Prince Harry’s uncle’s girlfriend denies affair allegations

Catrine Jarman says claims of an affair made by Earl Spencer’s ex-wife are ‘hurtful’ and untrue.

Charles, Earl Spencer, and Catrine Jarman met when she was filiming at Althorp (Image: Getty)

The girlfriend of Prince Harry’s uncle, Earl Spencer, has denied claims their relationship began when they were both married. In a court case, Charles, Earl Spencer, was accused by his ex-wife, Countess Karen Spencer, of having an affair with Catrine Jarman before telling her in a text message sent in March 2024 that their marriage was over, a claim Earl Spencer denies.

Ms Jarman denied claims that the romance with Earl Spencer began when they were both married. She said that both her marriage and the Earl’s were over by the time their relationship began. The Norwegian archaeologist said putting the accusations in legal documents where they could be reported without there being a libel risk was “hurtful”.

She told the Mail on Sunday: “I think I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it is very hurtful when there isn’t the slightest element of truth in it. It just feels really unnecessary, and the fact it was so public. It’s just upsetting.”

Countess Karen Spencer was sued by Ms Jarman in 2024 over allegations that she misused the archaeologist’s private information by disclosing details of her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) to others.

In a unilateral statement read in open court last Thursday, lawyers for Ms Jarman said Countess Spencer had agreed to settle the claim in August last year, but without any admission of liability or wrongdoing.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed at the hearing, at which Countess Spencer did not appear and was not represented.

Earl Spencer, 61, and Ms Jarman, 43, met in 2021 when she worked at his ancestral home, Althorp, for a Channel 4 documentary.

Ms Jarman said she had been separated from her husband, Tom Jarman, “for years”, but they kept it to themselves so as not to upset their children.

Charles, Earl Spencer, is Prince Harry and Prince William’s maternal uncle (Image: Getty)

The archaeologist said she and Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, had been friends for a long time before their relationship developed.

After settling the High Court claim, Ms Jarman said: “I’m delighted to be able to move on with my life now.”

She continued: “Your medical information is your own, and people are not allowed to speculate on that or share it.”

Solicitor Dina Shiloh, for Ms Jarman, had told the court her client previously only shared her diagnosis with “a very small and trusted circle of people”.

Ms Shiloh said Countess Spencer was told about Ms Jarman’s diagnosis in a conversation with her husband, Mr Jarman, in April 2024. Ms Jarman was separated from him at the time.

She continued that Countess Spencer then disclosed the information to others “while passing her own commentary upon it” and was unable to provide a list of people she had told, causing Ms Jarman “enormous strain and anxiety”.

A spokesperson for the countess said following the hearing that she had been “threatened with multiple legal claims” by Ms Jarman and Earl Spencer, which she believed were “co-ordinated”.

They continued that Countess Spencer accepted the settlement offer “with no admission of liability or wrongdoing”, as “Earl Spencer would be required to indemnify her for the costs associated with accepting” the settlement.

They said: “Countess Spencer has exercised restraint throughout and has limited what she has said publicly.

“At this time, she does not intend to discuss these matters beyond the few points she feels it is important to highlight in this statement for the purpose of context and accuracy. She considers the matter closed.”

Earl Spencer said after the hearing: “Cat has handled every aspect of this with grace, integrity and quiet courage. She sought only what was her right: the same right to privacy that every person deserves.

“Multiple sclerosis is a serious condition; its course is uncertain, and its demands are significant. Those who live with the condition deserve complete control over when, how and to whom they choose to disclose it.”

On his former wife’s claim about ending their relationship in a text message, Earl Spencer said: “The notion I would end my marriage by text is an absurd attempt to blacken my name. Karen ended the marriage, after endless threats to do so over the years, in early March.

“She asked me to confirm the end of the marriage in a text of March 18 and my reply that day was a simple acceptance of her decision. I have those texts still, and will share them in court when I clear my name.”

Mr Jarman said in a statement issued after the hearing that he “did not envisage” information disclosed to Countess Spencer “might have become public”.

He said: “Their disclosure has been distressing and has had a significantly harmful impact on all involved and on Cat in particular. This is a source of huge personal regret… Any private speculation around Cat’s condition was just that: private.”