Clement-Jones family - Person Sheet
Clement-Jones family - Person Sheet
NameCharles Edward Maurice SPENCER, 13863
Birth1964
FatherEdward John SPENCER 8th Earl Spencer , 2387 (1924-1992)
MotherFrances Ruth ROCHE , 13862
Notes for Charles Edward Maurice SPENCER
Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, DL (born 20 May 1964), styled Viscount Althorp between 1975 and 1992, is a British peer and brother of Diana, Princess of Wales. Lord Spencer is the maternal uncle of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, and is also the great-uncle of Prince George of Cambridge. Spencer is an author, print journalist and broadcaster.
Early life and education[edit]
He was born as Charles Edward Maurice Spencer on 20 May 1964.[1] His parents were the Viscount and Viscountess Althorp, John Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd.[1] He had three older sisters, Sarah, Jane, and Diana, who later became the Princess of Wales. He also had an older brother John, who died within hours of his birth. His godmother is Queen Elizabeth II.[1]
He was educated at Eton College, and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he read History. He specialised in modern history.[2][3]
Career[edit]
Spencer worked as an on-air correspondent with NBC News from 1986 to 1995, primarily for the network's signature morning programme, Today, and NBC Nightly News. He wrote and presented the 12-part documentary series, "Great Houses of the World" (1994–1995) for NBC Super Channel. He also worked a reporter for Granada Television from 1991 to 1993. For the print media, Spencer has written several book reviews for The Guardian and The Independent on Sunday. He has also written feature stories for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and for American publications such as Vanity Fair, Verandah and Nest.
On the death of his father on 29 March 1992, Spencer, at the age of 27, succeeded as 9th Earl Spencer, 9th Viscount Althorp, 9th Viscount Spencer of Althorp, 9th Baron Spencer of Althorp and 4th Viscount Althorp. He also inherited Althorp, the family's ancestral seat in Northamptonshire.[4] Since 2009, he has restored Althorp, re-roofing it and restoring its entire exterior for the first time since the 1780s. He has also helped establish Althorp Living History, a handmade, fine furniture line reproducing pieces from the collection at Althorp. The Spencer family's wealth derived from their profitable sheep farming in the Tudor era.[5][6]
On 31 August 1997, Diana died after a car crash in Paris and Spencer delivered the eulogy at her funeral service held at Westminster Abbey six days later. In his eulogy he rebuked both Britain's royal family and the press for their treatment of his sister.[7]
Diana was buried on Spencer's ancestral estate, Althorp, where he built a mausoleum and a museum to Diana's memory, displaying her wedding dress and other personal effects. The museum was thrown open to the paying public in 1998 with all profits going to Diana's Memorial Fund, also set up by Spencer.
At this stage, Spencer began writing a series of books dealing with the estate itself and with his family history, being:
Althorp: the Story of an English House (1998) London: Viking.
The Spencers: a Personal History of an English Family (2000).
Blenheim, Battle for Europe (2004). Paperback edition by Phoenix, 2005. ISBN 0-304-36704-4. This book was shortlisted for "History Book of the Year" at the 2005 National Book Awards.
Prince Rupert — The Last Cavalier (2007). London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson ISBN 978-0-297-84610-9.
In 2003, Spencer founded the Althorp Literary Festival. Speakers at the annual event have included the authors Bill Bryson, Helen Fielding, Antonia Fraser and Boris Johnson.
In 2004, he presented two documentaries for the History Channel on Blenheim: Battle for Europe. He contributed a chapter to British Military Greats, published by Cassell in 2005. He also contributed two of the 100 chapters of The Art of War: great commanders of the modern world, published by Quercus in 2009.
On 1 November 2005, Spencer was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. This is a reflection of his family's long association with the county in which the family seat, Althorp, lies. The Earl was President and is currently Patron of the Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.[8]
Spencer has also interested himself in charitable and humanitarian causes. He has been a Patron of the Friends of Cynthia Spencer Hospice in Northampton, England, since 1989. He was a Patron of the Lifeline and Childline charities in Western Cape, South Africa from 1997 to 2000. He has served as a Trustee of Nelson Mandela Children's Fund since 1998. In July 2011 he became one of the Patrons of Northampton Hope Centre a local homeless charity in Northampton.
