Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes

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The Right Honourable
The Lady Fellowes
Personal details
Born The Honourable Cynthia Jane Spencer
(1957-02-11) 11 February 1957 (age 67)
Nationality British
Spouse(s) Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes (m. 1978)
Children Laura Jane Fellowes (b. 1980)
Alexander Robert Fellowes (b. 1983)
Eleanor Ruth Fellowes (b. 1985)
Parents John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer
Frances Shand Kydd
Education West Heath Girls' School
Known for Older sister of Diana, Princess of Wales

Cynthia Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes (née Spencer; born 11 February 1957) is one of the two older sisters of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Early life and education

Lady Fellowes is the daughter of Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer (1924–1992) and the Hon. Frances Ruth Burke Roche (1936–2004). Her parents married in 1954 but divorced in 1969. She has always used her middle name of Jane (just as her elder sister also uses one of her middle names). One of Jane's godparents is Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. She was a bridesmaid at his 1961 wedding to Katharine Worsley.[1]

Like her sisters, Lady Fellowes was educated at West Heath boarding school near Sevenoaks in Kent. Sources say she was an excellent student, achieving the status of school Prefect and passing a good number of A-level exams. To paraphrase Andrew Morton, Lady Fellowes acquired a "hatful" of O-level and A-level exams.[2] Her successful exams suggest that she is the most academically gifted of the three sisters.

Marriage and children

In March 1978, Jane married her distant relation Robert Fellowes (b. 1941), then assistant private secretary to the Queen. During the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Jane's sister Diana was a bridesmaid. Photos of Diana as her sister's bridesmaid can be seen at this website and in many books about the life of Diana, Princess of Wales.

In June 1999, Robert Fellowes was granted a Life Peerage as Baron Fellowes, of Shotesham in the County of Norfolk, after first being knighted as Sir Robert Fellowes.[3]

Lord and Lady Fellowes have three children and three grandsons:

  • The Honourable Laura Jane Pettman (born 19 July 1980); married Nick Pettman on 30 May 2009. The couple have two sons.
  • The Honourable Alexander Robert Fellowes (born 23 March 1983); married Alexandra Finlay on 20 September 2013.
    • Robert George Fellowes (10 May 2015)
  • The Honourable Eleanor Ruth Fellowes (born 20 August 1985)

All of whom bear the style of "The Honourable" since June 1999 as the children of a Life Peer

These children are maternal first cousins of Prince William and Prince Harry. Laura is godmother to Prince William's daughter, Princess Charlotte.[4]

Lady Diana Spencer came up to Scotland in the summer of 1980 to help with her sister's newborn daughter, Laura Jane and, during that time, was allegedly courted by the Prince of Wales.

Relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales

Lady Fellowes is the only member of the Spencer family who has never spoken to the media about the death of the Princess of Wales or her life. After Diana's death, conflicting views about the two sisters' relationship have been voiced by different people. Diana's butler Paul Burrell stated that the relationship was strained because of Lord Fellowes's position as secretary to the Queen and that by the time of Diana's death they had not even spoken in a number of years.[5] On the other hand, Diana's childhood nanny, Mary Clarke, author of memoirs about the nanny's experience raising Diana, stated that the relations between the Baroness and Diana were not as bitter as Burrell and others have said or assumed.[6] It is not clear when their relationship deteriorated (if it did), but the sisters were neighbours on the Kensington Palace estate, with Diana living at Numbers 8 and 9, and Lady Fellowes living at a house called the Old Barracks.[7] According to her 1998 interview, when Lady Fellowes announced the news of Diana's death to their brother Charles, Earl Spencer: "I'm afraid that's it, she's dead."[citation needed]

Sarah and Lady Fellowes flew to Paris with their former brother-in-law Prince Charles to escort the Princess's body back for the public funeral. Many witnesses reported that Lady Fellowes was very upset and needed to be assisted into a chair after seeing Diana's body at the hospital in Paris. Sarah and Lady Fellowes played a part in the public funeral ceremony. Since Diana's death, Lord and Lady Fellowes have led a largely private life along with their three children. Lady Fellowes also attended the wedding of her nephew Prince William to Catherine Elizabeth Middleton on 29 April 2011.[8]

Titles and styles

  • 11 February 1957 – 1975: The Honourable Cynthia Jane Spencer
  • 1975 – 1978: The Lady Cynthia Jane Spencer
  • March 1978 – June 1999: The Lady Cynthia Jane Fellowes
  • June 1999 – present: The Right Honourable The Baroness Fellowes

Ancestry

Family of Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16. Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17. Adelaide Horatia Seymour
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18. Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9. Margaret Baring
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19. Louisa Emily Bulteel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20. James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21. Maria Anna Curzon-Howe
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. Cynthia Hamilton
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22. Charles Bingham, 4th Earl of Lucan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11. Rosalind Cecilia Bingham
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23. Cecilia Catherine Gordon-Lennox
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. Edmond Roche, 1st Baron Fermoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. James Roche, 3rd Baron Fermoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25. Elizabeth Caroline Boothby
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26. Franklin H. Work
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13. Frances Work
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 27. Ellen Wood
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Frances Roche
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 28. Alexander Ogston Gill
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14. William Smith Gill
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29. Barbara Smith Marr
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Ruth Sylvia Gill
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30. David Littlejohn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 15. Ruth Littlejohn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 31. Jane Crombie
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True Story.
  3. ↑ House of Lords, Minutes and Order Paper - Minutes of Proceedings, 26 October 1999.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Paul Burrell, A Royal Duty, 2003.
  6. ↑ Mary Clarke, Little Girl Lost: The Troubled Childhood of Princess Diana by the Woman who Raised Her.
  7. ↑ Lady Colin Campbell, Diana in Private...
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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