Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer accused of ‘dumping wife of 13 years by text’
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Earl Spencer has been accused of ending his relationship with his wife by text message, in a High Court dispute.
Princess Diana’s brother went public with his relationship with archaeologist and podcast co-host Cat Jarman, 42, after splitting with Countess Karen Spencer, 52.
But now the earl’s new girlfriend is suing his estranged wife, accusing her of revealing private details of her life.
Defending herself in court papers seen by the Daily Mail, the Canadian-born countess who became Spencer’s third wife in 2011, said she was told her “marriage was over after almost 13 years” by Spencer on March 13.
“He did this by text message’”, her defence papers claim. Earl Spencer has strongly denied the allegations about the text.
Defence papers for the countess, who shares their 11-year-old daughter Lady Charlotte Diana with Earl Spencer, added: “Having given up her life in the United States, in order to live in the middle of rural Northamptonshire and dedicate herself to sorting out the Althorp Estate business, as well as having a child, the news was hideous for Lady Spencer.”
According to the Mail, emails show a message Countess Spencer wrote to Dr Jarman in May this year confronting her.
“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,” it is said to have read. “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.”
In her email to Dr Jarman, the countess reportedly wrote: “Not sure what Charles has shared with you of this, but I won’t have you at Althorp while I still live here.
“That is a boundary I intend to hold. It’s not fair to me, our daughter, or to all the staff, who are already distraught at the news of our divorce though having to serve Charles’ long-term mistress. It’s just too much to ask.”
Earl Spencer has hit back at the text message claims.
“The notion that I would end my marriage by text is an absurd attempt to blacken my name,” he said in a statement to The Independent. “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 18 March and my reply that day was a simple acceptance of her decision. I have those texts still, and will share them in court when I clear my name.”
The privacy case centres around the allegation that the Countess had told Earl Spencer that Dr Jarman had MS.
Dr Jarman told the Daily Mail: “I just felt utterly sick. I went into a panic, particularly over the implications for my career. I understand that she was hurting, but why would you share private medical information like that, without consent, especially when you knew it was private – and secret.
“It has been the most stressful time, and with MS you are told that it is most important to avoid stress.”
Earl Spencer went public with the relationship with his fellow podcast host on The Rabbit Hole Detectives in October months after he separated with his third wife.
