Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland
Her Grace The Duchess of Rutland | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born |
Emma Watkins Knighton, Radnorshire, Wales |
Spouse(s) | David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland |
Children |
Lady Violet Manners Lady Alice Manners Lady Eliza Manners Charles Manners, Marquess of Granby Lord Hugo Manners |
Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland (née Watkins) is a Welsh-born British noblewoman.
Biography
Born Emma Watkins, the daughter of a farmer from Knighton, Powys (then within Radnorshire), after schooling she started training as an opera singer at the Guildhall School of Music, but dropped out. She then began training as a land agent in Southampton, but quickly moved into working in estate agents marketing properties in London. Chronically dyslexic, she was sacked for charging a buyer £10,000 too much on purchasing a property. She then worked as an interior designer until her marriage, after meeting her future husband at a dinner party.[1]
Today, the Duchess runs the commercial activities of Belvoir Castle, including shooting parties, weddings and a range of furniture.[2] She has presented on various television programmes, including ITV's Castles, Keeps and Country Homes, and has produced a book about Belvoir Castle.[1]
Personal life
She married David Manners in 1992.[1] The couple have five children:
- Lady Violet Diana Louise Manners (b. 18 August 1993)
- Lady Alice Louisa Lilly Manners (b. 27 April 1995)
- Lady Eliza Charlotte Manners (b. 17 July 1997)
- Charles John Montague, Marquess of Granby (b. 3 July 1999)
- Lord Hugo William James Manners (b. 24 July 2003)
The family initially lived in the adjacent Knipton Lodge, a six-bedroomed Georgian house. Following the death of the 10th Duke in 2001, they moved into newly-renovated private apartments, which had formerly been the nanny's residence. The couple have a staff of one butler and a nanny.[1]
Titles and styles
- Miss Emma Watkins (19?? - 6 June 1992)
- Marchioness of Granby (6 June 1992 - 2 January 1999)
- Her Grace The Duchess of Rutland (2 January 1999 - present)
References
- 1 2 3 4 "From faded grandeur to pampered starlet – Belvoir Castle is the country pile that's wooing Hollywood". Daily Mail. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ↑ "Emma Rutland". Daily Telegraph.