Nicolette Elaine Katherine Powell, formerly Nicolette Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry (''née'' Nicolette Harrison; 1941 – 13 August 1993), was an English

socialite A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having traditio ...

, married firstly to the 9th Marquess of Londonderry and later to the musician

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the on ...

Early life

Nicolette, often called "Nico" for short, was the daughter of stockbroker Michael Harrison and his wife, the former Maria Madeleine Benita von Koskull, a

Baltic German Baltic Germans (german: Deutsch-Balten or , later ) were ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since their coerced resettlement in 1939, Baltic Germans have markedly declined ...

baroness. She was a

debutante A debutante, also spelled débutante, ( ; from french: débutante , "female beginner") or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and, as a new adult, is presented to society at a formal " ...

, one of the last to be presented to

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

before the royal patronage of the practice was abolished.

Marriage and family

She married Londonderry on 16 May 1958, when she was seventeen. They made their home at

Wynyard Hall Wynyard Park, sometimes known as Wynyard Hall, is a large English country house near Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham. The house was the English family seat of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry, an Anglo-Irish aristocr ...

and had two children: *

Lady The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inform ...

Sophia Frances Anne Vane-Tempest-Stewart (born 1959), who married Jonathan Mark Pilkington and has children. *Lady Cosima Maria-Gabriella Vane-Tempest-Stewart (born 1961), who married firstly Cosmo Fry and secondly Lord John Robert Somerset, with whom she has children. The paternity of her elder son, Tristan Alexander (born 1969), who briefly held the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

Viscount Castlereagh, was contested when he was about 18 months old, and he was confirmed to be the son of

(real name Clive Powell), with whom the young Marchioness had been having an extramarital affair. One of the Marchioness's daughters, Lady Cosima, later claimed that her true father might be the musician and writer

Robin Douglas-Home Cecil Robin Douglas-Home (8 May 1932 – 15 October 1968) was a British aristocrat, jazz pianist and author. Life Robin Douglas-Home was the eldest son of the Honourable Henry Douglas-Home from his first marriage to Lady Margaret Spencer. His u ...

. The divorce of Lord and Lady Londonderry in 1971 was the subject of considerable publicity. The following year, the Marchioness married Georgie Fame at

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

Register Office A register office or The General Register Office, much more commonly but erroneously registry office (except in official use), is a British government office where births, deaths, marriages, civil partnership, stillbirths and adoptions in England, ...

, and her married name became Nicolette Powell. Londonderry subsequently married the ballerina

Doreen Wells Doreen Patricia Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry (née Wells; born 25 June 1937) is a British former ballet dancer. Career Born in London, Wells received her early dance training at the Bush Davies School of Theatre Arts, conti ...

. As Nicolette Powell, the former Marchioness gave birth to a second son of Georgie Fame, James Michael, in 1973.

Later life

In 1993, she died after falling from

Clifton Suspension Bridge The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge and the River Avon, linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset. Since opening in 1864, it has been a toll bridge, the income from which provides fun ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. Her death was found to be by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

. She had left a note stating that she saw "no purpose in life", now that her children had grown up and left home. Several portrait photographs of her are held by the

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Londonderry, Nicolette Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of 1941 births 1993 deaths British debutantes Suicides by jumping in England Irish marchionesses Suicides in Bristol