Karen Spencer

Karen Spencer The Countess Spencer
Chatelaine of Althorp House
Home of the Spencer Family

24/05/2026

My bees have arrived! šŸ

The last addition to the menagerie! (Well at least for nowšŸ˜‚). Will be sharing more on this soon!

One of our 3 cats, Phoebe enjoying the gardenā™„ļøPhoebe has a sister named Ella who is pretty much identical. The only way...
21/05/2026

One of our 3 cats, Phoebe enjoying the gardenā™„ļø

Phoebe has a sister named Ella who is pretty much identical. The only way to tell them apart if that Phoebe has one blue eye and one green and Ella’s are both blue. They are Maine C***s, a breed known for being dog like, very affectionate and talkative, which they both are. They are loving the new house!

Evening skyā™„ļø
15/05/2026

Evening skyā™„ļø

Lucky & Minty have had their annual haircut! They don’t love the process if I’m honest, but seem delighted when it’s ove...
11/05/2026

Lucky & Minty have had their annual haircut!
They don’t love the process if I’m honest, but seem delighted when it’s over. I think they were getting hotšŸ˜‚

As usual, I’ve sent their wool off to the lovely people at to be made into yarn. I have three boxes of wool from previous years waiting to be made into things. I’m going to start with a navy sweater with Lucky & Minty in cream and a red heart I think….

Well, this is lovely but did not go as planned! How cute are they! No names yet, Charlotte and I have not come to an agr...
07/05/2026

Well, this is lovely but did not go as planned! How cute are they! No names yet, Charlotte and I have not come to an agreement yet… My Buff Orpington’s, I’m afraid didn’t hatch. However, the day after I popped the eggs I had bought in my incubator, a girlfriend came over for dinner with a gift of some fresh eggs from her chickens, and she said well why don’t you pop those in too, so I did. Thank goodness, her 4 are the only ones that hatched! They are Brahmas or Brahma crosses, we’ll have to wait and see. Let’s hope they are all girls. šŸ¤žšŸ»

For the moment they are cozied up in my office in a cat proof brooder. Wait till you see the chicken coop I have planned!

Last of the additions to the menagerie hopefully arriving soonā™„ļø

Just home from the most magical week in Oxford, where our global social innovation community gathers each year for the ....
24/04/2026

Just home from the most magical week in Oxford, where our global social innovation community gathers each year for the . There’s something irreplaceable about being in the same room as the people you spend most of your year collaborating with on a screen — and every time I leave more inspired than I arrived.
This year we gave partners an exciting sneak peek at something we’ll be launching at Canada House in London this autumn. More to come — watch this space. šŸŒ
I also had the joy of meeting some truly special people, including the wonderful whose book Heart Wood explores the wisdom and healing power of trees. She’s hosting an event at this Monday, April 27th — if you’re in London, don’t miss it.
And what a gift to return home today to my beautiful trees! Pictured is a horse chestnut tree, in front of one of our newly finished horse paddocks. ā™„ļø

Few things make me happier than wandering the garden to see what’s ready to be picked. There’s something deeply satisfyi...
03/04/2026

Few things make me happier than wandering the garden to see what’s ready to be picked. There’s something deeply satisfying about the whole ritual — choosing what’s blooming, cutting it, and then finding the arrangement that feels right.
The blossoms are absolutely having a moment here in Northamptonshire right now, which makes it all the more joyful.
Here’s Phoebe with my latest creation in the newly painted dining room. A huge thank you to and the wonderful team at for helping me find the perfect shade. It’s Gladstone — and I couldn’t love it more.

We’re adding to the already slightly over the top menagerie this spring with two new additions that I am REALLY excited ...
01/04/2026

We’re adding to the already slightly over the top menagerie this spring with two new additions that I am REALLY excited about! I just received my 6 Buff Orpington chicken eggs today. So excited. I read they are like the Labrador Retriever of chickens, they are friendly and like a cuddle. We figured that if we hatch them we can make them extra tame and cuddly! I love chickens.

Stay tuned, they go in the incubator on the 3rd… then 22 days later we should have chicksā™„ļøšŸ£šŸ„

Second addition should be arriving in a few weeks…

I love walking in nature, it’s so beautiful. Even in the dark… šŸŒ™
16/03/2026

I love walking in nature, it’s so beautiful. Even in the dark… šŸŒ™

There’s a beautiful double glass door on the east side of the house where I sit every morning drinking tea and watching ...
03/03/2026

There’s a beautiful double glass door on the east side of the house where I sit every morning drinking tea and watching the sun come up. It’s just warm enough now for me to sit outside at the table on the stone patio and get the extra joy of listening to the birds. Can you believe this view?! Heaven… ā™„ļø

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