After two years of challenging negotiations, Earl Spencer’s divorce settlement has been completed.

Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, the younger brother of Princess Diana, has finalized the agreement with his estranged wife, Karen Spencer, who is 53 years old.

As details surfaced during the legal proceedings, it was revealed that the Spencers’ 13-year marriage had dissolved, following Countess Spencer’s claims in the High Court.

She accused her former spouse of infidelity and alleged that he ended their marriage through a text message—charges that Earl Spencer has strongly denied.

Despite the separation, Karen is expected to maintain her title as countess after their 12-year marriage, during which she contributed significantly to the enhancement of the Althorp family estate.

In the event that Earl Spencer remarries, his new wife would assume the title of Countess Spencer, while his former wife would be referred to as Karen, Countess Spencer, with the absence of “the” preceding Countess.

The divorce was finalised in December, though it is understood there are still financial matters to be decided.

Relaying his judgment in the family court, Mr Justice Peel said: ‘There are, however, a number of aspects of this which are hotly disputed.’

Earl Spencer and Lady Karen Spencer (pictured in 2018) announced their split in June, 2024

A decision is yet to be made on how much Earl Spencer will pay his former wife with regard to the litigation with Professor Cat Jarman, 43, his girlfriend.

The ‘hotly disputed’ case was settled in December after Ms Jarman, a Norwegian archaeologist, who co-hosts a podcast with the earl, sued Karen for the ‘misuse of private information’.

As part of the case, Ms Jarman claimed Countess Spencer had told people she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) – without her consent.

Karen’s lawyer settled out of court with no admission of liability as a court ruled the costs would in part be funded by the earl through the divorce settlement.

The Countess’s lawyer, David Sherborne, said she had been ‘shocked and devastated’ when Earl Spencer allegedly sent her a text message containing the ‘hideous’ news he wanted a divorce.

It came a mere ‘four weeks’ after he had sent her a ‘romantic message’ on Valentine’s Day.

Karen confronted Jarman after suspecting she was having an ‘affair’ with her husband.

In an email sent to Jarman, shared with the court, read: ‘Good luck Cat, you’re in for a hell of a ride.

‘I think 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.’

Jarman described the claims as ‘untrue and defamatory’ and Spender denied the allegations were true.

He previously told the Daily Mail: ‘The notion that I would end my marriage by text is an absurd attempt to blacken my name. 

‘Karen ended the marriage, after endless threats to do so over the years, in early March. She asked me to confirm the end of the marriage in a text of March 18 and my reply was a simple acceptance of her decision.’

Spencer is understood to have hired Fiona Shackleton, a divorce lawyer known as ‘steel magnolia’, who previously represented Prince Charles in his 1996 divorce from the earl’s sister, Princess Diana.

Last year Karen revealed she had moved out of Althorp following the couple’s separation in 2024.

Shortly before the breakdown of the marriage she had helped launch a new initiative to bring visitors closer to the Althorp estate – the Spencer 1508 series which saw videos released on YouTube about work taking place in the house and grounds.

And in 2020, Karen devised plans to transition the Althorp estate to regenerative organic farming with the agricologist Nicole Masters – helping secure a £3.6million grant from Natural England to restore parkland and create new wetland ecosystems.

Earl Spencer’s previous marriages were to Victoria Aitken and Caroline Freud – lasting eight years and six years respectively.

Just five years into his marriage with Victoria (then Lockwood), cracks began to show – with reports emerging of Earl Spencer’s alleged infidelities.

Victoria was also struggling with anorexia and an alcohol addiction.

In a bid to salvage their marriage and escape the spotlight, Victoria and Charles relocated to South Africa in 1995.

But just two years later, the couple announced their separation. During their divorce hearing, Victoria accused Charles of sleeping with other women while she was in rehab.

After being reminded of his pledge to stick by his wife through thick and thin, Charles told the judge that his wife was ‘thin and certainly thick’.