Charles Spencer Announces another Royal Divorce

Last week STP~News reviewed “A Very Private School” written by Charles Spenser, The 9th Earl Spencer, more commonly known as Princess Di’s little brother. Days after the review the Earl announced he was seeking his third divorce.

Headlines cover the sordid details of his broken marriage in black and white as though there’s hot news in salacious speculation. The 60 year old has hired the the same legal representative his sister used when she was divorcing Prince Charles. Buzz is, there’s even a new babe in the Earl’s palatial bed.

Spencer says the divorce is ” immensely sad “. He wishes his soon-to-be-ex “every happiness in the future”. His immediate plan is to devote himself to all his children and grandchildren. It’s all politely stiff-upper-lip.

A more culturally relevant spin on the roulette-wheel of Spencer’s personal life would be to read his book and the handwriting on the Althorp Castle wall. The pages reveal, the Earl believes he lacks the psychologically ability to form meaningful emotional bonds. He feels the deficit stems from being abandoned by his family who sent him to boarding school before he was ready, only because it’s what was expected by their peers.

Isolated and homesick the young boy was vulnerable to psychological, physical and sexual abuse. A myriad of criminal assaults were overlooked for decades as pro-forma because it was socially convenient to look the other way.

Any public divorce requires the skill set Hollywood’s most talented cosmetic experts to brush away tear-stains and hide the ugly scars of heartbreak. But, if we choose to look at this divorce as more than the latest royal-rumble we could learn fundamental lessons of the value of parental engagement, questioning authority and emotional connectivity throughout our lives.

In light of the latest headline, STP reiterates the recommendation to read ” A Very Private School” with the suggestion we use it less as mind- candy and more as a cautionary tale on the value of avoiding group-thinkers who hide behind tall gates in ivory towers.