Earl Spencer Biography: Age, Wife, Net Worth, Princess Diana’s Brother, Author, Career & Facts

Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, is a British historian, bestselling author, and broadcaster — and the younger brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Born on May 20, 1964, he is 62 years old in 2026 and lives at Althorp, his family’s 500-year-old estate in Northamptonshire, England. From delivering Diana’s famous eulogy in 1997 to becoming a Sunday Times bestselling writer, Earl Spencer’s life blends royal history, literature, and headline-making family moments.

In 2026, he is back in the global spotlight with his memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, published on September 22, 2026 — and with his surprise fourth marriage to archaeologist Cat Jarman. This in-depth biography covers Charles Spencer’s age, height, career, books, wives, children, and net worth in 2026.

Quick Facts

Related Trending People: Princess Diana, Cat Jarman, Lady Kitty Spencer, Prince Harry, Prince William, Richard Coles, Karen Spencer.

Early Life & Education

Charles Edward Maurice Spencer was born on May 20, 1964, in Marylebone, London, the youngest of five children of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp (later the 8th Earl Spencer), and Frances Roche (later Shand Kydd). His godmother was Queen Elizabeth II.

He grew up with three older sisters — Sarah, Jane, and Diana — at Park House on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. His parents divorced when he was three, and in 1975, after his grandfather’s death, his father became the 8th Earl Spencer and Charles took the courtesy title Viscount Althorp.

He attended Silfield Private School in King’s Lynn, then Maidwell Hall boarding school in Northamptonshire from age eight, followed by Eton College. He later read Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford, earning an MA.

In his 2024 memoir A Very Private School, Spencer publicly described suffering violent beatings, sexual abuse, and a “culture of cruelty” at Maidwell Hall — a revelation that made national news and started wider conversations about historic abuse at British boarding schools.

Career Journey

Early Beginnings: Journalism with NBC News

After Oxford, Spencer chose journalism over a traditional aristocratic path. From 1986 to 1995, he worked as an on-air correspondent for NBC News in the United States, appearing on the Today show, NBC Nightly News, and Sunday Today. He also wrote and presented the 12-part documentary series Great Houses of the World for NBC Super Channel.

In 1992, his father died and Charles became the 9th Earl Spencer, automatically taking a seat in the House of Lords — which he held until the House of Lords Act 1999 removed most hereditary peers.

The 1997 Eulogy That Made Him Famous Worldwide

When Diana, Princess of Wales, died in August 1997, Spencer delivered her eulogy at Westminster Abbey, watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people. His tribute — praising Diana as “the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana” — became one of the most famous speeches of the 20th century. Diana was buried on an island at Althorp, where he built a memorial temple and museum in her honor.

Breakthrough: Bestselling History Author

Spencer reinvented himself as a narrative historian, and it stuck:

• Althorp: The Story of an English House (1998)
• The Spencer Family (1999)
• Blenheim: Battle for Europe (2004) — Sunday Times bestseller, shortlisted for History Book of the Year at the 2005 National Book Awards
• Prince Rupert: The Last Cavalier (2007)
• Killers of the King (2014) — Sunday Times bestseller; second-highest-selling history book in the UK in 2014
• Impressions of Althorp (2015)
• To Catch a King (2017) — Times (London) bestseller
• The White Ship (2020) — Sunday Times bestseller and No. 1 history book on Amazon

In 2003, he founded the Althorp Literary Festival, which has hosted writers like Bill Bryson, Antonia Fraser, and Boris Johnson. He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire in 2005 and is a patron of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.

Podcasting, TV, and Recent Activity in 2026

From 2023 to 2025, Spencer co-hosted the hit podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives with the Rev. Richard Coles and archaeologist Cat Jarman, which celebrated its 100th episode. The trio also co-authored The Rabbit Hole Book (2024). In May 2025, he joined ITV’s Loose Men panel.

In 2026, his biggest project arrived: Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, published September 22, 2026 by Penguin Michael Joseph — an intimate memoir about growing up with Diana and the week of her death. Extracts alleging that King Charles III sounded “giddily elated” in a phone call after Diana’s death sparked a Buckingham Palace response and global headlines just days before this article’s publication.

