Three Times a Countess: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Raine Spencer

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Yet she could not sway the powerful media narrative which pitted her as ‘the evil stepmother’ at every turn. A societal whirl of London Seasons, family feuds, politics, pomp and ‘big hair’, Gaudoin’s vibrant history of the Countess sets the record straight once and for all, drawing insight from those who knew Raine most.

Raine, then the Comtesse de Chambrun (left), with her stepdaughter, Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 She looked much the same, well into her eighties. She never had “work” on her face but slathered it with jojoba oil three times a day and always kept out of the sun. (She told one host who offered lunch on the terrace, “I don’t do outside”.) Her hairdresser reported that she had “unbelievable breasts”, like a girl’s, and she told him it was because she had never worn a bra. It was only when she was 86 that she suddenly lost weight and started to look frail. “I’ve got a little cancer, dear and it’s spread to the bones,” she confided to a friend. She died at home on October 21 2016. Raine Spencer leaving The Connaught hotel after lunch with Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 Antony Jones/Getty Images This book is a vindication, both of Raine herself and of a type of person - of woman - whom it became uncool to value * TLS *

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Meanwhile, Johnnie had inherited Althorp on his father’s death. But it desperately needed repairs and the money was all entailed to the children. So he and Raine set about selling some of Althorp’s treasures to fund the renovation. Johnnie’s children, of course, resented this and there was a terrible scene when Diana pushed Raine downstairs, screaming “I hate you so much”. Then, two years into the marriage, Johnnie suffered a massive stroke which kept him in hospital for eight months. Raine stayed by his side, willing him to live, but she would not allow his children to visit him because she said they upset him. No wonder they called her Acid Raine. Equity release may involve a lifetime mortgage or a home reversion plan. To understand the features and risks, ask for a personalised illustration. And suddenly she was friends with Princess Diana. Diana made the first move, inviting her to lunch, and soon they were phoning each other every day and calling each other “darling”. Raine was one of the first people to learn of Diana’s death. The BBC announced that Dodi Al Fayed had been killed in the Paris car crash, but Diana was in hospital with minor injuries. Michael Cole, who worked for Mohammed Al Fayed, had been frantically phoning the Salpetriere Hospital to ask for news but the hospital refused to tell him anything because he wasn’t family. Then he remembered that his good friend Raine was family, and got her to ring the hospital, who told her Diana was dead. Gaudoin's book is revealing and hugely entertaining. Highly recommended. * Daily Mail, *Royal Books of the Year* *

From a career spanning local politics to dealing with the fortunes of Althorp; from taking on the Spencer family estate to her final role as a board member at Harrods, Raine’s life was, by any standards, a success .Carey’s new thriller, the sequel to last year’s excellent Widowland, has acquired unexpected resonance by being published shortly after the Queen’s death, but it remains exciting and provocative dystopian fiction. In an alternative postwar Britain living under a Nazi “protectorate”, Hitler has been assassinated by the book’s protagonist, Rose Ransom, and the country has plunged into paranoia and reprisals. As rumours swirl that the usurped Princess Elizabeth will return to Britain, Rose finds herself alongside an unlikely ally, none other than Queen Wallis Simpson. Nina Simone’s Gum

Perceptively examines the life of one of the twentieth century's original tough, ambitious women -- Lindy WoodheadOf course, I love the tasty bits of gossip, I’m sure most people do, but this book shows you so much more. Raine Spencer was not just a very pretty face. When using any of our marketplaces – e.g. jobs, courses, energy comparison etc. We may receive money from third parties who are listed on our marketplaces e.g. an employer paying to advertise a job, or a course or energy provider paying a commission to us. Marc writes (main picture): I specifically focused on the South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, far left, as he sung the national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, as he sings with so much passion and emotion. UK: Rishi Sunak hosts talks with Kamala Harris, vice-president of the US, at No 10, followed by a private dinner; Harris also delivers a policy speech on the future of AI at the US embassy in London; Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, speaks at the annual conference of the King’s Fund, a health think tank; start of Movember, the moustache-growing charity event held during November each year to raise funds and awareness for men’s health. Welcome to Belgravia Books > Browse the shop > Products > Nonfiction > Biography & Memoir > Three Times a Countess