On Dateline: On Assignment, American TV journalist Cynthia McFadden travels to Althorp, the 500-year-old England estate owned by Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. Spencer, the brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales gives McFadden a tour of the estate including the picture gallery which houses the most valuable portraits owned by the Spencer family. With his current, third wife Karen Spencer, Countess Spencer, Charles says: “I think I come from a family – not just Diana although she is by far the famous of my family – of strong women who’ve done a lot of good in the community and the wide world.” He adds, motioning to his wife, “I suppose I automatically gravitate towards people who are doing good in a similar field.”
Canadian born Karen Spencer (née Villeneuve) is the founder and CEO of Whole Child International, a non-governmental organization headquartered in Los Angeles that works to improve the quality of care for children living in institutions and orphanages worldwide. Villeneuve was married once before to Hollywood producer Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot). They had two daughters, and divorced in 2003. Karen and Charles Spencer are the parents of Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer, who will turn four on July 30, 2016. Dateline: On Assignment airs Sundays at 7pm on NBC.
