Princess Diana’s niece Lady Eliza Spencer celebrates her engagement with people she ‘loves most’ – but father Charles Spencer is absent amid family feud

Princess Diana’s niece Lady Eliza Spencer has kicked off her wedding festivities with an intimate engagement party in Cape Town. 

Eliza, 33, was every bit the radiant bride-to-be as she celebrated her engagement to businessman Channing Millerd at a glamorous rooftop party attended by 50 of ‘the people we love most’, she wrote on Instagram. 

The model showed off her dazzling engagement ring while posing with her beau, her sisters, Lady Amelia and Lady Kitty, and their mother, former model Victoria Aitken, in photos posted on Instagram.

However, one family member was conspicuously absent from the photographs, as it appeared Eliza’s father, Charles Spencer, skipped the party amid reports of a rumoured Spencer feud. 

Princess Diana’s brother, who failed to wish Eliza when she announced her engagement to the South African entrepreneur, did not attend either Kitty or Amelia’s weddings in 2021 and 2023 respectively. 

On Sunday, Eliza documented the ‘special moments’ from her lavish engagement party in Cape Town, South Africa, where the Spencer sisters grew up, on social media. 

Eliza wore a white, floral appliqué dress, custom-made for her by Belarusian designer Galia Lahav, which she paired with matching satin heels ahead of her wedding to tech executive Channing, 34. 

Kitty, who is an ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana, wore a maximalist co-ord set, including a colourful, printed skirt and crop top, from the Italian luxury label. 

The model showed off her dazzling engagement ring while posing with her beau after Channing popped the question during a romantic proposal in Santorini

Meanwhile, Eliza’s twin, Amelia, 33, picked a sage-green Zimmerman dress for the event, which was also attended by Channing’s parents, Carey and Heather Millerd. 

Sweet snaps showed Eliza happily dancing the night away in her fiancé’s arms as the family raised a toast to the happy couple. 

Channing got down on one knee during a stunning sunset proposal in Santorini last July after dating the model and socialite for almost a decade.  

He looked right at home with the Spencers as Channing was photographed in a series of candid poses with his sisters-in-saw, Amelia and Kitty. 

Elsewhere, the photographer captured a heartfelt moment between Eliza and her half-brother, Samuel Aitken, whose father is businessman Jonathan Aitken, as she tenderly placed a hand on his cheek.

Commenting under Eliza’s post, Lady Amelia wrote: ‘I love these so much! The happiest memories.’  

Samuel wrote, ‘Love this’, and Channing left three hearts under his fiancée’s post, but Earl Spencer – who regularly documents his life at Althorp House – has remained silent. 

At the time of writing, Charles has not publicly congratulated Eliza and Channing amid speculation of a fallout between the Spencer sisters and the father-of-seven. 

Rumours of a family rift first began in July 2021, when Charles skipped his eldest daughter Kitty’s Italian wedding to retail millionaire Michael Lewis and failed to post about the landmark family occasion on his social media accounts. 

Lady Eliza’s father, Charles Spencer, seemingly skipped the rooftop party after missing both Lady Kitty and Lady Amelia’s weddings in 2021 and 2023 respectively

Instead, Lady Kitty – who is 32 years younger than her husband – was walked down the aisle by her brother Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, 29, and Samuel. 

A source told the Daily Mail at the time: Kitty and Charles were very close when she was growing up, but their relationship has cooled and been more distant since his marriage to his third wife, Karen, in 2011.  

‘Charles recently suffered an injury and perhaps that will be the reason for him not travelling, but it is just easier for everyone that he is not there.

‘The four children are all close to their mother, Victoria, and get on well with their step-siblings, and their Spencer aunts and have forged their own relationships with one another without needing Charles to bind them together.’

Charles has since announced his divorce from Karen last year and is currently dating archaeologist, Cat Jarman. 

Earl Spencer was also absent from Amelia’s wedding to lifestyle coach Greg Mallet as the pair exchanged vows during a mountaintop ceremony in Stellenbosch, South Africa, nearly three years ago. 

After the first photographs from the nuptials were exclusively published by Hello! magazine, Charles shared a snap of a bird on X/Twitter and captioned his post: ‘Buzzard watching me closely in Althorp’s garden.’

It remains to be seen whether Charles will attend Eliza’s nuptials after the high-flying socialite said ‘yes’ to Channing’s dreamy marriage proposal in Santorini last July. 

Speaking to Tatler, Lady Eliza recalled the moment her boyfriend of nine years popped the question during a romantic candlelit dinner, overlooking the sea, adding: ‘I laughed and I cried. 

The high-flying socialite pictured with Channing after he popped the question during a romantic getaway to Santorini 

Eliza later posted a picture of the heartwarming moment Channing got down on one knee on Instagram 

‘I don’t know how he pulled it all off, but it was so special. He did the most amazing job – above and beyond. 

‘I couldn’t have dreamt of such a beautiful setting,’ she continued, calling the sunset proposal a ‘dream come true’. 

Her engagement ring was a thoughtful nod to Lady Eliza’s roots because it featured a 2.5-carat, pear-shaped diamond mined in South Africa. 

Charles was married to Victoria from 1989 until 1997. The couple moved to Cape Town, South Africa, where Eliza and her siblings Lady Amelia, Lady Kitty, and Louis were brought up away from the glare of public attention.

Princess Diana’s death occurred while their divorce case was in progress; shortly after their split was finalised, Earl Spencer moved back to the UK.

The ring, valued at around £40,000, also pays tribute to Eliza’s aunt, the late Princess of Wales, Diana. 

The stone on Eliza’s ring is bordered by a halo setting, similar to the one seen in Diana’s – a deep blue oval-cut sapphire surrounded by diamonds. 

Lady Eliza also crossed paths with Channing at a dinner party in South Africa, where they were introduced to each other by Amelia’s husband, Greg. 

Eliza had reportedly been reluctant to attend the dinner party but was ‘dragged’ to the event by Amelia, she told Hello! magazine.  

Talking to the publication, Eliza said, ‘We have such a strong, loving and supportive relationship.’  

Charles skipped daughter Amelia Spencer’s 2023 wedding to Greg Mallett in South Africa 

He was also notably absent when his eldest daughter Lady Kitty (above) married retail millionaire Michael Lewis in July 2021

‘He truly is my best friend. We understand each other so well, and no matter what life brings, we’re always there for one another.’

Eliza added, ‘I absolutely believe he’s The One – our bond is built on so much trust, laughter and shared values.’

It comes after Eliza first broke the news of her engagement party on Instagram earlier this month.

Lady Eliza and Channing looked hopelessly in love in photos shared on her social media account as the happy couple gazed into each other’s eyes and shared a kiss. 

She wrote: ‘One month ago today, we celebrated our engagement surrounded by the people we love most, in the place closest to our hearts.’ 

The couple are now busy planning their nuptials, with Lady Eliza previously telling society bible Tatler they will likely have a destination wedding. 

While Cape Town remains high up on the list, Lady Eliza is also weighing up Lake Como because it’s home to some of the couple’s ‘best memories’, she said.