Earl Spencer, notorious ladies’ man and the possessor of a colourful marital history, will be hoping it’s fourth time lucky – because last Friday, he tied the knot with Norwegian archaeologist Prof Catrine “Cat” Jarman ina private ceremony in Arizona. The pair have been dating for two years, initially bonding over their shared passion for history.
The Earl, 61, who has been married three times before, firstconfirmed his romancewith the “brilliant” Jarman, 44, on ITV’sGood Morning Britainin 2024. “We both feel so incredibly lucky to have progressed from being colleagues, to friendship, to deep love and connection,” said the newlyweds in a joint statement. “Each stage of our relationship has been underpinned by laughter and we share a passion for life.”
However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the Earl in the romance department – and one of his contentious past relationships even threatened his newfound happiness with Jarman. Take a spin through his turbulent love life…
Victoria Lockwood (1989-1997)
The Earl married glamorous fashion model Victoria Lockwood – who Ralph Lauren once described as “the most beautiful girl in the world” – in 1989. They had four children: Kitty, twins Eliza and Katya, and the Earl’s heir apparent,Louis, Viscount Althorp.
However, the fairy tale quickly turned sour. Spencer was unfaithful, while Lockwood struggled with heroin andalcohol addiction, and an eating disorder. A bitter, multi-million-pound divorce battle ensued, with Lockwood accusing the Earl of “domineering” behaviour; he admitted that he’d been “a dreadful bully”. He accused her of being “immature… going on hunger strike, an alcohol binge, or resorting to drugs”. The divorce was finally settled in 1997, the year of Diana’s tragic death. Both parties agreed to withdraw allegations made against each other during the separation.
Sally Ann Lasson (1986, 1990)
In a bombshell interview with theDaily Mailin 1991, the Earl admitted to an affair the previous year with journalist Sally Ann Lasson, who was a cartoonist forTatlerat the time. Lockwood said she had discovered his infidelity just six months after giving birth to their daughter Kitty.
The Earl described the fling with Lasson, which took place in Paris, as “a second one-night stand, four years after the first”, suggesting the pair first crossed paths in 1986. The Earl apparently spilt the beans in theMailafter finding out Lasson was about to do the same in his tabloid nemesis, theNews of the World.
Chantal Collopy (1994-1996)
The Earl allegedly had a two-year affair with the South African model and fashion designer while he was married to Lockwood. The pair met in 1994 at cricketer Allan Lamb’s birthday party. In 1996, Collopy’s husband, Don, sued Spencer for enticement and alienation of his wife’s affection, telling Afrikaans-language newspaperRapport: “The Earl steamrollered over our lives.”
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The Collopys subsequently reconciled, with Chantal telling Sky News in 1997 that her affair ended when the Earl told her he could never accept her two children. She then took the remarkable step of giving evidence in court for Lockwood during her divorce proceedings with the Earl, saying: “It was all a game to him – the thrill of the chase. He treated both me and Victoria very badly.”
Caroline Freud (2001-2007)
In December 2001, the Earl married his long-time friend Caroline Freud (previously married to publicist Matthew Freud). The pair had studied together at Oxford, and she had worked as a nursery teacher, just like his late sister. They had two children, Edmund and Lara.
But their union ended in disaster. The Earl had an affair with TV presenter Coleen Sullivan, and he walked out on Freud four months after Lara was born. Furious and hurt, she told their mutual friends and family that they had to choose sides: no one could stay in touch with them both after such an acrimonious split.
Coleen Sullivan (2006-2008)
The Earl met American news reporter Sullivan in 2006 when she came to interview him for a TV documentary about Princess Diana. He was still married to Freud at the time, and Sullivan was in a long-term relationship, which she then broke off.
The whirlwind romance saw the Earl and Sullivan spend Christmas together in South Africa in 2007. Sullivan’s concerned father, Michael, a police sergeant, told theDaily Mailhe had warned the Earl not to “mess with my daughter”, though he also described him as a gentleman with “something of the goodness of Princess Diana in him”. Perhaps that was premature: the Earl’s relationship with Sullivan swiftly ended the following year.
Karen Gordon (2011-2024)
In 2011, the Earl married Canadian philanthropist Karen Gordon. The pair had met on a blind date at a Los Angeles restaurant, and went on to have a daughter, Charlotte. The Earl enthused: “Neither of us has found happiness like this before.” He said that his wife was a great support when he wrote his memoir, detailing hisalleged sexual abusewhile at boarding school.
But in 2020 their marriage collapsed, and the drama continued. In 2024, Jarmanlodged a High Court claim againstthe Countess for allegedly sharing her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis without her permission. They settled out of court in 2025, without any admission of liability. A spokesman for the Countess said that she had been “threatened with multiple legal claims” from the Earl and Jarman, and had “exercised restraint throughout”.
Cat Jarman (2024-present)
The Earl and Jarman (who is 18 years his junior) were introduced by their mutual publisher, and grew closer in 2021 when the striking blonde archaeologist visited his ancestral home, the Grade I-listed Althorp, in search of a medieval village for a documentary. The village eluded her, but she found love instead.
The Earl went on to collaborate with Jarman and the Rev Richard Coles on history podcastThe Rabbit Hole Detectives. The Earl told theDaily Mailin 2024 he could be himself with Jarman, noting: “She brings out the best in me.” He added that she was “completely different to anyone I have been with before”. That might just be the key to the playboy Earl finally getting his happily ever after.