It was at her funeral that Spencer became known to much of the world, and he walked behind her casket along with Prince William and Prince Harry.
He is the youngest of four children born into the life of privilege enjoyed by British aristocrats. But his upper crust life has been filled with tragedy and these are the top things to know about this controversial figure.
Royal Family News – Charles Is The Late Diana’s Brother
Charles Spencer played a twisted role in Diana’s infamous 1995 BBC interview with Martin Bashir.
The interview rocked the monarchy, with a heavily made-up Diana firing all sorts of truth bombs about the royals and her failing marriage to King Charles.
Decades on, Spencer claimed that Bashir contacted him and “groomed him” with false information that prompted him to convince Diana to do the interview.
He said “I feel that I was groomed … shown forged bank statements; I was told of underhand payments, of spying, and of appalling deception. But all along, I was the one being deceived in order for Mr. Bashir to get to my late sister.”
Royal Family News – His Parents’ Ugly Divorce
Spencer’s parents were at war during their marriage. Diana told Andrew Morton that she witnessed her father slap her mother: “I was hiding behind the door, and Mummy was crying. I remember Mummy crying an awful lot.”
Spencer and Diana’s mother left when Diana was 5 years old, and Charles was still an infant. Spencer told The Sunday Times “While she was packing her stuff to leave, she promised Diana she’d come back to see her. Diana used to wait on the doorstep for her, but she never came.”
Royal Family News – Charles Spencer’s Troubled Home Life
Like his parents, Charles Spencer struck out in the marriage game, with his first two marriages ending in divorce. In 1989 he married fashion model Victoria Lockwood and they have four children.
They divorced in 1997 and he married Caroline Freud in 2001. They had two children and Spencer reportedly walked out on his wife four months after the birth of their daughter.
He has been married to Karen Gordon since 2011. Spencer has attributed his divorces to unresolved issues tied to his being sexually abused at boarding school.
Not surprisingly Spencer has allegedly had issues with his six children. According to the Daily Mail, Spencer’s first four children were fond of his second wife and were dismayed at the way he ended things with her.
Spencer did not attend his daughters’ Lady Kitty Spencer and Lady Amelia Spencer’s weddings, in 2021 and 2023 respectively. He has never given a reason for his absences.
Tell us royal fans, do you think that the Spencer family has had their fair share of heartaches?
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