Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer (January 24, 1924 - March 29, 1992) was born at 24 Sussex Square, London, England, the son of Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer (1892-1975) and his wife, the former Cynthia Elinor Beatrix Hamilton (1897-1972), daughter of the 3rd Duke of Abercorn.

On June 1, 1954 in Westminster Abbey he married Frances Ruth Burke-Roche, daughter of Edmund Maurice Burke-Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy (1885-1955). They had five children:

• Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia (March 15, 1955), who married Neil Edmund McCorquodale
• Cynthia Jane (February 11, 1957), who married Sir Robert Fellowes, later Baron Fellowes
• John, who died within 10 hours of his birth on January 12, 1960
• Diana Frances Spencer (1961-1997), wife of Charles, Prince of Wales
• Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer (May 20, 1964), who married Victoria Lockwood, then Caroline Freud (the latter formerly wife of Matthew Freud)

In April 1969 the Spencers were divorced on the grounds of Frances's adultery with Peter Shand-Kydd (she was named as the other woman in a divorce action brought by Janet Shand-Kydd). Lord Spencer won a bitter custody battle for the children.

He became romantically involved with Raine McCorquodale, daughter of romance novelist Barbara Cartland, who was at the time wife of Gerald Legge, 9th Earl Dartmouth. Shortly after her divorce, they wed on July 14, 1969.

Lord Spencer died at Humana Hospital, Wellington, London.