Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer speaks out as he divorces wife after 10 years

Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, has spoken candidly about his "immensely sad" split from his third wife. Charles Spencer has shared that he now intends to focus on his family.

In a conversation with the Mail on Sunday, the 60-year-old Earl remarked: "It is immensely sad. I just want to devote myself to all my children, and to my grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future."

Karen Gordon, Countess Spencer, became Charles' wife in June 2011 following their initial encounter on a blind date at an eatery in Los Angeles the year before. Their wedding took place on the Althorp estate, where Diana is buried, just four months after Charles' proposal.

The pair have one daughter, Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer, who was born in 2012 and grew up at Althorp. It is believed that the pressures arising from the Earl's autobiography, 'A Very Private School', which recounts his experiences of abuse at boarding school, contributed to the marriage's collapse.

Karen, hailing from Canada and known for her philanthropic work with the Whole Child charity, has two daughters, Emma and Kate, from her previous marriage to Mark Gordon, which ended in 2003. Charles has other children: Lady Kitty Spencer, twins Eliza and Amelia, and Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, with former spouse Victoria Aitkin, reports Birmingham Live.

The Earl has two more children, Edmund and Lara, from his second marriage to Caroline Freud. The 9th Earl Spencer is also recognised as the uncle of Princes William and Harry.

Alongside running the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire, the Spencer family's ancestral home, Charles Spencer also works as a historian, journalist and broadcaster. During his book launch events in March, Karen was conspicuously absent from Althorp, which led to Charles later admitting he had sought residential treatment for trauma the previous year.

Speaking with The Sunday Times in 2020, he shared: "Karen and I both appreciate what the other does and look after what we have. Neither of us has found happiness like this before."

Karen was formerly married to Hollywood producer and millionaire Mark Gordon known for his contributions to Saving Private Ryan and The Day After Tomorrow.