On Monday, the author and historian shared on Instagram a carousel of images showcasing the estate’s newest exhibit—a handcrafted wooden canoe gifted to Charles on his 60th birthday—to announce the opening of his estate for summer 2024.
The canoe, a poignant gift, was specially crafted for Charles to use on the majestic Oval Lake on his property, where his late sister Princess Diana rests.
Declaring his estate open for the summer, Charles wrote in his caption: “Althorp is open to day visitors from 1 July till 29 August this year, and a new exhibit is the stunning canoe given to me by @marckoska for my 60th birthday in May.”
He continued: “It’s as beautiful as many of the works of art in Althorp House, accumulated by my family over the past 500 years.
“I still can’t get my head round the generosity, craftsmanship and thoughtfulness of this gift in a million…”
The Earl’s fans and friends flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts. Delighted by the exciting announcement, one follower wrote: “I will be visiting next week with my two friends – looking forward to it very much” while a second penned: “We look forward to seeing it next week” and a third chimed in: “It’s stunning! Can’t wait to see it.”
Althorp is open to visitors in the summer months each year, with areas such as the 115-foot-long Picture Gallery and Wootton Hall, the entrance hall accessible. Charles has previously spoken about the significance of the opening dates, explaining how they were a “strange coincidence” in light of their connection to his late sister.
Whilst his stately home will be closing to visitors on 29 August this year, it has previously remained open until 31 August.
“With these big houses and their contents, you do an agreement with the government as to how many days to be open,” he said on model Twiggy’s podcast Tea with Twiggy.
“We agreed to be open for July and August, so we open on the first of July, which is Diana’s birthday, and we close on 31 August, which is the day she died.” He added: “That was agreed five years before she passed away, so strange.”
