Frances, Duchess of Rutland (1937 –   )

FRANCES Helen Sweeny was born in Marylebone Lane, London, in 1937, the daughter of American amateur golfer Charles Sweeny, and his first wife, Margaret Whigham.

She became the second wife of Charles John Robert Manners in 1958, and with it the title Duchess of Rutland. They lived at Belvoir Castle

She was a very keen breeder of Arabian horses, following a family tradition whereby the 4th Duke of Rutland owned Black Hearty stallion which was the grandsire of the Duke of Wellington’s famed charger Copenhagen.

On the death of her husband she became the Dowage Duchess and moved from the Castle to a house across the road.

Her mother had first dazzled London society in 1930 when she was named debutante of the year and inspired the original lyrics to Cole Porter’s You’re the Top.

But following a subsequent marriage which made her Duchess of Argyll, she became notorious when the Duke petitioned for divorce, citing four alleged lovers and produced the infamous ‘headless man’ photographs, showing a faceless figure naked with her.