| Honorific Prefix: | The Right Honourable |
| The Countess Spencer | |
| Birth Name: | Karen Anne Villeneuve |
| Birth Date: | 6 June 1972 |
| Birth Place: | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Occupation: | Social entrepreneur |
| Children: | 3 |
Karen Anne Spencer, Countess Spencer (formerly Gordon, née Villeneuve; born June 6, 1972) is a Canadian social entrepreneur with a focus on systems change. Her career began as the founder of Whole Child International, a U.S.-based non-governmental organization that works to improve the quality of care for vulnerable children. From its founding in 2004 she held the position of CEO, and transitioned to Chair in June 2024. She is the wife of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Karen Anne Villeneuve was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but her father's career as a National Parks administrator led to frequent relocations, resulting in her family residing in 23 homes and her attending 10 schools during her childhood. Spencer attributes this upbringing as the catalyst for her to establish Whole Child International, which supports children without stable homes.[1]
Spencer was inspired to address the emotional needs of society's most vulnerable children in 2004, after participating in a parenting class that introduced her to the attachment-based child-rearing approach of Emmi Pikler. Whole Child is currently implementing programs with funding from USAID and other donors.[2]
Karen Spencer is co-author of articles published in the peer-reviewed Infant Journal of Mental Health and Perspectives in Infant Mental Health. In September 2015, the Ashoka Foundation elected her an Ashoka Fellow for her social entrepreneurial work identifying and filling a gap in care for orphans and vulnerable children.[3] In 2016 she was made a Fellow at the University of Northampton in the United Kingdom. [4] In 2017, she received the Pikler/Lóczy USA Founders Award,[5] and People magazine named her one of "25 Women Changing the World."[6]
In 2020 she joined the Governing Council of the Center for Global Development[7] and became a founding member of Catalyst 2030,[8] an organization focused on empowering the broader community of social entrepreneurs. At Catalyst she has been involved in a number of activities, most notably through her work on the "Shifting in Funding Paradigm" working group and its development of a self-assessment tool for funders.[9]
Karen Spencer married Mark Gordon, a Hollywood producer whose films and TV series include Saving Private Ryan, Speed, Grey's Anatomy, and Criminal Minds, on November 8, 1997. The two met when Spencer worked as a receptionist at the Four Seasons hotel in Toronto.[10] The couple divorced in 2003 and together they have two daughters, Emma (b. 1998) and Kate (b. 2001).[11]
On June 25, 2011, Spencer married Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer at Althorp. The Earl Spencer is the brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and is an author and broadcaster. As a result of her marriage, Karen Spencer is formally styled The Right Honourable The Countess Spencer, and is addressed as Lady Spencer. The Earl and Countess Spencer have one child together: Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer, born July 30, 2012 at Althorp and named in honour of her late aunt, Diana, Princess of Wales.[12]
Karen Spencer has played a pivotal role in the renovation and preservation of Althorp Estate. Over her 13 years at Althorp, she has overseen a comprehensive (five-year) renovation project aimed at refreshing the entire estate while preserving its historical integrity. Her efforts include restoring the estate’s historic structures and maintaining its unique features, while adapting the property for contemporary use. [13] Core to the plans were shifting just under 3,000 acres to organic and adding grazing livestock.[14]
In 2016, Karen Spencer initiated significant restoration projects to rejuvenate the estate's historic gardens — the first major transformation in 350 years. A statement on the Althorp website described the project as "ambitious," highlighting her leadership in the extensive redesign of the Oval Lake, where Princess Diana is laid to rest.[15] The redesign included extensive landscaping, and revitalized a significant area of the estate's grounds.[16] Throughout the work being undertaken at Althorp, Karen Spencer consulted the advice of experts.[17]
In June 2024, it was announced that the Earl and Countess had separated and plan to divorce.[18]