Cricketer Nick Compton has spoken of his heartbreak after splitting up with his girlfriend Lady Kitty Spencer.
The 30-year-old batsman revealed he broke up with Lady Kitty — Princess Diana’s niece — just a month after being omitted from England’s tour of Australia.
The pair’s romance had been seen as a merging of two dynasties, one sporting and one social.
Compton is the grandson of cricketer Denis Compton, who played in 78 Tests for England, while Kitty is the eldest child of Princess Diana’s brother Charles, Earl Spencer, from his first marriage to Victoria Lockwood.
Speaking about the split Compton told the Times: “I found it hard to deal with both the England rejection and losing Kitty. She was special to me. Who knows if she would still be with me if I had not been dropped by England? It was a difficult time. I am still pretty heartbroken.”
Compton said losing his England place “tested” his character, but added: “I think it is incorrect to view my batting as plodding along at one pace.”
