How this daughter of a mid Wales farmer accidentally became a real Royal duchess
Life in a castle is not always a fairytale, as the Duchess of Rutland, the daughter of a Welsh farmer, reveals in her new autobiography.
The pony-mad Emma Watkins, from Heartsease, near Knighton in Powys, fell in love with David Manners, having no idea that he was heir to one of the most senior hereditary titles in the land.
Having failed miserably at school Emma started her first business as an interior designer, founding Eardisley Park Interiors with her friend.
At this time she was living with her brother, William, who discovered spring water on the family farm at Heartsease and started Radnor Hills Spring Water.
It was her work as an interior designer that led to her meeting David Manners at the age of 27, who she fell in love with, having absolutely no idea that he was the future Duke of Rutland.
When David succeeded his father, against all the odds, she 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.
Emma sought the advice of the doyenne of duchesses, ‘Debo’ Devonshire, meeting each challenge with optimism and gusto.
These included scaling the castle roof in a storm to unclog a flooding gutter; being caught in her nightdress by mesmerised Texan tourists; and disguising herself as a cleaner to watch filming for The Crown.
She believes that her book, The Accidental Duchess, will appeal to everyone who has ever visited a stately home and wondered what it would be like to live there.
Today the Duchess runs the commercial activities of Belvoir Castle, including shooting parties, weddings and a range of furniture.
She has appeared on various television programmes and produced a book about Belvoir Castle.
Last year she created a podcast, titled Duchess, where she interviews chatelaines of castle and stately homes throughout the country including Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, of Blenheim Palace, and Lady Mansfield, of Scone Palace.
The book is published by Pan Macmillan and sells in hardback for £12.99.
