Charles Spencer has disclosed the announcement of his divorce from his wife, Karen Gordon, also known as the Countess of Spencer, whom he married in June 2011.
The 59-year-old brother of the late Princess Diana conveyed this news to the Mail On Sunday, additionally mentioning: “I just want to devote myself to all my children and to my grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future.”Â
It is believed that Charles and Karen’s marriage deteriorated in recent years due to the stress caused by the Earl’s memoir, A Very Private School, where he recounted experiences of physical and sexual abuse during his time at boarding school.
The announcement of their divorce comes shortly after Karen shared the passing of her cherished father, who had been battling Alzheimer’s Disease, and disclosed that she was in Vancouver Island, Canada, providing support to her family.
“My father passed away today after a long battle with Alzheimer’s,” she shared on social media. “I was happy to be there to support my mother and brother who have been doing the bulk of the heavy lifting in dealing with his care here on Vancouver Island.
Karen, aged 51, is a Canadian philanthropist who married Charles on the grounds of Althorp, where the Earl’s older sister, Princess Diana, is buried, in June 2011, following Charles’s proposal four months earlier. They first met after being set up on a blind date in Los Angeles in 2010.
The couple have one daughter together, Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer, born in 2012, whom they have been raising at Althorp.
