Frances Helen Manners, Dowager Duchess of Rutland (''née'' Sweeny; born 1937), is a British peeress and the widow of Charles Manners, 10th Duke of Rutland. Following her husband's death in 1999, she has been known as The Dowager Duchess of Rutland.

Early life and family

Frances Helen Sweeny was born in 1937 in

Marylebone Lane Marylebone Lane is one of the original streets of the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster, London. It runs from Oxford Street in the south to Marylebone High Street in the north, its winding shape following the course of the River Tybu ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, to American amateur golfer, socialite and businessman Charles Francis Sweeny and his wife, Scottish debutante

Margaret Whigham Ethel Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll ('' née'' Whigham, formerly Sweeny; 1 December 1912 – 25 July 1993) was a Scottish heiress, socialite, and aristocrat who was most famous for her 1951 marriage and much-publicised 1963 divorce fr ...

. Her mother had suffered eight miscarriages and given birth to a stillborn daughter prior to her birth. She was baptised in the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

on 21 July 1937 at the

Brompton Oratory Brompton Oratory is a large neo-classical Roman Catholic church in the Knightsbridge area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. Its full name is the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or as named in its Grade II* archite ...

. She had one younger brother, Brian Charles (born 1940 who died on 21 October 2021). Her parents divorced in 1947 and her mother subsequently married The 11th Duke of Argyll in 1951.

Marriage and family

On 15 May 1958, Sweeny married Charles Manners, 10th Duke of Rutland at Caxton Hall. They had four children: * David Charles Robert Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland (b. 8 May 1959), married Emma Watkins, and has issue * Lord Robert George Manners (18 June 1961 – 28 February 1964) * Lady Helen Theresa Margaret Manners (b. 11 November 1962), married Dr. John Chipman, and had issue * Lord Edward John Francis Manners (b. 29 May 1965), married Gabrielle Ross, and had issue The Duchess was widowed in 1999.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutland, Frances Manners, Duchess of Living people 1937 births English socialites English duchesses by marriage English Roman Catholics English people of Scottish descent English people of American descent People from Marylebone

Frances Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the F ...