Personal life[edit]
On 16 September 1989, Spencer, then known by the courtesy title of Lord Althorp, married (Catherine) Victoria Lockwood (born 1965). The wedding was held at the Church of St Mary, Great Brington, and Darius Guppy was the best man. Two nieces, Emily McCorquodale and The Hon. Eleanor Fellowes, were bridesmaids. Two of his nephews, Prince Harry and The Hon. Alexander Fellowes (son of Lord and Lady Fellowes), were pages. Spencer and Lockwood, who had moved to Cape Town, South Africa, were divorced on 3 December 1997. Diana's death occurred while the divorce case was in progress; shortly after his divorce, Spencer moved back to the United Kingdom. The Earl has four children by Victoria Lockwood, three daughters and one son:[9]
Lady Kitty Eleanor Spencer, born 28 December 1990
Lady Eliza Victoria Spencer, born 10 July 1992
Lady (Katya) Amelia Spencer, born 10 July 1992
Louis Frederick John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, born 14 March 1994 and heir-apparent to the earldom.
On 15 December 2001, he married Caroline Freud (née Hutton). The Earl has two children by Caroline, from whom he separated in 2007 and since divorced:[10]
The Hon. Edmund Charles Spencer (born 6 October 2003)
Lady Lara Caroline Spencer (born 16 March 2006)
On 18 June 2011 at Althorp House, Spencer married Karen Gordon (née Villeneuve), a Canadian philanthropist and the founder and chief executive of Whole Child International, a charity based in Los Angeles which works to improve the lot of orphaned, abandoned, or abused children.[10] They have one child together:[11]
Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer (born 30 July 2012)[12]
Spencer chose to name his fifth daughter after his late sister, Diana, Princess of Wales.[12] Spencer was reported to have said, "We hadn't settled on a first name before the birth, but Charlotte is a name we both love, and it really suits her. We knew that as soon as we saw her. And though it's been 15 years since Diana died, I still miss her every day and I wanted her commemorated in the naming of our daughter."[13]
The Earl resides at his ancestral seat, Althorp House.
Spencer attended the wedding of his nephew and niece-by-marriage, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. Neither Prince Harry nor the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Earl's third wedding.[10]
Early life and education[edit]
He was born as Charles Edward Maurice Spencer on 20 May 1964.[1] His parents were the Viscount and Viscountess Althorp, John Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd.[1] He had three older sisters, Sarah, Jane, and Diana, who later became the Princess of Wales. He also had an older brother John, who died within hours of his birth. His godmother is Queen Elizabeth II.[1]
He was educated at Eton College, and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he read History. He specialised in modern history.[2][3]
Career[edit]
Spencer worked as an on-air correspondent with NBC News from 1986 to 1995, primarily for the network's signature morning programme, Today, and NBC Nightly News. He wrote and presented the 12-part documentary series, "Great Houses of the World" (1994–1995) for NBC Super Channel. He also worked a reporter for Granada Television from 1991 to 1993. For the print media, Spencer has written several book reviews for The Guardian and The Independent on Sunday. He has also written feature stories for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and for American publications such as Vanity Fair, Verandah and Nest.
On the death of his father on 29 March 1992, Spencer, at the age of 27, succeeded as 9th Earl Spencer, 9th Viscount Althorp, 9th Viscount Spencer of Althorp, 9th Baron Spencer of Althorp and 4th Viscount Althorp. He also inherited Althorp, the family's ancestral seat in Northamptonshire.[4] Since 2009, he has restored Althorp, re-roofing it and restoring its entire exterior for the first time since the 1780s. He has also helped establish Althorp Living History, a handmade, fine furniture line reproducing pieces from the collection at Althorp. The Spencer family's wealth derived from their profitable sheep farming in the Tudor era.[5][6]
On 31 August 1997, Diana died after a car crash in Paris and Spencer delivered the eulogy at her funeral service held at Westminster Abbey six days later. In his eulogy he rebuked both Britain's royal family and the press for their treatment of his sister.[7]
Diana was buried on Spencer's ancestral estate, Althorp, where he built a mausoleum and a museum to Diana's memory, displaying her wedding dress and other personal effects. The museum was thrown open to the paying public in 1998 with all profits going to Diana's Memorial Fund, also set up by Spencer.
