Raine Spencer: The Life and Death of Diana’s Stepmother

For decades, Raine Spencer was cast as the villain in Princess Diana’s story — the pushy stepmother who tidied up Althorp and supposedly drove a wedge between Diana and her father, but the woman behind the tabloid caricature was far more fascinating: a councillor, a collector, and the daughter of one of Britain’s most famous romance novelists.

Full Name: Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer ·
Born: 9 September 1929 ·
Died: 21 October 2016 ·
Title: Countess Spencer ·
Known For: Stepmother of Diana, Princess of Wales ·
Children: 2

Eight key biographical facts, one pattern: Raine Spencer’s life was defined by titles, transitions, and a notoriously complex family dynamic.

Was Raine Spencer at Diana’s funeral?

No. Raine Spencer was not present at Princess Diana’s funeral in September 1997. The decision not to invite her was made by Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, who reportedly excluded her because of the long-running family rift (BBC News (public broadcaster)). The absence was a stark public sign that the Spencer family had not healed old wounds — even after Diana and Raine had been photographed together just weeks earlier in June 1997 (BBC News (public broadcaster)).

The implication: Raine Spencer remained an outsider to the Spencer family narrative, even after a tentative reconciliation with Diana.

Why did Diana push Raine down the stairs?

The infamous stair-pushing incident occurred in September 1989 at Althorp, the Spencer family estate, during the wedding celebrations of Diana’s younger brother Charles (Tatler (British society magazine)). The argument reportedly started because Diana was furious that her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, had been snubbed in the ancestral home (ABC News Australia (Australian public broadcaster)).

The 1988 incident at Althorp

Diana herself later described the moment in a 1992 recorded conversation with her voice coach: “I pushed her down the stairs, which gave me enormous satisfaction” (ABC News Australia (Australian public broadcaster)). Raine’s personal assistant, Sue Howe, told ABC News that Raine was “badly bruised and dreadfully upset” after falling down the “saloon stairs” (ABC News Australia (Australian public broadcaster)).

Diana’s account of the push

Diana also told Andrew Morton for his 1992 book Diana: Her True Story that pushing Raine gave her “enormous satisfaction” (Tatler (British society magazine)). The incident became a defining moment in the public perception of their relationship: the young, vulnerable princess striking out against a stepmother she saw as controlling.

The catch: The incident cemented Raine’s villainous image in the public eye, a narrative that Diana’s own words only reinforced.

What happened to Raine Spencer?

Raine Spencer’s life spanned eight decades, two marriages, and one of the most scrutinised family roles in British royal history. Here’s the timeline that matters.

Early life and family

• Born Raine McCorquodale on 9 September 1929 to Barbara Cartland, the prolific romance novelist, and Alexander McCorquodale (The Gentlewoman (British culture magazine)).
• Barbara Cartland’s fame as a writer meant Raine grew up surrounded by glamour and literary ambition.

Marriages and titles

• 1948: Married Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth; had two sons (The Gentlewoman (British culture magazine)).
• 1975: Divorced Legge.
• 1976: Married John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer; became stepmother to Diana, Charles, Jane, and Sarah Spencer (Christie’s (renowned auction house)).
• 1992: John Spencer died; Raine became Dowager Countess Spencer.

Role as stepmother

Raine took an active role in modernising Althorp and managing the Spencer family finances — actions that reportedly created friction with Diana and her siblings. The tension peaked with the 1989 stair incident.

Later years and death

• Raine served as a local councillor in Westminster for many years, a fact often overlooked in royal coverage.
• She and Diana were photographed talking at an event in June 1997, suggesting a tentative thaw (BBC News (public broadcaster)).
• She died on 21 October 2016 at age 87 after a short illness, surrounded by family (BBC News (public broadcaster); also The Times (British newspaper)).

What this means: Raine’s life was far more than the “wicked stepmother” role she was assigned. She was a politician, a collector, and someone who managed to have a final, human exchange with Diana before both women’s lives ended.

How many children did Raine Spencer have?

Raine Spencer had two sons from her first marriage to Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth. Their names are not widely publicised, but one is William Legge, the current 10th Earl of Dartmouth (The Gentlewoman (British culture magazine)). She had no children with John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer. Through marriage, she became stepmother to Diana, Charles, Jane, and Sarah — though her relationship with Diana was the most turbulent.

Children from first marriage

• William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth (born 1949) — inherited his father’s earldom.
• A second son, whose name is less publicly documented.

The pattern: Raine’s biological children stayed largely out of the Diana spotlight. The intense public focus on her stepmother role often overshadowed her own family.

What was Raine Spencer’s cause of death?

Raine Spencer died on 21 October 2016 at the age of 87. Her family announced that she died after a short illness (BBC News (public broadcaster); The Times (British newspaper)). No specific disease was named publicly, and the family requested privacy. The Telegraph described her as a woman whose life was “more complicated and sophisticated than the ‘wicked stepmother’ stereotype” (The Telegraph (British broadsheet)).

Why this matters: The cause of death — a short illness — remains vague, which has fueled occasional speculation. But the family’s decision to keep the details private is consistent with Raine’s own preference for discretion in her later years.

Timeline of Raine Spencer’s life

• 9 September 1929 — Raine McCorquodale born in London.
• 1948 — Marries Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth.
• 1950s–1975 — Has two sons; active in high society.
• 1975 — Divorces Gerald Legge.
• 1976 — Marries John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer; becomes stepmother to Diana, Charles, Jane, and Sarah Spencer.
• 1988/1989 — Alleged stair-pushing incident with Diana at Althorp.
• 1992 — John Spencer dies; Raine becomes Dowager Countess.
• 1997 — Not invited to Diana’s funeral.
• 21 October 2016 — Dies after short illness, age 87.

The takeaway: The timeline shows that Raine’s most famous moment — the stair incident — happened only 13 years after she married into the Spencer family. The remaining 27 years of her life were spent living with the fallout, but also building an independent legacy.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear about Raine Spencer

Voices on Raine Spencer

“I pushed her down the stairs, which gave me enormous satisfaction.”

— Princess Diana, recorded 1992 conversation with her voice coach, cited by ABC News Australia (Australian public broadcaster)

“Raine was badly bruised and dreadfully upset. She was not seriously injured, but it was a terrible shock.”

— Sue Howe, Raine’s personal assistant, quoted by ABC News Australia (Australian public broadcaster)

“Raine Spencer was a politician, a socialite, and a collector of art and objects — her life was far richer than the caricature.”

— Christie’s, in its auction description of her collection, Christie’s (renowned auction house)

“Her life was more complicated and sophisticated than the ‘wicked stepmother’ stereotype.”

— The Telegraph (British broadsheet)

For more on complex royal family dynamics, see our article on Princess Charlotte. For stories of family estrangement, read about Aimee Osbourne.

Why Raine Spencer’s story still matters

Raine Spencer died with her cause of death still private, her relationship with Diana permanently fractured, and her public image only beginning to be rehabilitated. The auction of her collection at Christie’s in 2017 revealed a woman of taste and independence — far from the controlling stepmother of tabloid legend. For anyone following the complexity of royal family dynamics, the lesson is clear: the “villain” often has a story worth telling, and the real narrative is rarely as simple as the headline suggests. For the British public, Raine Spencer represents a cautionary tale about how quickly a family role can become a national myth — one that even time and death struggle to correct.

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