The former Cape Town residence of the late Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, is on offer in a discreet, off-market sale — and is expected to command a cool R150m. If achieved, the landmark property with its rare royal pedigree will set a new price record for leafy Upper Constantia.
The trophy home, known as Tarrystone Estate, has a rich historical and cultural heritage. It is where Diana stayed when she met Nelson Mandela in early 1997 before her death in August that year. Earl Spencer, who recently published the book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, sold Tarrystone in 2012.
The estate, which is currently owned by a French family, also houses what is believed to be the largest private collection of African art on the continent.
Lynne Baker, area specialist in Upper Constantia for Greeff, the South African affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate that has the exclusive mandate to sell Tarrystone, tells the FM that what makes this a one-of-a-kind buying opportunity is the story behind the residence.
She describes Tarrystone as a legacy home “touched by royalty and defined by a quiet, timeless elegance”. Baker says Diana regularly visited her brother in Cape Town and it was at Tarrystone where one of the world’s most admired women found peace and tranquillity away from the public gaze. The estate has also hosted many other international dignitaries over the decades.
Baker reckons that Tarrystone’s connection to the British royal family, unmatched geographical footprint in Cape Town and multimillion-rand museum-grade art collection make it “the most unique property asset ever to be offered on the continent”. The “multifaceted” home should appeal to both local and international high net worth individuals, she says.
Contemporary African artists whose work adorns Tarrystone’s walls include Sue Williamson, Gonçalo Mabunda, Zander Blom, Freddy Tsimba, Jody Paulsen, John Murray, Berry Bickle, Cyrus Kabiru, Rodrigue Kouame and Richard Mudariki.
Bespoke fittings and furniture include Murano glass chandeliers made in Italy, bar stools by renowned South African ceramic and design house Ardmore and an African pirogue sofa handcrafted by Ivorian designer Jean-Servais Somian. Most of the artwork and furniture are included in the sale.
Baker tells the FM that the owners, who spend their time between South Africa and France, plan to buy another home in Cape Town, most likely on the Atlantic seaboard, where the family’s older children can be “closer to the action”.
The property in the exclusive neighbourhood spans two stands totalling 8,000m², extending from Southern Cross Drive to Gemini Way, and is set amid landscaped gardens with century-old trees and a private vineyard. The double-storey thatched primary residence has just over 1,000m² under roof, including five bedroom suites, each with its own bathroom, dressing room, fireplace and workspace. The main suite has a private balcony with ocean and mountain views and a private study/library.
The house has several formal and informal living spaces that allow entertaining on a grand scale. There are also 500m² of outbuildings and two self-contained cottages, one of which is still referred to as Princess Diana’s cottage.
Baker says the private, two-bedroom “sanctuary” has been preserved in its original state, with the same furnishings and décor as those used during Diana’s visits to South Africa.
Leisure amenities include a nine-seater home theatre, a wine cellar, a thatched lapa and bar, a professional sound system, a tennis court with floodlights and a small pavilion, a 23mx12m infinity rim-flow swimming pool and pergola, a fully equipped fitness studio, as well as a steam and shower room.
According to Baker, the highest price paid to date for a Constantia residential property was R120m two years ago in Dawn Avenue. Most sales in the area, however, fall below R50m, with the highest price paid year to date believed to be R65m in Bel Ombre Drive.
While R150m is an eye-watering amount, it’s not a complete stretch. Cape Town, after all, has no shortage of buyers, local and offshore, looking to bag a trophy home. The extent to which the Mother City has upped its cachet as a global real estate hotspot among the well-heeled in recent years is underscored by the record 198 residential sales exceeding R20m clinched year to date in Cape Town.
That’s ahead of last year’s 190 and 2024’s 144, according to numbers from Seeff and PropStats, the Western Cape database of the Institute of Estate Agents of South Africa. Cape Town’s tally of luxury homes that changed hands in 2026 includes 17 sales above R50m and two exceeding R100m, one for R151.9m in Fresnaye and one for R104.14m in Camps Bay.
