Fiona Shackleton: the fearsome divorce lawyer hired by the King, Paul McCartney and now Earl Spencer
Earl Spencer, brother of the late Princess Diana, has announced he is divorcing his third wife, Canadian Karen Gordon. To help with the spilt, he has hired the same divorce lawyer as King Charles used when divorcing Diana in 1996: Fiona Shackleton, or Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia.
Once described as “the only celebrity lawyer” in the UK, Baroness Shackleton, 68, is a fearsome opponent, known for winning good deals for her clients. Charging at least £550 per hour, she has the nickname “steel magnolia” for her mixture of toughness and charm. She was famously soaked with water in court by Paul McCartney’s ex-wife Heather Mills during the couple's divorce in 2008.
In 1996, she negotiated a £17 million settlement for Diana from Charles. It was also agreed that Diana would see William that she would give up her ‘HRH’ title. Baroness Shackleton also represented Prince Andrew during his split from Sarah, Duchess of York. Andrew paid out £3 million in May 1996. She has also represented stars such as McCartney, Liam Gallagher and Madonna.
Shackleton is a somewhat mysterious figure, giving few interviews. The daughter of a Bank of England adviser and the Sheriff of the City of London, she went to the independent Benenden School in Kent. She got a third in law from Exeter University, and joined the Queen's solicitors, Farrers in 1984, rising to partner level before jumping ship to Payne Hicks Beach in 2001.
What is known is that she is a hard worker, even if she’s having medical treatment. One legal colleague told Spear’s they remembered Shackleton passing on orders about Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan’s divorce with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, just as she was in hospital undergoing treatment on an arm injury. She also likes to “lovebomb” important people, making them feel special, and is also known to bake brownies for clients and colleagues. “I like sticking up for people, making sure they’re not taken advantage of,” Shackleton once said. “It helps to have a rod of steel in your back and lots of charm.”
She has two daughters, and reportedly left the office at 5:30pm every day for parenting duties, while they were growing up – though did do some work at home too. A friend told the Times that one of her daughter’s once picked up the phone to a man claiming to be Prince Charles but hung up, thinking it was a prank. The amused future King had to call back and insist that it was actually him.
Most recently, actress Isla Fisher consulted Shackleton ahead of her split from Sacha Baron Cohen. The lawyer reportedly advised the couple to go down an “amicable route”. Sacha is thought to have spoken with Laura Wasser, who represented Johnny Depp in his split from Amber Heard, and worked on Angelina Jolie’s divorce from Brad Pitt.
Oasis singer Liam Gallagher was also represented by Baroness Shackleton while he was embroiled in a legal battle with his ex-wife Nicola Appleton in 2015. Gallagher’s marriage to Appleton had ended when it emerged he had had an affair with American journalist Liza Ghorbani – who was expecting a child.
Baroness Shackleton represented singer Madonna in her divorce from director Guy Ritchie in 2008. The pair had been married since 2000. The lawyer also helped Nigella Lawson through her high-profile divorce to Charles Saatchi in 2013, which saw the TV cook end their marriage grounds of her husband's “unreasonable behaviour”.
She also represented Claire Merry, the ex-wife of footballer Thierry Henry, when they split in 2007, with speculation that the case could be the biggest ever divorce payout for a footballer. Baroness Shackleton also helped Tatiana Soroka, ex-wife of Farkhad Akhmedov, get Britain's biggest divorce settlement, £453 million in 2016. However, Soroka later sued the firm for failing to help her seize her husband's superyacht.
Baroness Shackleton often wears striking clothes while representing her world-famous clients. Outfits have included a PVC mac and £500 Philip Treacy trilby, as well as a matching black £1,200 PVC bag by Louis Vuitton. In another case, she wore £480 Ferragamo shoes and a £165 scarf, also Ferragamo. Her husband Ian, who also went to Exeter University, is a descendant of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The pair attended the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. In 2010, Queen Elizabeth II made Baroness Shackleton a life peer, and she sits as a Conservative member in the House of Lords.
