The Pets of Pricess Diana

This picture of Lady Diana with her pet guinea pig Peanuts has made the rounds a lot over the years. Turns out it was taken by photographer John Hocknell in 1972 when Diana was showing her pet at the Sandringham pet show. Here he is proudly showing off the photo (below).

As you may recall, Diana grew up in Park House before her father became Earl and inherited Althorp, the Spencer Estate. Park House is on the Sandringham estate and the Spencers were often invited over to “the big house” by the royal family.

Prince William - This delightful black lab who joined in on this August 1997 photocall at Balmoral was named Widgeon, and she belonged to Prince William. Via Princess Diana Remembered

The island where Princess Diana is buried also used to be a cemetery for family pets, including her favorite cat, Marmalade.

The wooded island, which was consecrated by the Bishop of Peterborough before Diana's burial Sept. 6, is on an ornamental lake on the Althorp estate, ancestral home of her Spencer family.

The island "at one time" was a burial site for pets, and there are records of four or five of them, including Marmalade, said Shelley-Anne Claircourt, spokeswoman for Diana's brother Earl Spencer.

Claircourt confirmed the report in Monday's The Mirror newspaper that pets were buried on the island. It quoted former Althorp housekeeper Maudie Pendrey as saying, "I cannot believe Earl Spencer could be so heartless as to bury his sister in a dog burial ground. It is a desecration."

The earl has opened Althorp to the paying public for two months. Visitors are not allowed to go to the island but can see it from the shore.