Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer

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For other persons named Charles Spencer, see Charles Spencer (disambiguation).

Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, DL, (born May 20, 1964), is the second and only surviving son of Edward Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer by his first wife, the Honourable Frances Ruth Burke Roche (later Shand Kydd), daughter of Maurice Roche, the 4th Baron Fermoy. The youngest of his three elder sisters was Diana, Princess of Wales. His other sisters are Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Fellowes.

Following the death of his father in 1992, Spencer became 9th Earl Spencer and inherited Althorp, the family's seat in Northamptonshire.

The 9th Earl Spencer is godson of Queen Elizabeth II, and held the office of Page of Honour from 1977 to 1979. On November 1, 2005, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire.

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[edit] First marriage

As Viscount Althorp, he married (Catherine) Victoria Lockwood (b. 1964), a model, on September 16, 1989. The wedding was at the Althorp church. Niece Emily McCorquodale was a junior bridesmaid. Nephews Prince William and Prince Harry were pages. Nephew The Hon. Alexander Fellowes, son of Baron and Baroness Fellowes, was also a page. Darius Guppy was the best man. Guppy was a friend of the Earl at Eton College and Oxford University.

They had four children:

Lord and Lady Spencer, who had moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, divorced on December 3, 1997. It was a contentious and highly publicized court case, with Lady Spencer accusing her husband of being "a domineering bully" and of infidelities with at least a dozen women. Among his girlfriends was Calvin Klein fashion model Josie Borain, whom he brought to his sister Diana's funeral at Westminster Abbey.[1]] After Borain and Lord Spencer's ten-month relationship ended, however, she called him "calculating and manipulative" and described their affair "a bad investment, a waste of good-quality-loving time."[2]

Victoria, Countess Spencer married Jonathan Aitken (a former fashion model, not the former Conservative MP) on 8 January 2005, by whom she had a son, Samuel, before their marriage.

[edit] Second marriage

Spencer moved back to the United Kingdom after his sister's death in part to oversee the family estate Althorp, and on December 15, 2001, he married Caroline Victoria Freud, née Hutton, a former nursery teacher who was previously married to Matthew Freud. Lord and Lady Spencer have two children:

  • The Honourable Edmund Charles Spencer (born October 6, 2003)
  • Lady Lara Spencer (born March 16, 2006)

Lady Spencer has two sons from her marriage to Matthew Freud:

In June 2006, Lord Spencer, according to an Australian newspaper, announced his intention to divorce his wife.[3]. The same article reported that Lady Spencer has reportedly sent emails to family members and mutual friends stating, "The time has come when I have to ask you to choose between me and Charles. I'm afraid it is impossible for me to trust those of you who wish to side with him and you can't be with both."

[edit] Sister

Spencer delivered a eulogy at the funeral of his sister Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, and managed her interment on the Althorp estate. The eulogy came in for some criticism because it attacked the Royal family rather than focusing on what Diana had achieved during her life.

The 9th Earl has written at least two books about his family, and has opened a museum in honour of his youngest sister Diana, Princess of Wales. In this museum, Diana's wedding dress and some of her personal effects are on display (on loan from her estate). Most recently, the Earl has announced other plans for the family house, such as allowing the house and estate out on rent for high-profile weddings to raise additional income needed to renovate or maintain the house.

[edit] Titles from birth

  • The Honourable Charles Edward Maurice Spencer
  • The Right Honourable Viscount Althorp
  • The Right Honourable The Earl Spencer

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links

Preceded by:
Edward Spencer		 Earl Spencer
1992 – present		 Incumbent
Preceded by:
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Radnor		 United Kingdom Order of Precedence
(gentlemen)		 Succeeded by:
The Rt. Hon. The Earl Bathurst
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