Earl Charles Spencer's divorce from his third wife, Karen, Countess Spencer, has been finalised after two years of legal negotiations. The couple, who married in 2011 and lived at the Althorp estate, separated in 2024. Princess Diana's younger brother, now 61, and the countess, 53, share one child, Lady Charlotte, born in 2012.
According to The Times, the divorce was finalised in December, though some financial details remain to be agreed. Countess Karen is expected to retain her title, meaning that if the earl remarries, his fourth wife would be known as 'the Countess Spencer', while the countess would be referred to simply as 'Countess Spencer'.
A separate litigation case brought against Countess Spencer by the earl's girlfriend, archaeologist Cat Jarman, has been settled out of court with no admission of liability. Dr Jarman, 43, had sued the countess for 'misuse of private information' after allegedly revealing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis without consent.
During court proceedings, the countess was represented by David Sherborne, while the earl hired Fiona Shackleton, who famously represented King Charles III in his 1996 divorce from Princess Diana. Mr Justice Peel noted in his family court judgement that several aspects of the case were 'hotly disputed', including the countess's claims that her ex-husband had an affair and ended the marriage by text message.
The earl has denied both allegations, telling the Daily Mail: 'The notion that I would end my marriage by text is an absurd attempt to blacken my name.' He stated that his wife ended the marriage and he simply accepted her decision. Countess Spencer posted on Instagram last year confirming she had moved out of Althorp, writing: 'At long last, three weeks ago, we finally moved into our temporary new home.'