At this stage, Spencer began writing a series of books dealing with the estate itself and with his family history, being:
Althorp: the Story of an English House (1998) London: Viking.
The Spencers: a Personal History of an English Family (2000).
Blenheim, Battle for Europe (2004). Paperback edition by Phoenix, 2005. ISBN 0-304-36704-4. This book was shortlisted for "History Book of the Year" at the 2005 National Book Awards.
Prince Rupert — The Last Cavalier (2007). London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson ISBN 978-0-297-84610-9.
In 2003, Spencer founded the Althorp Literary Festival. Speakers at the annual event have included the authors Bill Bryson, Helen Fielding, Antonia Fraser and Boris Johnson.
In 2004, he presented two documentaries for the History Channel on Blenheim: Battle for Europe. He contributed a chapter to British Military Greats, published by Cassell in 2005. He also contributed two of the 100 chapters of The Art of War: great commanders of the modern world, published by Quercus in 2009.
On 1 November 2005, Spencer was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. This is a reflection of his family's long association with the county in which the family seat, Althorp, lies. The Earl was President and is currently Patron of the Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.[8]
Spencer has also interested himself in charitable and humanitarian causes. He has been a Patron of the Friends of Cynthia Spencer Hospice in Northampton, England, since 1989. He was a Patron of the Lifeline and Childline charities in Western Cape, South Africa from 1997 to 2000. He has served as a Trustee of Nelson Mandela Children's Fund since 1998. In July 2011 he became one of the Patrons of Northampton Hope Centre a local homeless charity in Northampton.
Personal life[edit]
On 16 September 1989, Spencer, then known by the courtesy title of Lord Althorp, married (Catherine) Victoria Lockwood (born 1965). The wedding was held at the Church of St Mary, Great Brington, and Darius Guppy was the best man. Two nieces, Emily McCorquodale and The Hon. Eleanor Fellowes, were bridesmaids. Two of his nephews, Prince Harry and The Hon. Alexander Fellowes (son of Lord and Lady Fellowes), were pages. Spencer and Lockwood, who had moved to Cape Town, South Africa, were divorced on 3 December 1997. Diana's death occurred while the divorce case was in progress; shortly after his divorce, Spencer moved back to the United Kingdom. The Earl has four children by Victoria Lockwood, three daughters and one son:[9]
Lady Kitty Eleanor Spencer, born 28 December 1990
Lady Eliza Victoria Spencer, born 10 July 1992
Lady (Katya) Amelia Spencer, born 10 July 1992
Louis Frederick John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, born 14 March 1994 and heir-apparent to the earldom.
On 15 December 2001, he married Caroline Freud (née Hutton). The Earl has two children by Caroline, from whom he separated in 2007 and since divorced:[10]
The Hon. Edmund Charles Spencer (born 6 October 2003)
Lady Lara Caroline Spencer (born 16 March 2006)
On 18 June 2011 at Althorp House, Spencer married Karen Gordon (née Villeneuve), a Canadian philanthropist and the founder and chief executive of Whole Child International, a charity based in Los Angeles which works to improve the lot of orphaned, abandoned, or abused children.[10] They have one child together:[11]
Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer (born 30 July 2012)[12]
Spencer chose to name his fifth daughter after his late sister, Diana, Princess of Wales.[12] Spencer was reported to have said, "We hadn't settled on a first name before the birth, but Charlotte is a name we both love, and it really suits her. We knew that as soon as we saw her. And though it's been 15 years since Diana died, I still miss her every day and I wanted her commemorated in the naming of our daughter."[13]
The Earl resides at his ancestral seat, Althorp House.
Spencer attended the wedding of his nephew and niece-by-marriage, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. Neither Prince Harry nor the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Earl's third wedding.[10]