Princess Diana's nieces Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer reveal surprising discovery after taking DNA test
- Until the test, the twins had been told they were not identical they told Tatler
- READ MORE: Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer look stylish as they pose next to rarely seen mother Victoria Aitken during New Year's trip to sunny Cape Town
Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer have revealed they discovered they are identical twins - after taking a 23andMe test
The 32-year-old nieces of Diana, Princess of Wales, shared the news during an interview with Tatler magazine.
While the discovery may come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the two models' almost indistinguishable looks, they told the publication that their parents had been told they were not identical - also known as monozygotic - twins.
Rather, their parents were told they were non-identical - or fraternal twins. The difference is that monozygotic twins share the same genetic material.
According to the Twins Trust: 'Identical twins share the same genetic material and are always the same sex. They often look very similar and have many of the same physical traits because they share 100 per cent of their genes.
'Non-identical twins share about 50 per cent of their genetic material, just like any other siblings. They can be of the same or different sexes and usually do not look more alike than any other siblings.'
It adds that: 'Identical twins occur when a single fertilised egg splits into two embryos....Non-identical twins happen when a woman releases two eggs during ovulation and both eggs are fertilised by two different sperm cells. This can be influenced by genetic factors, maternal age and fertility treatments. Each twin develops from a unique combination of egg and sperm, leading to genetic differences similar to those between regular siblings.'
23andMe is a DNA test which claims to provide 'the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown, personalised health insights and more'. The average DNA similarity between full siblings (including fraternal twins) is 50 per cent, will some research saying it can be as little as 37 per cent or as much as 65 per cent.
Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer are pictured as children. They only learnt last year that they are identical twins, after their parents were told they were not
Despite being told they were not identical, the twins said they 'aways knew', proving this when they received their identical results.
According to Tatler (and images of the women) it is difficult to tell the twins apart, although their characters are slightly different, with Amelia being described as being the more outspoken sister.
The two revealed that they share '80 per cent of their brainwaves' and have the same taste. Tatler reports that the two often finish each others' sentences.
Both Amelia and Eliza, as well as their elder sister Kitty, 34, are models, all signed to Storm Model Management, and are all very close.
They also have a younger brother Louis, 30, who is a professional actor (who uses the name Louis Lyons), who is set to inherit the famous family seat, Althorp.
Their mother is former fashion model Victoria Aitken, 59, the first wife of their father Charles Spencer.
Earl Spencer proposed to Victoria only six weeks after they first met, opting for an unusual engagement ring in the shape of a heart, consisting of both a ruby and a diamond.
They wed in 1989 and had Princess Diana's youngest son, Prince Harry, as the pageboy at their wedding.
MODELS: Lady Eliza Spencer and Lady Amelia Spencer (pictured in London in 2021) are signed to Storm Model Management, along with their elder sister Lady Kitty
The couple moved to South Africa in 1995, when the twins were around two-years-old, and Kitty was four.
However, their parents divorced just two years later, in 1997.
Their mother brought the children up in South Africa, with them spending the holidays at Althorp with their father.
Kitty now lives in Marylebone with her husband Michael Lewis, a fashion magnate who is the chair of The Foschini Group, which owns a number of outlets including Whistles, Hobbs and Phase Eight among others.
She wed Michael, 65, who is reportedly worth some £80million in July 2021.
Meanwhile, Lady Amelia, met her husband personal trainer Greg Mallett, while she was studying corporate communications at the University of Cape Town.
They tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in South Africa in March 2023.
Meanwhile, Lady Eliza lives with her entrepreneur boyfriend, Channing Millerd, with whom she's been in a relationship for around a decade. She revealed that a wedding ‘is definitely on the cards’.
Eliza and Amelia live in London's Fulham, around 15 minutes away from their elder sister, though travel a lot - including back to South Africa, from where all their partners hail.
The twins recently welcomed in the New Year during their lavish trip to Clifton, an affluent suburb located in sunny Cape Town.
They were accompanied by Lady Kitty Spencer, as they celebrated her birthday on December 28.
And in a rare public snap shared by Eliza on Instagram, their mother Victoria was also seen
As ever, the sisters looked effortlessly chic as they shared snaps of them posing in front of a picturesque sunset.
Their mother also looked stylish, donning a floaty leopard print gown, and looking in high spirits as she posed in-between her daughters during golden hour.
She wore her blonde tresses down in a flattering wavy blow-dry and showed off her youthful skin with natural makeup.
Victoria used to model for Dior and Levi and was once described by Ralph Lauren as 'the most beautiful girl in the world,' according to Tatler.
Eliza also shared a picture of herself and Amelia with Kitty, who wore a colourful jumpsuit for the occasion.
Lady Amelia Spencer posed with her twin sister Lady Eliza Spencer (left) and their mother Victoria Aitken (centre), who was also a model
She wrote: 'Going into 2025 with a full heart,' alongside sharing videos of their private pool and images of herself at a vineyard.
The De Meye estate has been farmed by the Myburgh family for five generations and they are in one of South Africa's most prestigious regions for winemaking.
The vineyard produces Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz, along with Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.
The images shows the Spencer trio laughing as they attempted to pose for a picture while embracing each other in the sunshine.
Kitty, 34, posted a video full of highlights over the year and wrote: 'Thank you, 2024. Feeling huge gratitude for a year of health, happiness, travel and laughter but most importantly motherhood., love and plenty of family time. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2025.'
