Life in a castle isn’t always a fairytale, as the Duchess of Rutland vividly illustrates in her fascinating, revealing and funny autobiography now available.
The Accidental Duchess (Macmillan, out now) documents all the ups and downs of running Belvoir Castle with its 356 rooms and 16,000 acres as a private heritage business.
The Duchess will be signing copies of her book in the Elizabeth Saloon at the Castle from 11am to 1pm on Saturday 24 September (Castle Opening Ticket required) and at the Duchess Gallery at The Engine Yard from 11am to 1pm on Wednesday 28 September.
When Emma Watkins, the pony-mad daughter of a Welsh farmer, imagined her future it was as the wife of a younger version of her father. But then she fell in love with David Manners, having no idea that he was heir to one of the most senior hereditary titles in the land. When David succeeded his father, against all the odds Emma became the chatelaine of Belvoir Castle, ancestral home of the Dukes of Rutland.
She had to cope with five boisterous children while faced with a vast estate in desperate need of modernisation and staff who wanted nothing to change – it was a daunting responsibility.
At times the problems she faced seemed insoluble, yet with her unstoppable energy and talent for thinking on the hoof, she won through, inspired by the vision and passion of those Rutland duchesses in whose footsteps she trod, and indeed the redoubtable and resourceful women who forged her, whose homes were not castles but remote farmhouses in the Radnorshire hills.
Vividly written and bursting with insights, The Accidental Duchess will appeal to everyone who has visited a stately home and wondered what it would be like to live there.
About Emma Manners
Born Emma Watkins, the Duchess of Rutland is the daughter of a farmer from Knighton, Powys. She worked as an estate agent, marketing properties in London, and later as an interior designer. Today, the Duchess runs the commercial activities of Belvoir Castle, including shooting parties, weddings and a range of furniture. She has presented on various television programmes, including ITV’s Castles, Keeps and Country Homes, and has produced a book about Belvoir Castle.
In 2021, the Duchess created a podcast titled Duchess, where she interviews chatelaines of castles and stately homes throughout the United Kingdom. In her podcast’s first season, her interviewees included Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill of Blenheim Palace and Lady Mansfield of Scone Palace.
Emma Watkins married David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland, in 1992. The pair have five children.
The Accidental Duchess (£22) is available from the Castle gift shop and The Duchess Gallery, as well as all major bookstores and online.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.