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Lady Glenconner defends Diana's 'generous' stepmother
Lady Glenconner calls Diana's stepmother 'generous' after Earl Spencer's book claims she was 'Acid Raine'.
In brief
Lady Glenconner calls Diana's stepmother 'generous' after Earl Spencer's book claims she was 'Acid Raine'. Lady Glenconner praised Diana's stepmother Raine Spencer as 'generous' despite family tensions. Originally reported by Dailymail.
Lady Glenconner defends Diana's stepmother
Lady Glenconner praised Diana's stepmother Raine Spencer as 'generous' after Earl Spencer's book claims she was 'Acid Raine'.
“Lady Anne Glenconner has defended Princess Diana's 'generous' stepmother after Earl Spencer's disparaging remarks about the late Countess Spencer in his new book Swan Song”
Raine Spencer's role in family
Raine Spencer was described as 'wonderful' with John Spencer after their 1976 marriage and credited for saving his life.
“Raine Spencer was 'wonderful' with John Spencer after their marriage in 1976”
Raine's death and legacy
Raine Spencer died ten years ago at age 87, and Lady Glenconner credited her for saving John Spencer's life.
“Raine Spencer died ten years ago at the age of 87”
Earl Spencer's book claims
Charles Spencer described Raine Spencer as 'Acid Raine' and claimed she sold Althorp estate assets.
“Charles Spencer described Raine Spencer as 'Acid Raine'”
Diana and Raine's conflict
Diana pushed Raine down stairs after she said she felt 'sorry' for Prince Charles marrying someone 'stupid'.
“Diana pushed her stepmother down the stairs after Raine said she felt 'sorry' for the then-Prince of Wales because he was married to 'someone quite as stupid' as her”
Family tensions
Spencer siblings nicknamed Raine 'Acid Raine' and sang 'Raine, Raine, go away' when they saw her.
“Spencer siblings nicknamed Raine 'Acid Raine' and sang 'Raine, Raine, go away' when they saw her”
Diana's reconciliation
Diana and Raine reconciled after John Spencer's death, with Diana expressing gratitude for Raine's love for her father.
“Diana and Raine reconciled after John Spencer's death, with Diana expressing gratitude for Raine's love for her father”
Raine's final years
Raine died in October 2016 following a short battle with cancer.
“Raine died in October 2016 following a short battle with cancer”
Raine's impact on Diana
Raine was a godmother to Diana's daughter Charlotte and Lady Glenconner's daughter May.
“I was godmother to her daughter, Charlotte, and she was godmother to my daughter, May, and she was very generous to her”
Raine's estate sales
Raine sold Althorp estate assets, which the Spencers' children criticized as 'feathering her own nest'.
“Raine sold Althorp estate assets, which the Spencers' children criticized as 'feathering her own nest'”
Raine's marriage to John Spencer
Raine married John Spencer in 1976 after divorcing her first husband, Gerald Legge.
“Raine married John Spencer in 1976 after divorcing her first husband, Gerald Legge”
Raine's family dynamics
Spencer children ganged up on Raine, who was often described as an unwelcome addition to the family.
“All the Spencer children behaved very badly to Raine; it wasn't just Diana. They were purposely ganging up on her”
Raine's influence on Diana
Raine was a key figure in Diana's early life, with the princess expressing gratitude for her father's love.
“Diana was fully aware of what she was doing, she knew that this was a U-turn day. She knew the Spencer family would not be very happy but she couldn't care less because she thought it was time Raine came back”
Raine's legacy
Raine's influence on Diana's life and family remains significant despite the tensions.
“For the last year of Diana's life the pair remained very close and spoke on the telephone every morning”
Raine's death
Raine died in October 2016 following a short battle with cancer.
“Raine died in October 2016 following a short battle with cancer”
Raine's impact on family
Raine's marriage to John Spencer caused significant family tension and conflict.
“Raine's marriage to John Spencer caused significant family tension and conflict”
What it means
Lady Glenconner praised Diana's stepmother Raine Spencer as 'generous' despite family tensions.