The divorce between Earl Charles Spencer, brother of the late Princess Diana, and his third wife, Karen Spencer (née Gardon), has been finalized after nearly two years of negotiations, , according to reports. The agreement, reached in , brings an end to their 13-year marriage, which began in .
Details of the breakdown emerged during the legal proceedings, including accusations of infidelity and a dispute involving Earl Spencer’s new girlfriend, Cat Jarman, a Norwegian archaeologist. Karen Spencer initially accused Charles Spencer of announcing his intention to divorce her via text message, a claim he refuted. The legal battle involved prominent lawyers: Fiona Shackleton, who previously represented Prince Charles in his divorce from Princess Diana, acted for the Earl, while Karen Spencer was represented by David Sherborne, known for representing Prince Harry.
Despite the contentious proceedings, Karen Spencer will retain the title of Countess Spencer, following a convention often applied in similar situations. She will be known as Karen, Countess Spencer, a practice mirrored by Sarah Ferguson after her divorce from Prince Andrew. Should Earl Spencer remarry, his new wife would become Countess Spencer, and Karen would lose the use of “the” before her title.
A separate legal dispute between Countess Spencer and Cat Jarman was settled in . Jarman had accused Karen Spencer of disclosing private medical information – specifically, that Jarman had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis – without her consent. The settlement was reached without an admission of liability, with Earl Spencer agreeing to cover the costs as part of the overall divorce settlement. Jarman stated that pursuing the claim was “a necessary and principled step to protect” her privacy, career, and livelihood.
The financial details of the divorce remain unresolved as of . The court has yet to determine the amount Earl Spencer will pay his former wife, particularly in relation to the litigation with Jarman. The divorce was finalized in , but the financial aspects are still being negotiated.
Earl Spencer has since confirmed his relationship with Cat Jarman, whom he met through a shared publisher and later while she conducted archaeological work on his Althorp estate in . They collaborated on a podcast, “Rabbit Hole Detectives,” and their relationship developed from there. Jarman was named Nordic Person of the Year in for her research into bioarchaeology.
Prior to the public confirmation of their relationship, Karen Spencer reportedly sent an email to Jarman, warning her about the challenges of being with Earl Spencer. The email, presented during the divorce proceedings, stated, “Good luck Cat, you don’t know what hell you’re walking into. I think you’ll find that everyday life with him is a lot more complicated than a five-day getaway in Norfolk or a night in London from time to time.” Jarman deemed these statements “false, and defamatory.”
The Earl and Countess Spencer were last publicly photographed together at a BAFTA TV Tea Party in Los Angeles in . The couple also attended the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in .
The finalized divorce marks the end of Earl Spencer’s third marriage. The details of the settlement, beyond the agreement regarding Karen Spencer’s title and the payment of legal fees related to the dispute with Jarman, remain confidential.
