Who Are Charles Spencer's 7 Children?
The following article mentions struggles with addiction and mental health issues.
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, is not exactly known for having a happy home life. The younger brother of the late Princess Diana, Charles Spencer once described his upbringing to The Times as "agonising and horrible." He suffered through his parents' divorce at a young age, and Diana was a constant source of support during this challenging time. Later, when Diana died, he was left heartbroken.
Unfortunately, Charles Spencer's family life only grew more difficult as he got older. Following Diana's wedding to the future King Charles III, Charles Spencer was thrust into the spotlight. This, ultimately, put a strain on his first marriage to model Victoria Lockwood. Later, in his second marriage to Caroline Freud, Charles Spencer is rumored to have had an affair with an American television presenter. Luckily, the earl's third marriage to Karen Spencer, Countess Spencer seems to be quite happy.
However, Charles Spencer's respective relationships with his seven children haven't all been smooth sailing. Of the four children from his first marriage — Lady Kitty Spencer, Lazy Eliza Spencer, Lady Amelia Spencer, and Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp – two have potentially failed to invite him to their weddings. Of the two children from his second marriage — the Honorable Edmund Spencer and Lady Lara Spencer — only the youngest has any kind of public relationship with her dad. Lady Charlotte Spencer, who was born of his third marriage, appears to be the closest to her father.
Charles Spencer's oldest four children were raised in South Africa
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer may be British, but his four oldest children were raised in South Africa. Back in the 1990s, Charles and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood, felt overwhelmed by all the media attention that came with being Princess Diana's relatives. In order to protect their children from the tabloids, they decided to relocate to Cape Town, where they could start fresh.
Because of this, Lady Kitty Spencer, Lady Eliza Spencer, Lady Amelia Spencer, and Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, grew up away from the spotlight. Throughout their quiet childhood in South Africa, the four children never understood exactly how famous their "Aunt Diana" truly was. As Eliza would one day tell Tatler, "Growing up in South Africa, I really had very little idea of how significant she was in the world until I was much older." That is not to say that the four children didn't have contact with their aunt. Before she died in 1997, Diana spent time with the family in Cape Town. In the same interview with Tatler, Eliza described her as being "incredibly warm, maternal, and loving."
Around the time of Princess Diana's tragic death, however, everything changed for Charles' four children. Their mother went to rehab to seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Their parents filed for divorce. Charles returned to England, while they remained in South Africa with their mom. This left the children to grow up far away from their father.
Lady Kitty Eleanor Spencer works as a model
Even though she spent years living far away from her father, Lady Kitty Spencer has gone on to be a successful adult. After completing her undergraduate degree in South Africa, she went on to earn a master's degree in luxury brand management at Regents University. She then began working in the fashion industry, signing with the modeling agency Storm Management. These days, Kitty is known for having collaborated with a number of famous brands, such as Estée Lauder, Ralph Lauren, and Dolce & Gabbana. The aristocrat also boats more than 700,000 followers on Instagram, making her a true fashion icon.
When it comes to her personal life, Kitty seems to be equally successful. From what we can tell, she has many strong connections. Her younger twin sisters, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia Spencer, described her as "supportive" in a conversation with Tatler. The sisters apparently remain in contact via a group chat on WhatsApp.
Even so, Kitty might not share that same closeness with her father, Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. When she got married to retail millionaire, Michael Lewis, in 2021, Charles was not present at the wedding. These days, however, Kitty seems more focused on her own growing family. As she told Town & Country (via Hello!), "I just look forward to a really happy home life; a happy marriage and happy children. And I feel very at peace that things play out the way they should."
Lady Eliza Victoria Spencer advocates for mental health awareness
Unlike her older sister, Lady Eliza Spencer is not one for the spotlight. Soft-spoken and reserved, she often tries to remain in the shadows — even if her pedigree can sometimes make anonymity feel impossible. That being said, Eliza is not afraid to speak out when it comes to matters that are close to her heart. One of these issues is mental health awareness.
In the twins' aforementioned interview with Tatler, Eliza emphasized the importance of seeking help in times of distress. Reflecting on her own personal history, she shared she's dealt with mental health issues — especially following the unexpected death of her high school sweetheart in 2008. "I went through a very difficult time and had an incredible [support] team, who I am so grateful to ... They helped me get through it, along with support from my family and friends. I still see my therapist," she shared.
Eliza also hinted that her mother, Victoria Lockwood, might have taught her how to speak so openly about her mental health. After all, when Victoria was grappling with addiction, she was not afraid to seek help. This display of strength seems to have helped Eliza, who said, "It was never something that we felt afraid to talk about when we had our own struggles."
Lady Amelia Spencer loves being a twin
In all of Lady Eliza Spencer's struggles, she always knew that she had one person to count on — her twin sister, Lady Amelia Spencer. The two women have a very strong bond, and Amelia does everything in her power to lift Eliza up. "I can't tell you what an inspiration she is to me," Amelia told Tatler. "She's the strongest person I know."
The fact of the matter is that the dynamic duo love being twins. As Amelia revealed in the same interview, "We've always been very close ... We're very similar. We love doing the same things and share the same friends. You're guaranteed to have a best friend there always – you can't really compare it to anything else." One of the activities that they love doing together is supporting their local community. When their friend's house burned down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amelia and Eliza sprung into action and came to his aid. They convinced their friends and family to chip in and, ultimately, brought him food and comfort in that difficult moment.
