| Earldom of Spencer | |
| Peerage: | Peerage of Great Britain |
| First Holder: | John Spencer |
| Present Holder: | Charles Spencer, 9th Earl |
| Heir Apparent: | Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp |
| Remainder To: | the 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary Titles: | Viscount Althorp Viscount Spencer Baron Spencer of Althorp |
| Status: | Extant |
| Family Seat: | Althorp Spencer House |
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.[1] 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.[1]
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. 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.
The family seat is Althorp in Northamptonshire.[1] it includes the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, England of about . Their estate includes significant land holdings in other parts of the country, including the village of North Creake in Norfolk. The family also holds Spencer House in St James's, London.
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).[2]
The heir apparent is the present holder's son Louis Frederick John Spencer, Viscount Althorp (b. 1994).
This is a continuation of the Spencer/Spencer-Churchill family tree for the Althorp branch of the Spencers found in the Spencer family article.
| Creation Date: | 1 November 1765 |
| Crest: | Out of a Ducal Coronet Or a Griffin's Head Azure gorged with a Bar Gemelle Gules between two Wings expanded of the second |
| Coronet: | A Coronet of an Earl |
| Escutcheon: | Quarterly Argent and Gules in the 2nd and 3rd quarters a Fret Or over all on a Bend Sable three Escallops of the first |
| Supporters: | Dexter: A Griffin per fess Ermine and Erminois gorged with a Collar Sable the edges flory-counterflory and chained of the last and on the Collar three Escallops Argent; Sinister: A Wyvern Erect on his tail Ermine similarly collared and chained |
| Motto: | Dieu Defend Le Droit (God defend the right) |