A privacy lawsuit brought by Earl Spencer’s partner, Catrine Jarman, against his estranged wife, Countess Karen Spencer, has concluded, after the countess accepted a Part 36 offer to settle the claim.
Norwegian archaeologist Ms Jarman, 43, initiated legal action against the countess in October 2024, claiming misuse of private information after Charles’s estranged wife allegedly revealed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis without permission.
The settlement was reached between Ms Jarman and the countess alone.
As set out in the arbitrator’s award in the ongoing divorce proceedings, Earl Spencer is required to indemnify his estranged wife only for the sums she must pay because she accepted the Part 36 offer, including the £4,500 damages to Ms Jarman, and for the countess’s own legal costs in the King’s Bench proceedings.
Earl Charles Spencer faces internal indemnity as estranged wife settles privacy case involving his new partner
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INSTAGRAM: CAT JARMAN / GETTY
The indemnity is an internal financial arrangement within the divorce arbitration and does not make the earl liable for the overall costs of the privacy litigation.
A High Court judgement released on Monday confirmed this position, noting that the arbitrator had anticipated the countess would accept the Part 36 offer on the understanding that her husband would reimburse her for the specific expenses arising from her acceptance of that offer.
The judgement makes clear that this indemnity sits entirely within the divorce process and does not assess liability in Ms Jarman’s privacy claim.
Ms Jarman, who had been working on an archaeological excavation at Earl Spencer’s ancestral estate of Althorp, claimed the countess informed the earl and others about her MS condition without permission.
Karen Spencer and Charles Spencer announced their divorce in June 2024
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Her legal team argued that she had never authorised the disclosure of such sensitive medical information.
The countess, 53, rejected all allegations of wrongdoing throughout the proceedings, maintaining that any mention of Ms Jarman’s health was “entirely legitimate and justified”.
In a statement, Ms Jarman told GB News: “I brought my privacy claim after my private medical information was shared without my consent.
“As someone living with Multiple Sclerosis, I have the unquestionable right to decide when and how to share such sensitive details.
Dr Jarman has talked about the impact the last year has had on her
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INSTAGRAM: CAT JARMAN
“Pursuing the claim was a necessary and principled step to protect that right, as well as my career and livelihood.
“The matter has now been resolved after the other party chose to settle the claim, and I regard that outcome as a clear vindication of my decision to take action.
“I am relieved to be able to move forward and glad the other side saw sense in bringing this matter to a close, sparing everyone further distress.
“I acted on principle and to defend my privacy at a time when it had been seriously violated.”
Karen Spencer and Earl Charles Spencer are in the midst of divorce proceedings
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A spokesman for Countess Spencer said: “Countess Spencer confirms that the legal proceedings brought against her by Cat Jarman have been resolved in an agreed settlement.
“Countess Spencer considers her position to have been fully vindicated. There was no admission of liability or wrongdoing and Earl Spencer has been ordered to pay the legal costs, which are in excess of £2million together with £4,500 in damages to be paid to his girlfriend Cat Jarman. Countess Spencer sincerely hopes this will mark the end of the matter.”
The exact financial figure relating to the divorce arbitration indemnity remains undetermined, with several elements still “hotly disputed”, according to Mr Justice Peel.
GB News has contacted Earl Spencer for comment.