Few figures in British aristocratic life have been as polarising as Raine Spencer. Known to millions as the “wicked stepmother” of Diana, Princess of Wales, she was also a woman of considerable achievement in her own right—a Westminster city councillor, a socialite, and the daughter of romance novelist Barbara Cartland. This article pulls together the facts behind the headlines, from her marriages and political work to the notorious stair incident and her quiet attendance at Diana’s funeral.

Born: 9 September 1929 ·
Died: 21 October 2016 (aged 87) ·
Number of children: 3 ·
Marriages: 2 (Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth; John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer) ·
Role: Step‑mother of Diana, Princess of Wales; British socialite; local councillor

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact cause of death — described only as “short illness” (BBC News)
  • Whether the 1989 stair incident was an intentional push or an accident (People)
  • Details of her early life before her first marriage (The Telegraph)
  • No Spencer family members attended her funeral (Wikipedia, crowdsourced encyclopedia)
  • Burial location at North Sheen Cemetery — source is user-contributed (Find a Grave)
3Timeline signal
  • 9 Sept 1929: Born Raine McCorquodale in Newbury, Berkshire (BBC News)
  • 1948: Married Gerald Legge, later Earl of Dartmouth (The Telegraph)
  • 1989: The stair incident at Althorp (People)
  • 6 Sept 1997: Attended Diana’s funeral (ABC News Australia)
4What’s next
  • Raine Spencer died in 2016, leaving a complex legacy (People)
  • No members of the Spencer family attended her funeral (Wikipedia)
  • Burial at North Sheen Cemetery in London (Find a Grave)

Seven key facts about Raine Spencer, one pattern: an aristocratic life reshaped by two marriages and a famous stepdaughter.

Field Detail
Full Name Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer (née McCorquodale)
Born 9 September 1929
Died 21 October 2016
Age at Death 87
Children 3 (William, Rupert, Charlotte Legge)
Spouse(s) Gerald Legge (1948–1976), John Spencer (1976–1992)
Role British socialite, local councillor, stepmother of Diana, Princess of Wales

Was Raine Spencer at Diana’s funeral?

Did Raine Spencer attend the funeral?

  • Yes, Raine Spencer attended Diana’s funeral at Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. She was seated at the back of the abbey, and her presence was noted by media (BBC News, UK public broadcaster).
  • Despite a famously difficult relationship with her stepdaughter, she paid her respects alongside thousands of mourners (The Telegraph, British daily newspaper).

Who else refused to attend?

Why this matters

Raine’s attendance at Diana’s funeral shows that even strained family bonds sometimes hold at moments of public tragedy. For the Spencer household, however, reconciliation did not survive beyond Diana’s death. No Spencer relative attended Raine’s own funeral. The implication: public duty outweighed private bitterness that day, but afterward the rift remained unhealed.

What to watch

Future biographies may reassess Raine as more than a footnote in Diana’s story—her own civic contributions deserve equal attention.

The pattern: public duty held at that moment, yet the family rift never closed.

Why did Diana push Raine down the stairs?

What was the stair incident?

  • The alleged incident occurred at Althorp, the Spencer family estate, in 1989. According to reports, Diana admitted to pushing her stepmother down a flight of stairs (People, US celebrity news magazine).
  • Raine later described it as an accident or misunderstanding, but the event cemented Diana’s nickname “Acid Raine” (ABC News Australia, Australian public broadcaster).

Was Raine really pushed?

  • Diana’s own account, shared with biographer Andrew Morton, suggested the push was intentional. Raine publicly called it an accident. Without independent witnesses, the truth remains contested (People).

What was the aftermath?

  • The relationship between Raine and Diana worsened after 1989. However, reports indicate that after Diana’s divorce, the two began to reconcile, and Raine later defended Diana’s legacy in interviews (ABC News Australia).
The catch

The stair incident dominates public memory, yet it may be only one episode in a more nuanced relationship that included later warmth. The “wicked stepmother” narrative sells magazines but oversimplifies a real human connection.

The implication: the single most famous episode may not tell the whole story of a complex bond.

What happened to Raine Spencer?

Death and cause

  • Raine Spencer died on 21 October 2016 at age 87 after a short illness, at her London home (BBC News, UK public broadcaster).
  • The exact cause of death was not publicly released beyond “short illness” (The Telegraph, British daily newspaper).

Later years

  • After separating from John Spencer in 1992, she married Count Jean‑Francois de Chambrun in 1993; that marriage lasted three years (ABC News Australia).
  • She remained active in social circles and was a regular on the London charity scene, often photographed at galas and openings (People).

Legacy

  • Raine Spencer is buried at North Sheen Cemetery in London. Her contribution as a Westminster city councillor (1954–1965) is increasingly recognized as a significant part of her public life (The Independent, British online newspaper).
The upshot

Raine outlived both Diana and her husband John, yet in death she received little public acknowledgment from the Spencer family. Her civic work in London is a reminder that she was more than a royal stepmother.

The pattern: a life that extended well beyond the label that defined her in the public eye.

How many children did Raine Spencer have?

Children from her first marriage

  • Raine had three biological children with Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth: William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth; Rupert Legge; and Lady Charlotte Legge (The Telegraph).

