Princess Diana is not the only one in her family to have had troubles in love. Indeed, her baby brother, Earl Spencer, has already been divorced three times. While his last divorce has not been pronounced yet, he is still legally married to Karen Gordon. However, his new girlfriend, Catrine Jarman, has decided to sue her boyfriend's estranged wife.
Discover our latest podcast
Earl Spencer and Catrine Jarman's relationship timeline
In June 2024, Earl Spencer made some revelations to the Daily Mail. Indeed, he shared that he was getting a divorce from his third wife, Karen Gordon, a Canadian philanthropist. The 9th Earl of Spencer, who still lives in the family's home where the Princess is buried, announced the divorce to the couple's staff, alongside his wife in March 2024. He explained he felt 'immensely sad' about the ordeal, but he now wants to focus on his children, including their shared daughter Charlotte. He said:
I just want to devote myself to all my children, and to my grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future.
In October 2024, Charles Spencer made his new relationship with Norwegian professor and archaeologist Catrine Jarman public, although he is not yet divorced from Karen Gordon. The pair met in 2021, when the archaeologist helped Charles Spencer unearth a Roman villa at his Althorp estate. She wrote on Instagram back in 2021:
It was an absolute privilege to work with Charles as the first archaeologist in the grounds of this 500 year old park. Can’t wait to share the full results!
They have been hosting a podcast together, along with writer and current I'm A Celeb contestant Reverend Richard Coles, entitled Rabbit Hole Detectives, since February 2023.
Catrine Jarman is suing the Earl's ex-wife Karen
In November 2024, Earl Spencer spoke to the Mail on Sunday about his blooming relationship with the 18-year-younger woman, which allows him to be his true self, as he explained. He said:
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.
However, it seems this new relationship is causing some legal trouble for Princess Diana's little brother. Indeed, the same month as the Earl made his relationship official, Viking expert Catrine Jarman filed a lawsuit against her boyfriend's estranged wife. Catrine Jarman is suing Karen Gordon, for an alleged 'misuse of private information'. She claims that Gordon leaked the intimate details about her and it has caused her 'distress, upset and embarrassment'.
According to The Sun, which has obtained the legal filing of the complaint against Karen Gordon, Catrine Jarman was only recently made aware of the alleged leak. The newspaper reveals:
Dr Jarman was unaware until around mid-May that the Countess had even obtained the private information. She only found out after the Countess had disclosed the information to Earl Spencer — the revelation of which was shocking to her.
The Earl's new girlfriend had not given her consent for her private information to be revealed to anyone, and she was apparently shocked by the news. The Sun goes on:
Dr Jarman did not, at any time, provide her consent to the Countess to disclose that information to any third party or intimate anything to that effect.
Catrine Jarman reveals what the intimate details were
According to The Sun, Karen Gordon has been accused of telling a lot of people personal details about Catrine Jarman, including her 11-year-old daughter Charlotte, as well as her teachers, and even her personal trainer. Dr Jarman is reportedly seeking damages, as well as a ban for Karen Gordon to tell anyone else. She also wants a list of all the people who have already been told about her personal information.
So, what is this intimate detail? The Norwegian professor recently opened up to The Independent, revealing it had to do with her health. On Wednesday 4 December 2024, Charles Spencer's new partner revealed she suffers from multiple sclerosis, a painful and degenerative condition, which she wanted to keep to herself. She is accusing Karen Gordon of spreading the word about her diagnosis, even though she never gave her permission to tell anyone. She explained how she first noticed the symptoms:
I have multiple sclerosis. I was diagnosed eight years ago, when I was in the final stages of doing my PhD. I woke one morning with crippling pins and needles, shooting pains in my spine, as if I was being tasered.
Catrine Jarman's condition is currently under control, but the illness is unpredictable. She said, as quoted by The Independent:
I completely lost the power of my right hand – I couldn’t even hold a pen. My body simply stopped working. It took nine months to be able to use my hand again. I’m now on strong medication, and everything is kept at bay, but the problem with MS is that you live not knowing if you are going to have a relapse.
The professor also explained why she didn't want people to know about her illness. She said:
I thought I would be discriminated against because of it, because it is a disability. I thought it would affect my career, destroy my livelihood, affect the way people regarded me. I did not want to be defined by it, or my career be limited by it.
Catrine Jarman reportedly didn't tell Charles Spencer about her condition when they first started dating, which is also why she never consented to Karen Gordon telling anyone. She concluded:
I’d been seeing him, romantically, for only two months or three months, and still hadn’t told him. It’s hard, isn’t it, knowing when you reveal something like that. Some people do from the off, but I chose not to. And I stress that it was my choice. Your medical history is the most private thing.
Read more:
Charles Spencer shares photo of his mother on death anniversary: Who was Frances Shand Kydd?
Charles Spencer: Lady Diana's brother releases emotional memoir about his childhood
Lady Diana: Rare and never-before-seen photo of royal has been revealed by brother Charles Spencer
Sources used:
Daily Mail: Princess Diana's brother 'set for High Court showdown': Earl Spencer's new love 'is suing his estranged wife for leaking intimate secrets about her'
The Independent: Earl Spencer’s new partner Cat Jarman reveals MS diagnosis – and why she’s suing his estranged wife
Daily Mail: EXCLUSIVE Charles Spencer reveals 'immensely sad' divorce from third wife who he met on a blind date - amid strain of writing harrowing memoir
People: Who Is Cat Jarman? All About Charles Spencer’s Girlfriend and Podcast Cohost
