Princess Diana's Sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Has Been Hospitalized

Lady Sarah McCorquodale — the fiercely private yet famously spirited older sister of the late Princess Diana — was recently hospitalized following a serious accident.

In a deeply personal conversation on the "Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth" podcast, her brother, Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, lifted the veil on his sister's recent health crisis — and her unyielding, mischievous spirit that refuses to dim, even at 69.

The shocking revelation came during the October 24 episode, when Charles was reflecting on his childhood growing up with Lady Sarah, who has lived mainly out of the royal spotlight. The brother said:

"She's still riding, and she had a really bad fall last month and has been in the hospital for a long time and I think [she] was quite a handful as a patient because the lead doctor said to my brother-in-law, 'she's quite a character, isn't she?' which I think is code for, 'can you take her home?'"

A family friend later told People that Lady Sarah "is on the mend."

A Horse in the Hall and a Vodka-Fueled Rebellion

Even as a child, Lady Sarah had a flair for rebellion. As her brother remembered, during one dispute with their father, she made her feelings known in a way no one could ignore — by riding her horse straight into the house and stopping in the middle of the hall. It was a bold, unforgettable act that captured the fearless streak she's carried all her life.

Despite being expelled from school and regularly pushing boundaries, her brother recalled her with obvious affection — as a bold older sister full of playful mischief. When asked whether she had mellowed with age, Charles replied, "No."

Expelled from West Heath School after a teenage vodka incident, Lady Sarah carried into adulthood the same sharp wit and free-spirited energy that once made her the school's most unforgettable pupil.

From Royal Flame to 'Cupid' Sister

Born Sarah Spencer, Lady Sarah briefly dated then-Prince Charles in the late 1970s, before her sister, then-Lady Diana, entered the picture. Her romance with the man who would become king famously ended after she told a reporter she wouldn't marry Charles "if he were the dustman or the King of England."

But she would go on to play a pivotal role in royal history, proudly claiming responsibility for the match that followed, "I introduced them. I'm Cupid."

Life After Diana: Heartbreak and Legal Battles

After Princess Diana's tragic death in 1997, Lady Sarah stepped into a highly public role as President and trustee of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. The position would come at a steep personal cost.

A £16 million lawsuit from the Franklin Mint, over unauthorized Diana memorabilia, nearly destroyed Lady Sarah and her husband, Neil McCorquodale, pushing the couple to the brink of financial ruin.

Earlier in her life, Lady Sarah battled depression and anorexia after the end of a passionate romance with Gerald Grosvenor, who would later become the Duke of Westminster. She married Neil after a brief rekindling with Charles at Ascot in 1977, according to friends.

Still a Steady Presence in Her Nephews' Lives

Despite stepping back from public life in recent years, Lady Sarah has remained deeply involved with her family — especially with Prince William and Prince Harry. In September 2024, she stood by William's side at RAF Cranwell, where he honored graduates at the same flight training school he once attended.

She also played a guiding role in overseeing the commissioning of the Diana statue, unveiled at Kensington Palace in July 2021, on what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday. This rare event brought her estranged nephews back together.

A Childhood of Loss, a Family Shaped by Absence

Meanwhile, in a 2020 interview with The Times, Charles opened up about their painful childhood, recalling the emotional vacuum left by their mother's departure.

He recalled how he and Diana clung to each other during their mother's absence, often left behind while their older sisters — Lady Sarah and Lady Jane Fellowes — were away, and how his sister would wait by the door, hoping in vain for their mother to return.

It was therapy and time, Charles said, that eventually led him to emotional stability and happiness in his adult life with his wife, Karen Spencer.

Decades after that unforgettable moment where she rode a horse through her family's grand hall, Lady Sarah's spirit remains unbroken — bold, brilliant, and, even in recovery, unmistakably herself.