his 1992 biography Diana: Her True Story, journalist Andrew Morton wrote that the late princess believed her grandmother "looks after her in the spirit world."
Diana's royal connections
Though she married into the royal family, Princess Diana's family had long been intertwined with the British royals.
Her grandmother, Cynthia Spencer, was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1937 - a position she held until she died in 1972, marking an impressive three decades of trusted service within the royal household.
Meanwhile, Albert Spencer served as Equerry to King George VI from 1950 to 1952 and Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 to 1954.
Diana spent the first years of her life at Park House, which is located on the Sandringham estate - one of the royal family's private residences.
Her father leased Park House from the royal family, making the Spencers and the Windsors neighbours until the family relocated to Althorp in 1975.
These royal ties proved immeasurably useful when Diana wed King Charles, helping her adapt to public life and the unique demands of royal protocol.
In fact, Diana famously made a good impression during her first visit to Balmoral - passing what many consider an unofficial royal test - something her upbringing had well prepared her for.