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Next month, Christie's will auction the collection of Raine, Countess Spencer, who was perhaps best known as stepmother to Princess Diana. Lady Spencer was also the only daughter of the Dame Barbara Cartland, a prolific author of best-selling romance novels.
Born Raine McCorquodale, the countess was always a member of Britain's high society—she was even named "Deb of the Year" in 1947. Lady Spencer went on to marry three times, to two English Earls and a French Comte. Her second husband, John, Lord Spencer, was Diana's father. She was married to him from 1976 until his death in 1992, and while she did not get along well with his children (it was rumored that Diana and her siblings nicknamed her Acid Raine), she was in charge of redecorating their family home, Althorp.
After Lord Spencer's death, Raine was left with a large inheritance and a London townhouse, and she filled her home with a collection of 18th century French paintings, objets d'art, and antique furniture. Many of the items that decorated her former home will be sold at Christie's London headquarters on July 13th. The sale, officially called The Collection of Raine, Countess Spencer, includes a selection of her jewelry, couture outfits, and accessories, as well as Old Master paintings, objets, and even a table service commissioned for Claridge's, where she was known to frequently take tea.
Raine was particularly known for her outfits—she was a director and ambassador for the department store Harrod's for years and she even took shifts selling shirts at the London store. Among the items that will be included in the sale are a gold, ruby, and diamond parure by Van Cleef and Arpels, estimated to sell for between £100,000-150,000 ($127,740-191,610) and a Lady Dior handbag, which happens to have been Diana's favorite handbag and was even named in honor of Lady Di.
