Charles Spencer: His family’s most shocking moments as he announces third divorce

Earl Charles Spencer has been within the information not too long ago as a result of his candid memoir and subsequent divorce announcement.

Princess Diana's brother, the ninth Earl Spencer, confirmed the unhappy information of his divorce from his third spouse, Karen Gordon, earlier this month.

The 60-year-old first shared the information publicly with the Mail on Sunday, saying: “I simply need to dedicate myself to all my youngsters and my grandchildren, and I want Karen each happiness sooner or later.” He additionally described the information as “extraordinarily unhappy”.

Charles and Karen's marriage is believed to have collapsed lately as a result of pressure of the earl's memoir, A Very Non-public Faculty, during which he describes intimately the bodily and sexual abuse he suffered at boarding college.

Other than the divorce information, check out Charles' most surprising household moments under…

His “sad childhood”

Charles Spencer has beforehand spoken about his upbringing and the way the divorce of his mother and father, John Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd, had a profound impact on him.

“Diana and I had two older sisters who have been in school, so she and I have been collectively and I talked to her about it,” he advised The Sunday Instances in 2020. “Our father was a peaceful and fixed supply of affection, however our mom was not suited to motherhood. It's not her fault she couldn't do it,” he added.

“When she was packing her issues to depart, she promised Diana [then aged five] She would come again to fulfill him. Diana would look ahead to her on the door, however she by no means got here,” he recalled.

The daddy of seven mentioned he has finished “a variety of deep work” on his “sad childhood”, which was “painful and horrible”.

His claims of abuse in school

Earlier this 12 months, Charles revealed he was sexually abused by a feminine workers member when he was on the boarding college aged 11. In an excerpt from his guide, A Very Non-public Faculty, Charles claims he was abused by an assistant matron on the college when he was a toddler within the Seventies.

Demise of Princess Diana

Charles' elder sister Diana died tragically in a automobile crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. Her demise had a profound impression on the royal household and brought on an outpouring of grief world wide.

The incident was really heartbreaking for Charles. Throughout a TV interview with American chat present host Larry King in 1999, the author spoke concerning the second he discovered about Diana's destiny.

“I used to be in Cape City, South Africa, with my 4 youngsters, simply 5 of us in the home, and the cellphone rang early within the morning,” he recalled. “And it was somebody from my property in England who mentioned, 'Look, I’ve some dangerous information. It seems like your sister and Dodi Fayed have been in a automobile crash in Paris.'”

He added: “So I went down and turned on the tv and was, in reality, watching the published on CNN, and at that time they have been adamant that she was seen strolling away from the automobile and that she was clearly injured, however OK.

Charles continued: “After which I rang my different sister, my center sister, who was truly married to somebody who labored for the Queen, and I mentioned, 'Look, what's occurring?' And he or she mentioned, 'Properly, she's on the opposite line proper now.' After which she stopped speaking, and I'll at all times keep in mind my brother-in-law Robert mentioned 'Oh, no,' after which my sister Jane mentioned, 'I'm afraid that's it. I'm afraid she's lifeless.'”

At her funeral, Charles delivered a heartbreaking tribute, paying tribute to his late sister, describing her as “the essence of compassion, responsibility, fashion and wonder”.

Demise of John Spencer

In 1960, Charles' mother and father misplaced their son, simply ten hours after his delivery. The Honourable John Spencer was the couple's third youngster, his elder sisters being Girl Sarah McCorquidale and Jane Fellowes.

In 2022, Charles paid an emotional tribute to his late brother. Alongside a photograph of John's headstone, he wrote: “It now seems because it ought to… I by no means knew my older brother, John, and stay 100 miles from his grave – however, it final summer time, I realise severe motion is required. Thanks, BB, for making it look because it ought to.”