Inside Princess Diana’s niece’s troubled relationship together with her father – from ‘bullying’ his first spouse to ‘rising distant’ following his third marriage. Photograph / Instagram
Princess Diana’s niece, Girl Amelia Spencer, married her boyfriend of 13 years, Greg Mallett, in an exquisite marriage ceremony ceremony in South Africa yesterday.
Nevertheless, whereas the lovebirds have been joined by their closest mates and prolonged household on the gorgeous La Cotte Farm, the marriage get together was lacking a really notable visitor – the bride’s father, Earl Spencer.
Princess Diana’s youthful brother didn’t seem on the marriage ceremony amid rumours he and his 4 eldest youngsters have grown aside prior to now few years. He shares his eldest children along with his first spouse Victoria Lockwood, to whom he was married 1989 to 1997.
After the pair’s divorce, which made entrance web page information within the 90s, the father-of-seven moved again to England whereas his ex-wife and his household stayed in Cape City. The household moved to South Africa to remain out of the papers, maintain a low profile and escape the limelight.
The bride has, in recent times, spoken fondly of her time spent together with her father and her childhood reminiscences visiting his Althorp property in Gloucestershire.
Earl Charles Spencer moreover appears to have been current as a father determine, particularly financially, shopping for Girl Amelia and her twin sister Girl Eliza sports activities automobiles for his or her birthdays after they turned 18 and paying for his or her luxurious Cape City waterfront flats.
The Earl spoke extremely of his new son-in-law after the couple’s engagement announcement in 2020, revealing that the actual property agent requested for his blessing earlier than getting down on one knee.
Nevertheless, after Charles Spencer’s notable absence from his eldest daughter’s opulent Italian marriage ceremony in 2021, it has been rumoured that tensions have been heightened throughout the household due to his controversial third marriage to Countess Karen Spencer.
‘Bullying’ her mom Victoria
Charles Spencer and mannequin Victoria Lockwood have been engaged solely six weeks after they first met. In 1989, the pair married at St Mary’s Church in Nice Brington and had their first daughter Girl Kitty a yr later.
In June 1992, the mother and father introduced the beginning of twins Girl Amelia and Girl Eliza, and had their son Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, in March 1994.
Nevertheless, 5 years into their marriage the couple began having marital issues, with rumours working rife of Earl Spencer having numerous affairs.
Throughout this time, Victoria was stated to be fighting consuming problems and an dependancy to alcohol.
In a last effort to save lots of their marriage and escape the pressures of the highlight, the couple moved abroad to South Africa in 1995.
Nevertheless, solely two years later, Victoria and Charles introduced they have been separating. Of their divorce listening to, Victoria accused Charles of sleeping round whereas she was in rehabilitation.
When the Earl was reminded of his promise to stay along with his spouse by way of thick and skinny, Charles said to the choose that his spouse was “skinny and positively thick”.
Afterward within the listening to, one in every of Charles’ letters to a girlfriend was learn out to the courtroom. Within the letter, the Earl described himself as “vicious, merciless and a bully” in direction of Victoria.
Womanising methods
Charles married his second spouse Caroline Freud, the ex-wife of Matthew Freud and a former nursery instructor, when Amelia was 9 years outdated.
A supply throughout the household instructed the Day by day Mail that Amelia and her siblings have been keen on their new step-mother – and Charles’ ex-wife Victoria additionally spoke extremely of his new marriage.
In 2001, she instructed the Mail: “I’m completely satisfied that he’s completely satisfied and settled as a result of it can deliver a component of stability to the kids to know that their father is in a dedicated relationship”.
Nevertheless, Charles’ youngsters have been allegedly horrified by how briskly the aristocrat ended his five-year marriage with Freud and moved on to American tv presenter Coleen Sullivan.
The kids continued to be less-than-pleased along with his new beau till a visit to Mallorca in 2007 that allegedly broke the ice. Nevertheless, Spencer ended the connection quickly after that.
“One morning,” revealed a household buddy, “he merely awakened and determined he not discovered her engaging. And that was it. However isn’t that so very Charles?”
‘Frictions’ over Charles’ marriage
Charles married his third spouse Canadian Karen Gordon in 2011. The pair met on a blind date arrange by one in every of his former colleagues. Charles and Karen welcomed their first baby Charlotte in 2010.
Rumours of a rift between Earl Spencer and his three eldest daughters emerged in 2021 after his absence from Kitty’s marriage ceremony to millionaire Michael Lewis – who’s three years older than Charles.
Consequently, Girl Kitty – whose husband is 32 years her senior – was walked down the aisle by her brother Louis Spencer and half-brother Samuel Aitken.
In 2021, a detailed supply instructed the Mail: “Kitty and Charles have been very shut when she was rising up, however their relationship has cooled and been extra distant since his marriage to his third spouse Karen in 2011.
“Charles lately suffered an damage and maybe that would be the purpose for him not travelling, however it’s simply simpler for everybody that he’s not there.
“The 4 youngsters are all near their mom Victoria and hit it off with their step-siblings, and their Spencer aunts and have cast their very own relationships with each other while not having Charles to bind them collectively.”
In an interview with the Sunday Instances in 2020, Countess Karen Spencer mirrored on the challenges of being a stepmother to Earl Charles’ six children.
Implying that there was hassle in paradise, Karen revealed: “I’m a fixer. I’m vastly overconfident and I in all probability underestimated the complexities of being a step-parent.
“Charles gave me one of the best recommendation, which is to say nothing and do nothing about something, ever. I don’t get to have an opinion about his youngsters. I can have an opinion and provides it to him, in our bed room, however to not them.
“I simply want I might say I’d adhered to it the entire time. Step-parenting performs to Charles’s strengths and my weaknesses.”