Earl Spencer (title)

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox nobility title Earl Spencer is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created on 1 November 1765, along with the title Viscount Althorp, of Althorp in the County of Northampton, for John Spencer, 1st Viscount Spencer.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref><ref name="Burke1833">Template:Cite book</ref> He was a member of the prominent Spencer family and a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Previously, he had been created Viscount Spencer, of Althorp in the County of Northampton, and Baron Spencer of Althorp, of Althorp in the County of Northampton, on 3 April 1761.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref><ref name="Burke1833"/>

The future 6th Earl Spencer was created Viscount Althorp, of Great Brington in the County of Northampton, on 19 December 1905 in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Diana, Princess of Wales, was the youngest of three daughters of the 8th Earl Spencer. William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, are grandsons of the 8th Earl Spencer.

Land holdings

The family seat is Althorp in Northamptonshire.<ref name="Burke1833"/> It includes the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, of about Template:Convert.Template:Efn The family's estate includes significant land holdings in other parts of the country, including the village of North Creake in Norfolk. The family also owns Spencer House in St James's, London.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the family is as follows: Quarterly argent and gules, in the second and third quarters a fret or, over all on a bend sable, three escallops of the first. The crest, emerging from the coronet, is a griffin's head argent, gorged with a bar gemelle gules between two wings expanded of the second. The supporters are: Dexter, a griffin per fess ermine and erminois, gorged with a collar sable, the edges flory-counter-flory, and chained of the last, on the collar, three escallops argent; sinister, a wyvern erect on his tail ermine, collared and chained as the griffin. The motto is Dieu defend le droit (French: God protects the right).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>