Dfter a union that lasted 13 years and two years of intense negotiations, Charles Spencer, little brother of Lady Diana and Earl of Althorp, has finally managed to finalize his separation from wife Karen. The financial details are not yet clear: it seems that, although the two have no longer been husband and wife since December, the lawyers of both parties are still struggling to find an agreement that satisfies both. There are rather large properties and economic interests at stake. Althorp, the ancestral home of the Spencers, remains with the Earl. But the most important thing for Charles is that now, at 61, he is free to remarry. And he’s already thinking about it.
Earl Charles Spencer divorces for the third time
Charles Spencer was alreadyto married to Victoria Aitken, union ended after eight years and four children (including the third-born heir Louis) due to the count’s infidelity. Then it was the turn of Caroline Freud, with whom he had two more children and who he left after six years. And there tooat the end of the union with the third, Karen, it would have been caused by the count’s umpteenth escapade.
After yet another divorce, is a new marriage in sight for Count Charles Spencer?
The lover and now girlfriend is the archaeologist Cat Jarman, 43 years old and of Norwegian origins, at the time employed by Althorp to supervise the excavations in his gardens and today co-hosts a podcast with the count. When she found out, 53-year-old Karen was furious. Also because Charles would have asked her for a divorce with a simple text message. Which Count Spencer was quick to deny.
Earl Spencer’s tumultuous negotiations with his new ex
Divorce proceedings started at the High Court in London, the finalization was not without obstacles. Besides not having yet decided how much they amount to the alimony that the count will have to pay to his wifethe complaint made by Cat against Karen for having disclosed private information without authorization also contributed to complicating the procedures, in particular the fact that Jarman suffers from multiple sclerosis. There Legal dispute ended with a settlement between the parties before the final ruling, and Charles Spencer will bear much of the costs.
Charles Spencer with his third wife Karen at Prince Harry’s wedding, Windsor, May 19, 2018 (Getty Images)
Who does the title of Countess Spencer go to now?
It took Charles and Karen a while to even agree on the title. Karen wanted to keep the title of countess, saying it is hers in recognition of the great work she has done for the rebirth of Althorp, burial place of Princess Diana and one of the most popular aristocratic homes in Britain. Indeed, Karen has helped with new initiatives to increase annual visitor numbers and make the sprawling estate’s organic farming operations more efficient. But if Charles decides to remarry for the fourth time, the countess will have to prepare to suffer another, perhaps harsher humiliation.
The title of discord: Karen countess in half
Karen therefore remains Countess Spencer. But in the event of a fourth marriage of the count, Jarman would be awarded the same title, with the addition of a detail that at first glance is microscopic, yet very important: the archaeologist will assume the title The Countess Spencer, while Karen remains alone Countess Spencer. A detail which, in London’s aristocratic circles, makes the inevitable difference between a real countess and one who is now only one in name.
The outgoing Countess’s wish of good (bad) luck to her rival
Karen, however, took satisfaction in her rival. The contents of an email sent to Jarman were read in court: «Good luck, Cat, a hell of a journey awaits you. You’ll soon realize that having him around full time will be much more complicated than a sporadic five-day escapade in Norfolk and a night or two in London.” Being married to Earl Spencer isn’t easysay all three of his wives. But that the fourth time doesn’t turn out to be the right one for Diana’s little brother?