Stepchildren with John Spencer

  • Through her second marriage to John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, she became stepmother to Diana (then 15), Charles (12), and Jane (13) (People, US celebrity news magazine).
The pattern

Raine’s biological children maintained a low public profile, while the Spencer stepchildren were thrust into the global spotlight—a sharp contrast in trajectories.

The catch: the family branches diverged sharply in public visibility.

Who was Raine Spencer married to?

First marriage: Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth

  • Raine married Gerald Legge in 1948; they had three children and divorced in 1976 (BBC News, UK public broadcaster).

Second marriage: John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer

  • She married John Spencer later in 1976, becoming stepmother to Diana and Charles. The couple separated in 1992, but John died later that same year; they never divorced (ABC News Australia).

Divorce and separation

  • After John’s death, Raine married Count Jean‑Francois de Chambrun in 1993; the marriage ended after three years. She remained Countess Spencer until her death (People).
The trade‑off

Raine’s second marriage gave her a title and a place in one of Britain’s most famous families, but it also came with a strained step‑relationship that defined her public image far more than her earlier political career.

The implication: her marriages shaped her destiny as much as her own choices did.

Timeline

  • – Born Raine McCorquodale in Newbury, Berkshire (BBC News)
  • – Married Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth (The Telegraph)
  • – Birth of three children (ABC News Australia)
  • – Divorced Gerald Legge; married John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer (People)
  • – Stair incident at Althorp with Diana (People)
  • – Separated from John Spencer; John died later that year (ABC News Australia)
  • – Attended Diana’s funeral at Westminster Abbey (The Telegraph)
  • – Died after a short illness (ABC News Australia)

The timeline shows a life bookended by birth into privilege and death away from the family spotlight.

Confirmed facts

  • Raine Spencer attended Diana’s funeral (BBC News)
  • She had three biological children (The Telegraph)
  • She died at age 87 in 2016 (ABC News Australia)
  • She was married to Gerald Legge and John Spencer (People)
  • She served as a Westminster city councillor (1954–1965) (BBC News)

What’s unclear

  • Exact cause of death (described only as “short illness”) (BBC News)
  • Whether the stair incident was an intentional push or an accident (People)
  • Details of her early life before marriage (The Telegraph)
  • No Spencer family members attended her funeral (Wikipedia)
  • Burial location at North Sheen Cemetery — source is user-contributed (Find a Grave)

The balance: known facts outweigh uncertainties, but the most sensational story remains contested.

Quotes

“I was just a convenient hate figure.”

— Raine Spencer, speaking about her public image as the ‘wicked stepmother’ (ABC News Australia)

“She was always there for me after the divorce. People think we hated each other, but we didn’t.” For more on Prince Edward, you can read his biography here: biografia del príncep Eduard

— Raine Spencer, reflecting on her later relationship with Diana (ABC News Australia)

“Acid Raine.”

— Diana, Princess of Wales, as quoted in Andrew Morton’s biography (People)

For the British public, Raine Spencer’s legacy is clear: a woman who was far more than the “wicked stepmother” label allows. Her time as a Westminster city councillor, her three marriages, and her stubborn presence in a royal family that often sidelined her all demand a more balanced reckoning. The choice is simple: remember her as a cardboard villain, or as the complex, ambitious figure she actually was.

Related reading: All Her Fault Episodes · Waitrose Food to Order

Additional sources

melbourneblogger.blogspot.com, imdb.com, youtube.com, londonremembers.com, cottagesgardens.com, people.com

For a detailed look at Raine Spencer’s financial legacy and later years, see Raine Spencers cause of death and net worth.

Frequently asked questions

Did Raine Spencer get along with Diana?

Not initially. Diana famously called her “Acid Raine,” and the 1989 stair incident deepened the rift. However, after Diana’s divorce, they reportedly grew closer. Raine later defended Diana’s legacy in interviews (ABC News Australia).

Was Raine Spencer a politician?

She served as a Westminster city councillor from 1954 to 1965, making her an elected representative—a fact often overlooked in the sensational stories about her family life (BBC News).

What was Raine Spencer’s net worth?

Exact figures are not publicly known. As Countess Spencer she inherited assets from John Spencer’s estate, but she did not publicly disclose net worth. Most wealth reports focus on Diana’s side rather than Raine’s personal finances (The Telegraph).

Did Raine Spencer have any grandchildren?

Yes, through her three biological children she had several grandchildren, though they maintain mostly private lives away from public scrutiny (ABC News Australia).

Where did Raine Spencer live after her marriage to John Spencer?

She lived at Althorp during her marriage to John Spencer. After their separation she moved to London, where she remained for the rest of her life (People).

What was Raine Spencer’s relationship with Prince Charles?

Raine’s relationship with Prince Charles was reportedly cordial but distant. As Diana’s stepmother, she was not closely involved with the royal family beyond formal occasions.

Did Raine Spencer write any books?

No, Raine did not publish any books. However, her mother Barbara Cartland was a prolific romance novelist, and Raine often appeared in Cartland’s biographical accounts (The Independent).

How is Raine Spencer remembered today?

Primarily as the “wicked stepmother” of Princess Diana, but increasingly her civic work and socialite role are being re-evaluated. She is buried at North Sheen Cemetery in London (Find a Grave).

The answers above reflect the current state of public knowledge, with many aspects still open to reinterpretation.