Earl Charles Spencer and his wife Karen Spencer have decided to end their marriage after nearly 13 years.
Princess Diana’s brother announces divorce The Mail on Sunday.
“I am very sad,” the British aristocrat told the outlet about the divorce. “I just want to do everything I can for all my children and grandchildren and I wish Karen all the best for the future.”
Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer reveals harrowing family secret
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, and Karen Spencer arrive at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Windsor, England on May 19, 2018. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
A spokesman for Spencer did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
According to the outlet, the marriage of the 9th Earl and Countess Spencer ended while Prince Charles was writing his memoir, “A Very Private School.” The couple privately announced their split to staff at Althorp House, Prince Charles’ ancestral home, in April.
The outlet also reported that Spencer is “becoming close” with Norwegian archaeologist Dr Kat Jarman, and that the pair “seem very happy together” but that it is still “in the early stages.”
Countess Spencer and Earl Spencer have been married for almost 13 years. (Dave Bennett/Getty Images for William & Son)
Jarman is co-host of the history podcast “The Rabbit Hole Detectives” with Spencer and the Reverend Richard Coles.
Spencer and Karen, 52, married at Althorp House in June 2011. The wedding took place two months after Spencer’s nephew, Prince William, married Kate Middleton. Althorp House, the historic English mansion where Spencer and his sister Diana grew up, became their home after their marriage. The couple have a 12-year-old daughter, Charlotte Diana, named in honour of her royal aunt.
Karen is a social entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Whole Child International. She has two daughters from her previous marriage to Hollywood producer Mark Gordon.
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Charles Spencer was married to British model Victoria Lockwood from 1989 to 1997. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Spencer has been married three times, with four children to his first wife, Victoria Lockwood, and two to his second wife, Caroline Floyd.
In her memoir, “A Very Private School,” Spencer revealed that she was sexually abused as a child. She kept the abuse a secret for many years, but after two failed marriages, she realized she needed help.
Charles Spencer was married to Caroline Floyd from 2001 to 2007. (Dave Bennett/Getty Images)
“I was so confused by countless failed relationships, deep unhappiness and two divorces,” he previously told Fox News Digital. “I also wanted to do something for my kids. That was the catalyst, actually. I wanted to be better for my kids, I wanted to be a better dad. I don’t know if my kids would agree that I achieved that, but that was my goal. And I think if I wasn’t a parent, I probably would just … keep dealing with it.” [Saying it out loud] It was incredibly helpful. It didn’t get to the root of the problem, but it did point me in the direction of more conscientious treatment.”
Mr Spencer said he has “really turned things around” in the last three to four months, particularly since writing his book, and he continues to use “very effective” treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as tai chi and breathing exercises.
“I have a lot of supportive techniques to help me get to a better place,” he said.
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Lady Diana Spencer (1961–1997) (Princess Diana) with her brother Charles, Viscount Althorp (Earl Spencer) at home, circa 1968. (Central Press/Getty Images)
Following the book’s release, Spencer said: People Magazine Karen was “supportive.”
“I think it was very difficult for her to have her husband undergo what was essentially four and a half years of the most serious treatment with a very difficult background,” he told the outlet, “and she was supportive of the idea of me undergoing it.”
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“I think my mom always hoped that I’d be born happier and healthier,” he continued, “and it seems that was true, so I’m really glad she was there for me while I went through this process, which I now know was necessary.”
