Karen, Countess Spencer has bought a £3.6 million country mansion about 10 miles from Althorp after her divorce from Earl Spencer, choosing to remain in Northamptonshire rather than leave Britain.
The 54-year-old Canadian-born social entrepreneur is understood to have used part of her divorce settlement to purchase the six-bedroom property, which is set in 24 acres of parkland and formal gardens.
The modern country house includes a heated swimming pool, an all-weather tennis court, a gym and outdoor dining areas. Estate agents described it as combining “modern comfort with timeless architectural elegance”.
Although the house was built this century, its symmetrical design and grand frontage have similarities to Althorp, the Spencer family estate where Karen lived for 13 years.
Karen, Countess Spencer begins a new life near Althorp
Karen moved to Althorp in 2011 after meeting Earl Spencer on a blind date in Los Angeles the previous year. She initially divided her time between Northamptonshire and southern California, where her two daughters from her first marriage had been raised.
She later moved to England permanently and became closely involved in restoration and renovation work at the historic estate. Her work there helped build a substantial social media following, with supporters praising her efforts to preserve Althorp, where Princess Diana is buried.
The marriage ended acrimoniously in 2024. Karen remained at Althorp for a period before moving into temporary accommodation while arranging a home capable of accommodating her animals.
In November that year, she told followers that finding a rental for seven horses, two sheep, four cats and a dog had proved difficult. She later moved into a temporary property while waiting for the horses to arrive.
Karen announced in August 2025 that she had bought a new home and moved in two months later. On New Year’s Eve, she described it as her “beautiful new home” and said she and her three daughters had spent their first Christmas there.
Since then, she has shared updates about furnishing the house and creating a home, including purchases made at auctions. She has also expanded what she called her “slightly over the top menagerie”, adding chickens and bees.
In one post, Karen said she was studying the property’s design and wrote: “My house was inspired by well known 19th century architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.”
She has retained her title following the divorce, unlike Earl Spencer’s previous wives. She has also continued her work in philanthropy and sustainability, chairing Whole Child International, the charity she founded to improve the lives of vulnerable children.
She also serves on the board of the Center for Global Development.
Earl Spencer, 62, later married Norwegian archaeologist Professor Cat Jarman, who had first met him while leading an archaeological search on the Althorp estate. The pair subsequently worked together on the podcast The Rabbit Hole Detectives.
Their relationship became the subject of a legal dispute after Professor Jarman sued Karen over alleged misuse of private information. The case, which involved claims concerning the disclosure of Jarman’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis, was settled in April.
Jarman’s lawyers described allegations of an affair with the earl as untrue and defamatory. Earl Spencer also denied Karen’s account of how the marriage ended.
A source close to Earl Spencer has said a prenuptial agreement was in place when he married Karen, suggesting the divorce may not have cost him as much as had been speculated. The earl was separately left with legal costs of more than £2 million following the High Court proceedings.
Meanwhile, Karen’s move has placed her within a short distance of Althorp, where Earl Spencer and Professor Jarman have begun their married life.
