Jemma Madeleine Wellesley, Countess of Mornington (née Kidd; born 20 September 1974), is a British

make up artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...

, fashion model, and

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient Ro ...

. She currently resides on the Stratfield Saye estate,

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

Biography

Early life

Lady Mornington is the elder daughter of Johnny Kidd, businessman and former

showjumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ...

champion. and Wendy Madeline Hodge Kidd. Wendy Kidd is the daughter of Sir John Rowland Hodge, 2nd Baronet, and founder of the Holder's Festival. Mornington is also a paternal granddaughter of

Janet Gladys Aitken Janet Gladys Aitken, later Campbell, Montagu, and Kidd, (9 July 1908 – 18 November 1988) was a Canadian-British aristocrat and socialite. The daughter of Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, she grew up at Cherkley Court in Surrey. She was the ...

and great-granddaughter of

Lord Beaverbrook William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (25 May 1879 – 9 June 1964), generally known as Lord Beaverbrook, was a Canadian-British newspaper publisher and backstage politician who was an influential figure in British media and politics o ...

, who founded '' The Daily Express''. Her younger sister is supermodel Jodie Kidd.

Career

Lady Mornington was a fashion model before becoming a make-up artist. In 2003, she opened her own "Make-up School" in London. She was a director of the Jemma Kidd Make-up Limited, which was incorporated in 2005,

Ghislaine Maxwell Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell ( ; born 25 December 1961) is a British convicted sex offender and former socialite. In 2021, she was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offences in connection with the financier and convicted sex o ...

was also a director. The company launched a

cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

range in 2006, which was available in the UK (in Boots),

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

, and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Her book ''Jemma Kidd Make-up Masterclass'' was published in 2009. Jemma Kidd Make-up went into administration in October 2012. It was dissolved in January 2020.

Personal life

The wedding of Jemma Kidd with Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, took place at St James Church in

Holetown Holetown (UN/LOCODE: BB HLT), is a small city located in the Caribbean island nation of Barbados. Holetown is located in the parish of Saint James on the sheltered west coast of the island. History In 1625, Holetown (formerly as St. James Tow ...

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

, on 4 June 2005. The couple have twins and a younger son: * Lady Mae Madeleine Wellesley (born 4 January 2010 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in

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 ...

) * (Arthur) Darcy Wellesley, Lord Wellesley (born 4 January 2010) * The Honourable Alfred Wellesley (born 10 December 2014) Lady Mornington is separated from Lord Mornington, the heir apparent of the 9th Duke of Wellington. The couple announced their separation in August 2020.

References

External links

* 1974 births Living people Models from London People from Guildford Jemma Douro English female models Aitken family Jemma British make-up artists Mornington {{UK-noble-stub