Belvoir Castle mourns the passing of Frances Helen Manners, 10th Dowager Duchess of Rutland, with Requiem Mass
The funeral of Frances Helen Manners (née Sweeny), the 10th Duchess of Rutland and Dowager Duchess of Rutland, will take place this weekend.
A spokesperson for the family’s ancestral home of Belvoir Castle confirmed she died at home at 10.15am on Sunday, January 21.
A statement from Belvoid Castle last week said: “Today we mourn at the passing of the Dowager, Duchess of Rutland.
“May she rest in peace
“Our condolences to the Manners family in this time of sorrow.”
The family has announced that there will be a Requiem Mass at St Mary’s Church in Bottesford, this Saturday (February 3) at 11.30am.
Anyone who wishes to pay their respects is welcome to attend.
Born in 1937 in Marylebone, London, Frances Helen Sweeny was the daughter of American socialite Charles Francis Sweeny and Scottish debutante Margaret Whigham.
She assumed the title of Duchess of Rutland in 1958 upon marrying Charles Manners, the 10th Duke of Rutland.
Widowed in 1999, she remained a prominent figure in local history, renowned for her passion for Arabian horse breeding.
Frances Manners' love for horses was deeply rooted in family tradition, as the 4th Duke of Rutland, a predecessor, owned the Black Hearty stallion – a horse that played a significant role in history as the grandsire of the Duke of Wellington's famed charger, Copenhagen.
Following her husband's death, Frances became the Dowager Duchess and, in a symbolic move, relocated from Belvoir Castle to a house next to the entry gates.
The Duchess's parents divorced in 1947. Her mother, Margaret Whigham, earned the title debutante of the year in 1930 and later became the Duchess of Argyll after marrying Ian Campbell, the 11th Duke of Argyll.
Her brother, Brian Charles, born in 1940 from Margaret and Charles’ marriage, sadly passed away in 2021.
Frances’ children include David Manners, the 11th Duke of Rutland, Lady Theresa Chipman, and Lord Edward Manners. A further child, Lord Robert Manners, sadly died aged two in 1964
She also leaves behind grandchildren: Lady Violet Manners, Lady Alice Manners, Lady Eliza Manners, Charles Manners (Marquess of Granby), and Lord Hugo Manners.