Signs That Karen And Charles Spencer Were Never Going To Last

In June 2024, Charles Spencer, younger brother of the late Princess Diana and uncle to Princes William and Harry, announced that he and wife Karen Spencer would be going their separate ways after 13 years of marriage. At the time, Charles called the separation "immensely sad" in a statement to the Daily Mail. However, while 13 years is nothing to sneeze at, and while this was no doubt a sad development for all involved, there were some clear red flags in Charles and Karen's relationship that suggested their marriage wasn't built to last.

For starters, there's the fact that Charles was allegedly unfaithful to Karen during the latter portion of their time together. In its initial announcement piece, the Daily Mail hinted at a budding romance between Charles and his podcast co-host Dr. Cat Jarman in the wake of his split from Karen. The other shoe dropped in December 2024, when Karen revealed the tasteless way Charles allegedly ended their marriage. Karen claimed in court documents (per People) that Charles initiated the separation via text message, and that he did so in order to be with Dr. Jarman, whom she described as her husband's mistress of at least two years. If true, this would suggest that Charles hadn't been committed to Karen for some time. For his part, Charles denied that he asked for a divorce over text message, as well as claimed that Karen was actually the one who made the decision to end their marriage.

Another sign that Charles Spencer and Karen Spencer's marriage wasn't going to last is that Charles had been married twice prior, with neither union lasting longer than a decade. He was married to Victoria Lockwood from 1989 to 1997, and to Caroline Freud from 2001 to 2007. Karen, meanwhile, had been married once before she tied the knot with Charles. She married Hollywood producer Mark Gordon in 1997, and the two split in 2003. Karen married Charles in 2011, though seemed to understand that he was predisposed to unhealthy relationship dynamics.

"It's pretty obvious why Charles found me," Karen told The Sunday Times in 2020, adding, "His mother left when he was two and I understand that wound because of my [NGO] work. There were always women who would have been a good match for him, but he wasn't interested. It was the ones who couldn't love him back who were magnetic for him. When you're damaged, you look for damage. If you've experienced trauma and abandonment to the degree Charles did, your brain is hard-wired."

At the time, an optimistic Karen seemed to believe that she and Charles had found each other at the perfect time, and praised her husband for how much work he had done towards improving himself following his previous attempts at marriage. And, to be fair, Charles' marriage to Karen listed nearly as long as his first two combined. Evidently, however, there was still work to be done.