Princess Diana is remembered all over the world for her legacy of humanitarian work and compassion for others. It seems like this attitude of service runs in the family; her brother, Charles Spencer, recently spoke about a charity event hosted at the siblings’ home in honor of another member of the family.
Earl Spencer Celebrates ‘Cycle For Cynthia’ Charity Event
Earl Spencer took to Twitter to share updates on the charity bike race, “Cycle for Cynthia,” that took place at his and Diana’s childhood home, Althorp House. A whopping 600 cyclists showed up to ride their bikes for the Cynthia Spencer Hospice, a charity named in honor of the Spencer siblings’ late grandmother.
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“I started one of the sections of #Cycle4Cynthia just now – a major fundraiser at @althorphouse on behalf of @CynthiaSHospice – Northampton’s hospice,” Spencer tweeted, along with a picture of a father and son on their bikes. “Humbling to see one of the 600 cyclists – Connor, with his proud father – was a full 55 years younger than me!”
People loved Spencer’s post, celebrating his charitable event in the comments section. “It’s a brilliant event,” one person wrote. “I’m sure lots of much-needed money will be raised.” Another tweeted, “Thanks for letting this event start and finish at your estate. It was fantastically [run] this year and well done to all the volunteers.”
“Thank you for everything. I really mean it. It means a lot, when you contribute to others and make them smile … like me,” someone else commented. According to Cycle for Cynthia’s website, the event has raised over £500,000 over the years.
Diana’s Grandmother’s Legacy Of Charity Work
The earl gave people a more detailed look at his late grandmother’s life in a tweet celebrating what would have been her 125th birthday. In the video, Spencer shared that Cynthia was “a stalwart of the local area, visiting farmers and villagers if they were unwell”—much like her granddaughter.
“She was very community minded,” Spencer continued. “It’s a testimony to her popularity in this area that the hospice serving the local town, Northampton, is still called the Cynthia Spencer Hospice.”
He went on, “She acted as the Queen Mother’s closest confidants, she knew how to behave with everyone, she had impeccable manners but she could also charm the birds out of the trees, she had that wonderful presence.” It looks like Charles and Diana’s passion for helping others runs in the family!