Prince William and Prince Harry hold places in the line of succession to the throne, as they are the children of Prince Charles. But through their late mother, Princess Diana, William and Harry are also part of the Spencer family, an aristocratic brood that boasts many famous historical figures in its ranks.

       The famous prime minister, Winston Churchill, was also a descendant of the Spencer family.

       His full name was actually Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, but he was not known publicly by his Spencer last name.

       Winston Churchill's ancestral link to Princess Diana stems back many centuries.

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       Charles Spencer, the third Earl of Sunderland, was married to Lady Anne Churchill in 1700.

       The couple were Winston Churchill's five times great-grandparents.

       The couple were also Princess Diana's seven times great-grandparents.

       Through this connection, it is thought that Princess Diana and Winston Churchill were very distant cousins.

       Lady Diana Spencer was born in 1961 to Edward John Spencer and his first wife, Frances Roche, later Frances Shand Kydd.

       At the time of Diana's birth, her father was known by the title of Viscount Althorp.

       But in 1975, upon the death of his father, Edward John Spencer became the 8th Earl Spencer.

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       Lady Diana Spencer had two older sisters, Lady Sarah and Lady Jane Spencer.

       She also had a younger brother, Charles Spencer, who is now the 9th Earl Spencer.

       The Spencer family has a long history, with the first Earl Spencer created in the 1700s.

       And over the years, there have been many famous members of the Spencer family.

       In modern times, Lady Diana Spencer, later Diana, Princess of Wales, has perhaps been the most famous Spencer family member.

       But long before Diana's lifetime, Lady Georgiana Spencer married in 1774 and became the Duchess of Devonshire.

       The Duchess of Devonshire was a famous societal figure of the period, known to be a style icon and activist.

       Many comparisons have been made between the life of the Duchess and Princess Diana, though centuries apart.