Lady Amelia kicks off wedding celebrations with glamorous party- but Earl Spencer is absent

Lady Amelia Spencer kicked off her wedding celebrations with a glamorous pool party in Cape Town over the weekend.

Princess Diana’s niece, 30, and her fiancé Greg Mallett, 30, hosted a welcome party for their guests at a luxury villa overlooking the ocean.

The bride-to-be looked classy in a silky white halterneck dress, while her partner of 11 years was smart in a white shirt and blue slacks.

The happy couple posed for photos beside the pool and shared pictures of them exchanging kisses and loving glances on their Instagram Stories.

Greg posted a photo of his wife-to-be with her arms wrapped around him and told his 8,400 followers, “You will never make me laugh. And I will always look at you in awe.”

The groom then ended his loving message with a single red love heart emoji and tagged Amelia – who then re-shared it to her 48,400 followers.

Wedding guest Jacinta Spencer — a makeup artist friend and no direct relation — also posted a photo of Lady Amelia posing on the patio as the sun set behind her.

She wrote, “The most beautiful pre-wedding reception for you. I love you with all my heart.’

But while Amelia’s twin sister Eliza was seen in pictures on social media, their father Earl Spencer, 58, did not appear in any of the photos.

Princess Diana’s younger brother was unable to attend his eldest daughter Lady Kitty’s wedding to retail millionaire Michael Lewis in July 2021, sparking rumors of a split between the father of seven and his daughters from his first marriage.

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 half-brother Samuel Aitken, whose father is businessman Jonathan Aitken.

A source told MailOnline at the time: ‘Kitty and Charles were close growing up, but their relationship has cooled and become more distant since his marriage to his third wife Karen in 2011.

“Charles recently had an injury and maybe that’s why he’s not going on the trip, but it’s just easier for everyone that he’s not there.

“The four children are all very close to their mother Victoria and get along with their step-siblings and their Spencer aunts and have forged their own relationships with each other without Charles having to tie them together.”

Although Victoria Aitken, Lady Amelia’s mother, was not seen in photos from the welcome party, she was on the guest list for Lady Kitty’s wedding in 2021 and is expected to attend her second daughter’s nuptials later this month.

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

Princess Diana’s death occurred while their divorce case was ongoing; soon after their split was finalized, Earl Spencer moved back to the UK.

After their divorce, Earl Spencer married Caroline Freud in 2001 before marrying entrepreneur Karen Spencer in 2011.

In July 2020, Lady Amelia Spencer became engaged to her long-term boyfriend Greg Mallett after a romantic proposal in South Africa.

Society beauties Princes William and Harry met her real estate beau while they were both studying at the University of Cape Town.

The couple were together for 11 years before 32-year-old Greg popped the question at the exclusive Clouds Wine & Guest Estate in Stellenbosch.

In 2021, the couple moved from South Africa to London, shortly after big sister Kitty’s lavish wedding in Rome – with celebrations spread over four days.