Earl Charles Spencer has spoken out about his age gap with his new girlfriend.
The earl admitted he “wasn’t looking” for love when he met his younger girlfriend, Dr Catrine Jarman.
The younger brother of the late Princess Diana detailed his romance with Jarman during a new interview, explaining that the two went from “friends” to “colleagues” to partners.
“[We have] shared interests,” he explained.
Earl Charles Spencer speaks out on age gap with new girlfriend
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“We were fascinated by the same things. And she made me laugh. Laughter was key.”
The 60-year-old met the archaeologist, 18 years his junior, in 2021 when she arrived at Althorp, his family’s country estate, to do some digging.
The pair went on to form a strong friendship. Eventually, they launched a podcast together called “The Rabbit Hole Detectives” alongside Reverend Richard Coles.
Despite their bond, the aristocrat insisted there was nothing romantic going on during the early stages of their friendship.
Earl Charles Spencer (left) and Dr Catrine Jarman (second from left)
Instagram / Cat Jarman
“The thing is, I am 18 years older than Cat and so there wasn’t even the possibility,” he said.
“I’ve never been with a much younger person. I wasn’t even thinking romance.
“I was at the tail end of a marriage. It just wasn’t a possibility.”
He continued to tell The Mail: “I’ve never tried to do a hard sell on Cat. She’s very canny, very emotionally mature.
Karen Spencer and Charles Spencer announced their divorce earlier this year
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Earl Charles Spencer pictured with his nephew, Prince Harry, in 2021
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“With her, I don’t pretend to be anything I am not. She knows exactly who I am and who I am not.”
Jarman said: “I feel that I’ve got to know Charles very gradually, as a friend, and I know how his life has developed. I know who he is now. That is all that matters.”
Charles said he is “too old for hearts and flowers” but that “the best way to describe it” is that with Jarman, “I can be myself.”
He added: “She knows who I am. Who I really am. I don’t have to pretend to be something I am not. And she brings out the best in me.”