Quick Answer
Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer and younger brother of the late Princess Diana, married archaeologist and author Cat Jarman on Friday, May 15, 2026 in a private ceremony in Sedona, Arizona.
Jarman is a Norwegian born bioarchaeologist best known for her 2021 book River Kings, a study of Viking trade routes from Scandinavia to the Silk Road. She is also the co host of the podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives, which she launched with Spencer and Reverend Richard Coles.
It is Spencer's fourth marriage and arrives five months after the finalization of his divorce from his third wife, Canadian philanthropist Karen Spencer.
Who Cat Jarman Is
Cat Jarman is 43, Norwegian by birth, and a bioarchaeologist by training. She earned her doctorate at the University of Bristol with research focused on the Viking Great Army of the ninth century, using isotope analysis on human remains to trace where Viking era populations actually traveled.
That academic background became public facing in 2021 with the publication of River Kings, a critically acclaimed book that argued the Vikings were not just raiders of the British Isles but participants in a trade network that reached as far as the Abbasid Caliphate and Central Asia. The book was widely reviewed and helped establish Jarman as a leading popular communicator of medieval history in the United Kingdom.
She also lives openly with multiple sclerosis, a diagnosis that became briefly newsworthy in 2024 in the context of the Spencer divorce. More on that below.
How Charles and Cat Met
The couple's working relationship predates the romance. Spencer, a long established author and broadcaster in his own right, reviewed River Kings shortly after publication. That review led to direct collaboration. Jarman was invited to lead archaeological digs at Althorp, the historic Spencer family estate in Northamptonshire, where her team uncovered Roman and Anglo Saxon material.
The professional partnership grew into the podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives, co hosted with Reverend Richard Coles. The show built a loyal audience around an idea that suits both hosts. Each episode picks a small historical object and follows it down into the wider story of the period it came from.
"We both feel so incredibly lucky to have progressed from being colleagues, to friendship, to deep love and connection. Each stage of our relationship has been underpinned by laughter and we share a passion for life." Joint statement from Charles Spencer and Cat Jarman.
The Sedona Wedding
The ceremony was deliberately small and far from London. Friends and immediate family flew to Sedona, Arizona, where the couple exchanged vows in front of the red rock formations near Cathedral Rock.
Official photographs show a relaxed wedding aesthetic. Jarman wore a pale blue sleeveless gown with modern cutout detail at the waist, breaking sharply from traditional bridal white. Spencer wore a tailored dark suit and an open collared light blue shirt, skipping morning dress entirely.
That informality is the point. After a difficult divorce that played out in the British press for two years, both have been clear that this chapter is meant to be quiet and private.
Charles Spencer's Marriage History
| Marriage | Spouse | Years | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Victoria Lockwood | 1989 to 1997 | Mother of his eldest four children. |
| Second | Caroline Freud | 2001 to 2007 | Mother of two children. |
| Third | Karen Spencer | 2011 to 2024 (divorced 2025) | Separation announced April 2024. |
| Fourth | Cat Jarman | From May 15, 2026 | Private Sedona ceremony. |
The Backstory the Headlines Skipped
The Spencer divorce was acrimonious and public. During the breakdown of that marriage, Jarman filed a lawsuit against Karen Spencer alleging misuse of private information, specifically the public disclosure of Jarman's multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Karen Spencer denied the allegations and at one point publicly alleged an affair between Charles and Cat, which both denied.
The lawsuit was settled in late 2025, clearing the practical and legal way for the couple to marry. None of this context is in the official wedding statement, but it is part of why the ceremony took place in Arizona rather than at Althorp.
A Blended Family
Charles Spencer has seven children across his three previous marriages, including Lady Kitty Spencer and Lady Amelia Spencer, both well known in their own right. Cat Jarman has two teenage sons from her own previous marriage. The new household joins those two family lines, with Althorp likely to remain the family base in the United Kingdom.
What Comes Next
Expect both to keep their working lives largely intact. The Rabbit Hole Detectives podcast continues. Jarman has another book in development, and Spencer remains active as an author and broadcaster, with regular contributions on historical topics.
For the British press, the wedding is a story. For the couple, the most striking thing about the photographs is how unceremonial the day was. No tiara, no morning suit, no Westminster crowd, no helicopter shots over Althorp. Just two historians in the desert.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Charles Spencer and Cat Jarman marry?
Friday, May 15, 2026, in a private ceremony in Sedona, Arizona.
How did they meet?
Spencer reviewed Jarman's 2021 book River Kings. The professional contact led to collaboration on archaeological digs at Althorp and the co hosted podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives.
Is this Charles Spencer's first marriage?
No. It is his fourth. He was previously married to Victoria Lockwood, Caroline Freud, and Karen Spencer.
Is Cat Jarman related to the royal family?
No. Her connection to the Spencer family is through her marriage to Charles Spencer, who is the younger brother of the late Princess Diana and uncle to Princes William and Harry.
The Bottom Line
Cat Jarman is a serious academic and one of the most respected popular medieval historians working in the United Kingdom. Her marriage to Charles Spencer caps a complicated chapter for him and opens a quieter one for both. The Sedona ceremony, with its deliberate simplicity, reads as a clear signal of how they intend to live the next part of their lives.
