The Earl of Cardigan’s Life After Former Wife Excludes Him From Her Will

Over the last few years, the Earl of Cardigan has suffered a series of financial misfortunes.  He went through a costly divorce, a public stint in rehab, several legal confrontations with the trustees of his estate, and a series of prosecutions for assault and criminal damage.  

The divorce settlement reportedly cost the Earl about £2m, and it cost him even more to fight to keep some of the artwork that the trustees needed to sell to fulfill the divorce settlement.  Most recently, probate records revealed that when his former wife, Lady Cardigan, died, left all of her £1,520,582 estate to her two children, and excluded any mention of the Earl in her will.  Neither of the children have contact with the Earl.  

In stark contrast to his previous life of privilege, Lord Cardigan works as a delivery driver. He lives with his new wife in an unheated house and the pair takes showers in public baths in nearby Marlborough.  

Officially, the Earl still owns 49% of the estate, but the two trustees have overall control. The Earl will contest control of the estate in a High Court hearing that resumes later this year.

See Steve Anderson, Living on the Dole and Taking Showers at Public Baths Because He Has No Hot Water: The Life of the Earl of Cardigan After Ex-wife Leaves Fortune to Children, The Independent, Mar. 7, 2013.