Full Name Emma Watkins | Name Emma Duchess | |
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Title Marchioness of GranbyDuchess of Rutland Children Lady Eliza Charlotte Manners, Lady Alice Louisa Lilly Manners, Lady Violet Diana Louise Manners | ||
Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland (née Watkins) is a Welsh-born British noblewoman.
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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.
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.
Personal life
She married David Manners in 1992. The couple have five children:
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.