Princess Diana's Brother Reveals Boarding School Trauma: Exposes Abuse by Predators

Charles Spencer recently spoke about his past experiences of being sexually and mentally abused while he was a student at Maidwell Hall in the U.K.

In an interview with Today on March 11, Princess Diana's youngest brother, who is now 59 years old, described the school as a place where students felt like prisoners and were vulnerable to the worst intentions of bad people. Charles started attending Maidwell Hall at the age of 8, after initially going to the same "day school" as Diana.

"This is not just a group of teenagers dealing with typical school challenges," he explained about the educational institution. "These are children who are experiencing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse every day."

Charles continued to talk about the headmaster of the school, referring to him as a "pedophile and a sadist" who hired staff members who either supported his actions or chose to remain silent about them.

Charles described the abuse he and others endured, which involved being physically assaulted with cricket boots and canes. He shared, "We would all shower together after sports, and you could see the blood and the broken skin."

One of the alleged abusers was a young female staff member who was responsible for taking care of Charles and the other students. Spencer recounted, "She would come to my bed when everyone else was asleep and kiss me, like a French kiss, for a long time." He added, "If I were 17 or 18, it would be different, but I was only 11. It was very confusing."

Charles admitted that he found the encounters "thrilling" in the past. He recalled "cutting himself" whenever the female staff member pretended "she was going to have to leave early to keep us all on tenterhooks." Charles explained, "I thought if I hurt myself enough, then God will let her stay."

Charles Spencer Details Sexual and Physical Abuse Suffered at Childhood School

Charles Spencer was guiding a group of tourists at the Spencer family home, Althorp, on September 9, 1977. Ian Tyas/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

He shared that a female staff member guided him to a path that led to him losing his virginity to a prostitute during a trip to Italy when he was 12 years old. Charles described it as the final part of the harm she had caused him.

Charles didn't start sharing his experiences until he met a therapist at age 42. He mentioned that a friend once seemed surprised that he wasn't protected from pedophiles and sadists due to his privileged background. However, Charles believed that no amount of privilege could protect someone from such dangers. The main rule in the flawed system he was a part of was to never speak up about the abuse.

He also had a theory about why families of the students never spoke out. Charles suggested that families with old money believed that the abuse would toughen up their sons and make them more successful. On the other hand, those who had more recently acquired wealth thought that this behavior was normal in their social circle and wanted to be accepted within that group.

Charles shares more about his childhood in his upcoming memoir, A Very Private School, set to be released on Tuesday, March 12. The book is dedicated to his younger self, known as "Buzz."

Before attending Maidwell, Charles was called "Buzz" by his family. However, his time at the school led to a part of him feeling lost. He hopes to rediscover the carefree and joyful boy he once was before his time at Maidwell.

Maidwell Hall is currently cooperating with local authorities to investigate the reported abuse. They will be following the guidance provided by the authorities moving forward. If you have had similar experiences, they urge you to reach out to the officials or the police.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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