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Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer, who's the 9th Earl Spencer, is being accused of infidelity and breaking up his marriage with Countess Karen Spencer over an alleged text message, according to a court filing.
Countess Spencer has claimed that her now-estranged husband kept a “long-term mistress” which seemingly made her feel “helpless and confused.”
She has also accused Charles Spencer of being “both cruel and inexplicable” after he reportedly “completely refused” to offer any explanation.
As per Mrs. Spencer, Charles has been having an affair since 2021 with an archaeologist named Dr Cat Jarman who has been working alongside him to excavate a Roman villa at his ancestral home in Althorp, where he grew up with his late sister, Princess Diana.
Meanwhile, Dr Jarman has sued Countess Spencer, accusing her of defamation and attempting to reveal private details of her life. Charles Spencer has also responded to his ex-wife’s allegations, calling them an “absurd attempt to blacken by name,” as per Daily Mail.
More about Charles Spencer’s girlfriend, Dr Cat Jarman
Dr Cat Jarman is a Norwegian archaeologist, author, and podcaster. She pursued the field of study at the University of Bristol and earned her doctoral degree in 2017.
Her thesis was on the late 9th century Viking Great Army in Derbyshire, England which later inspired the 2019 documentary, Britain’s Viking Graveyard and PBS’ The Lost Viking Army.
The 42-year-old is now an honorary senior research associate at the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol and is also the school’s Director of the archaeological research unit.
Over the years, she has not only worked on the Viking field, with a focus on women and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) but has led excavations at the Anglo-Saxon and Viking site, Repton alongside the Viking winter camp, Foremark.
During a November 2023 conversation with the Institute of Irish Studies, Liverpool, Jarman shared:
“I’m always looking for new stories to tell… I do a lot of broadcasting and podcasts as well.”
Dr Cat has also published a few books, including River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads (2021) and The Bone Chests: Unlocking the Secrets of the Anglo-Saxons (2023).
In the aforementioned interview, she also talked about enjoying writing, and called it her “comfort blanket.”
Charles Spencer’s girlfriend also co-hosts a podcast with him, titled, Rabbit Hole Detectives alongside Reverend Richard Coles. It was launched in February 2023 and is based on history, spirituality, and more.
Meanwhile, she is also a mother to multiple kids from her previous relationship.
In October 2024, Earl Spencer confirmed dating Dr Cat Jarman during his appearance on Good Morning Britain where he called her his “partner.” The following month, he told The Mail on Sunday that:
"With Cat, I can be myself. She knows who I am, who I really am. I don't have to pretend to be something I am not. And she brings out the best in me."
Charles Spencer, 60, further told the outlet about his 18-year age gap with Jarman, explaining, "I've never been with a much younger person." He added, that Dr Cat was a "very canny, very emotionally mature" individual.
Together, the couple has also been digging the Roman villa in Althorp, which the archaeologist called an “absolute privilege” in her November 2021 Instagram post.
Notably, when the news broke that Karen and Charles Spencer were divorcing in June 2024, The Mail on Sunday reported that he was “becoming close to” Dr Cat Jarman, who was “currently separated from her husband.”
Exploring the scandal involving Charles Spencer's ex-wife and girlfriend
Notably, in October 2024, Dr Cat Jarman filed a lawsuit against her boyfriend’s ex-wife accusing her of misusing private information, such as disclosing her 2016 multiple sclerosis diagnosis without consent.
“Karen learned that I have MS. It was also confirmed to her that this was not something that was widely known. And yet she then went to Charles and said: 'You do know she has MS, don’t you?' I’m still not entirely sure who else she shared this private and sensitive information with, which is the point of this legal action,” Jarman told Daily Mail earlier this month.
Meanwhile, in response, Karen Spencer has gone to the high court, accusing both her former husband and his “longtime mistress” of cheating and betrayal. She shared being “shocked and devastated” by their actions and even sent an email to Dr Cat in May which read:
“First of all, as a woman, I just have to tell you that I am so disappointed in you. Turning all of the children's lives upside down like this is so unbelievably immoral.”
The 52-year-old Countess Spencer added:
“Good luck Cat, you're in for a hell of a ride. I think that you'll find having him to deal with full-time will be much trickier than the odd five-day escape to Norfolk and a night or two in London here and there.”
Dr Cat Jarman has responded to the aforementioned claims, saying she was “shocked and utterly dismayed,” by Mrs. Spencer’s “hideous and defamatory attack” on her and Charles Spencer.
“I can understand that she finds it difficult because he moved on before she did, but the narrative that Charles, or I, did something wrong here is simply not true. I do have sympathy for her. I understand what she has lost, because it is more than her marriage and her home. But this still doesn't justify what she did,” the archaeologist stated.
However, Karen has defended her actions by saying the disclosure about Dr Cat’s medical condition was “entirely justified and legitimate” after the way she was mistreated.
Karen Spencer and Charles Spencer tied the knot in 2011. They share an 11-year-old daughter named Lady Charlotte Diana. Karen, who’s a Canadian-born social entrepreneur, was Spender’s third wife.
Reportedly, she was informed by her estranged husband in March 2024 that their “marriage was over after almost 13 years,” via a "hideous" text message.
Charles Spencer's estranged wife also got in touch with Dr Cat's former husband, Tom Jarman, and together they found out that their respective ex-spouses had been romantically involved since late 2022, but they knew each other since 2021.
Meanwhile, Dr Jarman has claimed that she didn't reveal her MS diagnosis to Charles Spencer as they had only been dating a few months. She added being "friends and colleagues" with Earl Spencer and that she only began dating him after his marriage with Karen had ended.
