Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne

Fiona Mary Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne, DL (née Merritt; born 3 October 1954), previously known professionally as Fiona Shelburne, is a British aristocrat, socialite and interior designer.

The Most Honourable

The Marchioness of Lansdowne

DL
Born
Fiona Mary Merritt

(1954-10-03) 3 October 1954
Maldon, Essex, England
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1987)​

Lady Lansdowne was appointed to the Royal Household as a Queen's Companion in 2022.

Life

Born in 1954, Fiona Merritt married in 1987, as his second wife, Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice, Earl of Shelburne,[1] being styled by courtesy as Countess of Shelburne, then Marchioness of Lansdowne upon her husband succeeding to his father's titles in 1999.

The family seat is Bowood House, Wiltshire.[2] Close friends of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, she is godmother of the Queen's daughter, Laura Lopes.[3]

Career

Fiona Merritt trained as an interior designer at the Inchbald School of Design and worked for Colefax & Fowler. She first met her husband (then Lord Shelburne) on a working visit to Bowood while employed by Charles Hammond in the early 1980s.[4]

Lord and Lady Lansdowne have overseen the restoration of Bowood House.[4][1]

Appointments

Lady Lansdowne was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire in 2019,[5][6] and High Sheriff of Wiltshire for 2022–23.[7]

In 2022, Lady Lansdowne was appointed one of six Queen's Companions, the modern equivalent of Ladies-in-Waiting, serving at the King's coronation on 6 May 2023 as one of Queen Camilla's Ladies-in-attendance.[2][8][9]

See also

References
  1. "My English Home: The Marchioness of Lansdowne". The English Home. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  2. Sawer, Patrick (27 November 2022). "Mother of Harry and Meghan's matchmaker among Queen Consort's new 'companions'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  3. Nikkah, Roya (15 April 2023). "Queen Camilla: the 'lady boss', by her inner circle". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  4. Fraser, Virginia (28 January 2021). "An English country house with a very modern art collection". House & Garden. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  5. "No. 62782". The London Gazette. 27 September 2019. p. 17388.
  6. "Deputy Lieutenants and biographies". Wiltshire Lieutenancy. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  7. "New High Sheriff for Wiltshire and Swindon 2022-23". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  8. Nikkah, Roya (27 November 2022). "Camilla's break with tradition as closest friends become Queen's companions". The Times. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  9. Ward, Victoria (21 April 2023). "Queen chooses sister and close friend to be her Coronation Ladies in Attendance". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
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