The Duchess of Rutland has made an exciting announcement.
Just weeks after her daughter, Lady Violet Manners, tied the knot in a lavish society wedding, the Duchess is launching an exciting project of her own by launching a Substack.
“My very first post on Substack goes live today at 5:30pm — and I would be so delighted if you joined me on this new journey,” the Duchess wrote on Instagram.
© Instagram“Writing has long been a passion of mine, and this space will be where I share stories, reflections, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into life as The Accidental Duchess.”
The first post is called ‘The Accidental Duchess’, the same title as her 2022 memoir. Kicking off her debut article, the Duchess thanked her daughter, Violet, for helping her set up the Substack.
“It is thanks to Vi, my oldest daughter, that I have any idea what a Substack is,” she wrote. The Duchess also touched on her love of writing and admitted that she finds it “rather cathartic” before explaining what she plans to do with her new project.
© Dave Benett“As an accidental Duchess, [the Substack] will be full of surprises and things that others never get to hear. Behind-the-scenes stories, the reality of running heritage in the 21st century.
“For me, of course—a Welsh farmer’s daughter, who 100 years ago most probably wouldn’t have made the grade of scullery maid at Belvoir Castle—I often feel that my take on running heritage is quite mainstream.”
Who is the Duchess of Rutland?
Emma Watkins became Emma Manners, the Duchess of Rutland, after meeting and marrying David Manners at 27.
At the time, she had no idea that David would inherit one of the oldest titles in the UK. Soon after the pair married, David’s father died, and the couple moved into Belvoir Castle where she took on the title of Duchess of Rutland.
© InstagramSeveral years and five children later, the pair split in 2012. According to an interview with Country & Town House, it was David’s refusal to dance with his wife at the fiftieth birthday party she had organised for him that sealed their fate.
She also told the publication that, for the sake of her family’s and Belvoir’s stability, she didn’t divorce David and they remain on good terms. They both still reside in Belvoir Castle, living in different wings but still coming together every Sunday for lunch with the family.