As close as Prince William and Prince Harry's twin cousins are to each other, it's hard to say if they feel much of a bond with their father, Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. When Amelia married lifestyle coach Greg Mallet in 2023, Charles did not attend the ceremony. Despite this glaring absence, Vogue reported that the bride looked gorgeous — from her Versace gown to her Jimmy Choo shoes.
Louis Spencer is set to inherit his father's estate
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, may have a complicated relationship with his three oldest daughters, but he has a special connection to his firstborn son. When Charles dies, his titles — along with the historic Althorp House Estate — will go to Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp. The reason for this pertains to an old British law, which stipulated that only males could inherit a parent's titles. So, although Louis is Charles' fourth child, he will inherit the family's earldom and estate, because he is the eldest son.
Speaking to Town & Country about this fact, Lady Kitty Spencer explained, "Primogeniture can be a tricky topic, because as times are changing, attitudes are as well. We've grown up understanding that it's Louis to inherit, and Louis will do an incredible job" (via Telegraph).
Indeed, Louis' siblings all seem very supportive of him, as he sets out to learn more about their heritage. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the young viscount chose to quarantine with his father on the estate. Lady Amelia told Tatler that Althorp means a lot to her brother. "He spent lockdown there and has embraced all the English traditions," she said." From what we can tell, he has also embraced his father, who has not hesitated to share photos of him on Instagram.
Louis Spencer is also an aspiring actor
As Princess Diana's nephew, Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, may be set to inherit an enormous earldom, but that doesn't mean he lacks dreams of his own. The ambitious aristocrat hopes to pursue a career in acting and has already studied hard to achieve his goals. In 2022, he graduated from ArtsEd, a private acting school, where he was valedictorian.
There, he made quite the impression on his classmates. One of his friends anonymously told the Telegraph, "He's super private and gets on quietly with his thing. He's a very talented actor and, I think, will be a brilliant one. You'd like him. He's very low-key and genuine, decent and kind, and tall."
Of course, like many other young and talented actors, Louis will likely have to wait to see success. Although he has signed with the talent agency, Tavistock Wood, he has not yet appeared in any major productions — at least not as of the publication of this article. That being said, Louis is lucky that he can count on the support of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. As Charles told the Telegraph in 2019, "I want him to be able to fulfill his dreams in that direction."
The Honorable Edmund Spencer lets his dad take the spotlight
Unlike his four older siblings, the Honorable Edmund Spencer did not grow up in South Africa, nor was he raised by Victoria Lockwood. Known as "Ned" to his friends, Edmund is the product of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer's second marriage to nursery school teacher Caroline Freud. Despite the combination of his titles and his family fame, Edmund is not one for the limelight. Instead, he chooses to keep a low profile, allowing his father to make the headlines instead.
Part of the reason why Edmund avoids public attention could pertain to the way his parents split in 2007. At the time, the young aristocrat was just a toddler who was happily living on the Althorp Estate. However, when Caroline discovered that Charles was not being faithful, Edmund's entire life changed. Caroline took her son away from Althorp and installed him in a London apartment. She and Charles then embarked upon a long, drawn-out divorce that resulted in countless tabloid headlines. The media frenzy surrounding the whole ordeal was possibly enough public attention for a lifetime. Perhaps, Edmund is doing well to avoid his family's complicated relationship with the press.
Lady Lara Spencer has big college plans
Although The Honorable Edmund Spencer has avoided the public eye, his younger sister, Lady Lara Spencer, has not been so shy. Lara — who is the second child of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer and Caroline Freud — has allowed her father to share her picture on his social media accounts. On her 18th birthday, the proud papa took to Instagram and posted an adorable father/daughter shot of himself with Lara. In the caption, Charles described his daughter as "brilliant and dazzling."
Like many other brilliant and dazzling young aristocrats, Lara appears to be setting off to a bright future. As of 2024, she has big plans to go to university — and maybe even study abroad. On a 2023 episode of "The Rabbit Hole Detectives" podcast, Charles told co-hosts Richard Coles and Cat Jarman that he had accompanied Lara on a college tour in the United States. Apparently, she was most interested in exploring East Coast universities, particularly those with large libraries (via Daily Mail). It seems that Lara is looking forward to years of academic achievement, literature, and international experiences.
Lady Charlotte Spencer has a passion for animals
Lady Charlotte Spencer is the youngest of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer's seven children. She is the only child that Charles had with his third and current wife, Karen Spencer, Countess Spencer. Unlike nearly all of her older siblings, Charlotte has spent the vast majority of her childhood living at Althorp House. The estate's impressive 13,000 acres have space for plenty of animals, leading the youngest Spencer to develop a passion for all things fauna.
On Easter 2024, Charles shared an Instagram video of Charlotte enjoying an Easter egg hunt on Althorp's gorgeous grounds. However, unlike most children who run around on their own two legs, Charlotte completed her egg hunt on horseback. The young aristocrat appeared confident as she guided her steed towards her home's grand gates. She was even able to stand up out of the saddle in order to reach an egg that was positioned just out of reach.
Horses aren't the only animals that Charlotte is said to adore. She also apparently convinced her mother to adopt two orphan lambs after realizing that many of these farm animals lose their own mothers. Charlotte and her parents took in two adorable lambs, dubbed them Lucky and Minty, and allowed them to live inside the house until it became clear that they were impossible to potty train. These days, Charlotte still cares for Lucky and Minty — but they now live in the estate's old dog kennels.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues or struggles with mental health, contact the relevant resources below:
- Contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
- Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).