Earl Spencer's estranged wife and his current girlfriend are involved in a bitter legal battle which is set to cost more than £2m, a court has heard.
Cat Jarman, who is dating Princess Diana's brother, is suing his third wife after accusing her of sharing private medical information.
Jarman lodged the High Court claim against Karen Spencer in October 2024.
The Norwegian archaeologist has alleged that she was forced to reveal her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in a high-profile interview to end gossip online.
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|Karen Spencer has robustly defended herself against Jarman’s allegations.
Jarman has previously said that she "worked very hard" to keep her MS diagnosis hidden, including from Earl Spencer at the start of their relationship.
When the case was lodged with the High Court in 2024, the details of her health condition remained confidential.
However, Jarman later decided to reveal the health condition in an interview with Mail and stated in court documents that she was concerned about "loss of autonomy and control" over her own medical information.
Karen Spencer stated that Jarman's decision to do a public interview on the diagnosis was “hopelessly inconsistent” with her legal case.
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|Karen Spencer and Earl Charles Spencer are in the midst of divorce proceedings.
The defence stated: "Deliberately disclosing the fact that she has MS to the world in a manner calculated to give it maximum publicity is not only entirely inconsistent with any claim to privacy, but it also nullifies the ostensible purpose of these proceedings."
Karen Spencer has robustly defended herself against Jarman’s allegations.
On Monday, a court heard that both parties had reached an agreement on future estimated legal costs amounting to more than £2.2m.
Kirsten Sjovoll, for Jarman, told the judge the overall agreed future costs for the claimant stood at £1,217,880, while the defendant’s legal costs were £1,000,087.
It was not revealed how much Jarman is suing Karen Spencer, who has been married to Charles Spencer for 13 years, for.
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|Karen Spencer stated that Jarman's decision to do a public interview on the diagnosis was “hopelessly inconsistent” with her legal case.
Sjovoll, the barrister representing Spencher's girlfriend, claimed the defendant’s legal costs were “excessively high”.
However, the judge disagreed with this argument. Master Gidden said: "To my mind, they are costs falling within a range that is to be expected."
Clara Hamer, representing Karen Spencer, said: "Just on the big picture point ... when you’re dealing with a case of this magnitude and the issues involved, that’s not such a great gulf."
She claimed Countess Spencer’s legal costs so far amounted to £511,404, while Jarman’s were £329,365.
"The court is not a slave to comparison,” Hamer added. "Similar work in the hands of different legal teams may result in different costs."