Career Stats:

• Books published: 12 (as of September 2026)
• Sunday Times bestsellers: 3 (Blenheim, Killers of the King, The White Ship)
• NBC News career: 10 years (1986–1995)
• Podcast episodes: 100+ (The Rabbit Hole Detectives)
• TV work: History Channel documentaries, Granada Television, BBC appearances, ITV Loose Men
• House of Lords tenure: 1992–1999
• Literary Festival: Founder, Althorp Literary Festival (2003)

Personal Life

Marriage & Family

Charles Spencer has been married four times and is a father of seven:

1. Victoria Lockwood (1989–1997): Four children — Lady Kitty (1990), twins Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia (1992), and Louis, Viscount Althorp (1994), heir to the earldom. The family lived in Cape Town, South Africa, before divorcing in December 1997, months after Diana’s death.
2. Caroline Freud (2001–2007): Two children — Edmund (2003) and Lady Lara (2005).
3. Karen Gordon (2011–2025): One daughter, Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer (2012), named in honor of his sister. The divorce was finalized in December 2025.
4. Cat Jarman (May 15, 2026–present): Spencer married the Norwegian-born archaeologist and River Kings author in a private desert ceremony in Sedona, Arizona, on May 15, 2026. The couple met professionally around 2021 and confirmed their romance in October 2024.

Dating History / Affairs

Spencer’s first marriage included reported affairs, which he has spoken about openly in interviews over the years. His relationship with Cat Jarman began after his separation from Karen Spencer was announced in 2024. His divorce and remarriage were covered neutrally and extensively in the British press in 2025–2026.

Controversies

• 2021 Diana property dispute: For years, Spencer was criticized for refusing Diana a cottage on the Althorp estate. In 2021, The Times issued an apology, acknowledging he had offered Diana several properties on police advice.
• A Very Private School (2024): His memoir detailing childhood abuse at Maidwell Hall prompted police interest and public debate, with other former pupils coming forward.
• Swan Song (2026): In September 2026, Spencer alleged King Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after Diana’s death and described the then-Prince as sounding like a “lottery winner.” Buckingham Palace pushed back, and Spencer defended his account in a BBC interview, saying, “I’m telling the truth.”

Awards & Achievements

• Shortlisted — History Book of the Year, UK National Book Awards (2005, for Blenheim)
• 3× Sunday Times bestseller (2004, 2014, 2020)
• The White Ship — No. 1 bestselling history book on Amazon (2020)
• Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire (2005–present)
• Founder, Althorp Literary Festival (2003)
• Sits on the board/patronage of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club

Physical Statistics

• Height: Unknown (not publicly verified)
• Weight: Unknown (not publicly verified)
• Hair: Grey
• Eyes: Blue
• Distinguishing features: Often seen in tweed; tall, aristocratic bearing

Quotes

• “She proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic.” — Diana’s eulogy, Westminster Abbey, September 6, 1997
• “When asked, ‘What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…” — from the Swan Song announcement
• “I’m telling the truth.” — BBC interview, September 2026, defending his Swan Song claims

Favorites

• Favorite subject: 17th-century English history (the English Civil War era)
• Favorite place: Althorp estate, Northamptonshire
• Favorite sport: Cricket
• Favorite pastime: Historical research and podcasting with friends
• Favorite era to write about: The Stuart period

Net Worth, Salary & Earnings in 2026

Charles Spencer’s estimated net worth in 2026 is around $150 million, though no official figure is publicly disclosed. His wealth comes mainly from the Althorp estate — a 13,000-acre property held by his family for over 500 years — plus earnings from 12 books, speaking fees, podcasting, and TV work. The 2009 Sunday Times Rich List valued him at roughly £100 million (about $149 million), the most recent widely cited benchmark. Book advances for bestsellers like The White Ship and his 2024 and 2026 memoirs likely added seven figures, and his peak earning years came between 2014 and 2026, when his historian profile grew sharply.

Interesting Facts

• His godmother was Queen Elizabeth II, and he served as a Page of Honour to the Queen in the 1970s.
• He is uncle to both Prince William and Prince Harry, and walked between them behind Diana’s coffin in 1997.
• In 2021, Cat Jarman helped him unearth a Roman villa on the Althorp grounds — before they ever dated.
• His son Louis, Viscount Althorp, is heir to the earldom — and is often called “the most eligible man in Britain.”
• He once lived in Cape Town, South Africa, for two years to escape media attention.
• Killers of the King was the second-biggest-selling history book in the UK in 2014.

Did You Know?

Did you know Charles Spencer wrote the entire outline of The White Ship before discovering that the story’s central disaster happened exactly 900 years before his own book’s publication year?

Social Media Links

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlesspencer1508 (personal) and https://www.instagram.com/charlesspencerbooks (official bookshop)
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/cspencer1508
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlesspencer1508
• Official Website: https://charles-spencer.com
• Bookshop: https://charles-spencer.com/bookshop/
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1881203/

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Charles Spencer has lived several lives in one: American TV correspondent, British peer, grieving brother to a global icon, and now one of Britain’s most popular narrative historians. In 2026, at age 62, he remains a figure the world watches — whether for his books, his family ties to the royal family, or his headline-making memoir Swan Song. His story is far from finished. If you enjoyed this biography, share it with fellow royal and history fans.