Ask most people what they know about Charles Spencer and the answer is a single speech. It was the eulogy he gave for his sister Diana in September 1997. The 9th Earl Spencer has since worked as a TV correspondent, history author, podcaster and caretaker of a 500-year-old country estate. He is in the news again this week: his memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister goes on sale September 22, 2026, and a newspaper excerpt has already drawn a public response from Buckingham Palace.
What Is Charles Spencer’s Real Name?
His full name is Charles Edward Maurice Spencer. Until his father inherited the earldom in 1975, he was simply the Hon. Charles Spencer. He then carried the courtesy title Viscount Althorp for the next 17 years.
How Old Is Charles Spencer?
He was born on May 20, 1964, in Marylebone, London, so he is 62. He is British and lives at Althorp, the Spencer family seat in Northamptonshire.
Early Life and Family
He was the youngest of five children born to John Spencer and Frances Roche. His three older sisters were Sarah, Jane and Diana. A brother named John, born before him, died within hours of birth. Charles was christened at Westminster Abbey, with Queen Elizabeth II as a godmother. His parents married in 1954 and divorced in 1969.
He went on to Eton and then studied Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford. Before Eton came a prep school he has since written about in painful detail. He was sent to Maidwell Hall at age eight, and his 2024 memoir A Very Private School describes a culture of cruelty there, set against a happier home life.
How Did Charles Spencer Start His Career?
He began in television news, not publishing. He was an NBC News correspondent from 1986 to 1995, appearing on Today and NBC Nightly News, and also reported for Granada Television in Britain from 1991 to 1993. By his own agent-supplied bio, NBC took him to some 30 countries. He also wrote and hosted a documentary series, Great Houses of the World, for NBC Super Channel in 1994 and 1995.
The job ended when the family business took over. His father died in 1992, and Spencer became the 9th Earl at 27. He sat in the House of Lords until hereditary peers lost their seats in 1999. During those years he was based in South Africa. In 1997 he flew home overnight from Cape Town after Diana’s death. Charles Spencer,
The Breakthrough: A Eulogy Nobody Expected Him to Write
The funeral was held at Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997. In his tribute, Spencer criticized both the royal family and the press for how they had treated his sister. The way it came about is a small story on its own. He has said that he first tried to find someone else to speak, worked his way through his address book without success, and realized on landing at Heathrow that the job would fall to him. His publisher now describes the speech as one of the great speeches of the twentieth century.
Diana was buried on an island in a lake on the Althorp grounds, a spot chosen because Spencer feared for security amid the public frenzy. He has said he visits the site almost daily. aol
Charles Spencer’s Books
Once the earldom and the estate were his, history became his main outlet. Nothing here is a screen credit, so the books are the career:
- Blenheim: Battle for Europe was shortlisted for History Book of the Year at the 2005 National Book Awards. amazon
- Killers of the King was the UK’s second best-selling history title of 2014. amazon
- To Catch a King, on Charles II’s escape after defeat in the Civil War, was a Times bestseller in 2017 and 2018. simonandschuster
- Other titles include Prince Rupert: The Last Cavalier (2008), Althorp: The Story of an English House (2016), The White Ship (2020) and A Very Private School (2024). speakers
Publisher bios disagree on how many books he has written (some say seven, others nine), so treat any single total with caution.
On Screen and On Air
His broadcasting has shifted from reporting to presenting history. He fronted two History Channel documentaries drawn from his Blenheim book, and he appeared in the BBC Four series Charles I: Downfall of a King. In 2021 he hosted Ancient Secrets of Althorp for Channel 4, following archaeologists as they searched his estate for a lost Anglo-Saxon village. That dig is where he met archaeologist Cat Jarman. Charles Spencer, Chronicler of British History and Brother of Princess Diana, to Visit Drexel on Book Tour +3
In February 2023 he launched the history podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives with Rev. Richard Coles and Jarman, with each host assigning the others odd topics to investigate. The trio announced their final episode in April 2025 and released a companion book.
Running Althorp
Spencer manages the Althorp estate. He founded the Althorp Literary Festival, and he also backed a range of furniture reproductions based on pieces from the house, with the proceeds going toward conservation. He also writes a column for the Financial Times. Earl Spencer: news and photos of Charles Spencer – HELLO! +3
Awards and Achievements
He isn’t an awards-circuit figure. The main markers are the Blenheim shortlist, his bestseller record, and his 2005 appointment as a Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire.
Personal Life and Family
He has married four times: Victoria Lockwood (1989 to 1997), Caroline Freud (2001 to 2007), Karen (2011 until their 2025 divorce) and Cat Jarman. The wedding to Jarman took place on May 15, 2026, in Arizona. In a joint statement, the couple said they had moved from colleagues to friends to deep love. Who Is Charles Spencer’s Wife? All About Archaeologist Cat Jarman +2
The lead-up was legally messy. Jarman sued Karen Spencer in 2024 over the alleged misuse of private information. The case was settled in December 2025, the same month the divorce was finalized. Karen’s spokesperson said the settlement involved no admission of liability.
Spencer has seven children: four with Lockwood, two with Freud and one with Karen. His son Louis, Viscount Althorp, is heir to the earldom.
Latest News: Swan Song: Diana, My Sister
Status: publishes September 22, 2026 (confirmed by the publishers). Michael Joseph releases the 384-page memoir in the UK, timed ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death in August 2027. Penguin Random House is publishing it simultaneously in many countries, with translations planned in twelve languages. The publisher says it is the first time Spencer has spoken openly and at length about his sister. His stated reason is that he wanted to record his own recollections rather than keep reading accounts he considers untrue.
The book has already drawn fire. An excerpt in the Daily Mail includes Spencer’s claim that Prince Charles, as he then was, told him days after Diana’s death that she would be forgotten soon enough. Buckingham Palace disputed the account in a rare public response. It is Spencer’s recollection of a private phone call, and the Palace rejects it.
He also marked the 29th anniversary of Diana’s death on August 31, 2026, posting photos of the flag at half-mast over Althorp with a short,
Frequently Asked Questions About Charles Spencer
Is Charles Spencer Princess Diana’s brother? Yes, her younger brother and the maternal uncle of Prince William and Prince Harry.
How old is he? 62, born May 20, 1964.
Is he married? Yes, to Cat Jarman since May 15, 2026.
What is he known for? The 1997 funeral eulogy, his history books, his NBC career and running Althorp.
What is he doing now? Promoting Swan Song, out September 22, 2026.