One duchess has made a rather telling comment about others who share, or used to, the same title.
The Duchess of Northumberland has said that ”unlike other duchesses who put their names everywhere”, she prefers to describe herself in another way when launching some business ventures.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph as she launched her own children’s book, the duchess said she had chosen to write as Jane Percy rather than using her full title as ”it could be detrimental as one or two duchesses haven’t really helped the cause lately.”
(Stephen Lock/ i-Images)
She made the rather cutting remark as she discussed her new novel for young people, Amanita. The book draws inspiration from her famous home, Alnwick Castle, and includes references to the hobgoblins and sprites that are reported to live there.
Although she named no names, it appears that Northumberland’s duchess could be referring to the former Duchess of York.
Sarah Ferguson gave up her courtesy title just before her former husband was stripped of all his honours by The King. From 1996, when her divorce from the former Duke of York became final, Ms Ferguson was known as Sarah, Duchess of York and used that name on several of her own books.
It might also be a reference to the Duchess of Sussex who has also written a children’s book, The Bench, and who also has a lifestyle brand, As Ever, and a Netflix show called With Love, Meghan which introduces her as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
(Det kongelige hoff)
Both Sarah and Meghan have been criticised for using their titles in commercial ventures. Other royals have faced similar criticisms and earlier this year the younger daughter of the King of Sweden, Princess Madeleine, had to clarify that her work with a skincare brand was being done under the name of Madeleine Bernadotte rather than having any regal connection.
In Norway, the only daughter of King Harald, Princess Martha Louise, has also been criticised for using her title in business. She also came under fire when her own Netflix show, focused on her romance with her second husband, Durek Verrett, appeared to include nods to her royal connection when that was meant to be distinct from the programme.
Jane Percy is a successful businesswoman whose work at Alnwick has seen the castle become an even more popular tourist attraction.
Alnwick Castle has been the home of the Percy family for centuries and their relationship with royalty has been mixed. In the 14th century, Henry Percy, the 1st Earl of Northumberland rebelled against the hugely unpopular King Richard II. He was a supporter of Richard’s usurper cousin, King Henry IV, for several years but turned against him as well. During the Wars of the Roses, the Percys were booted out of Alnwick briefly but their loyalty to Edward IV saw them restored to the castle. The family fared much better under George III who made the then holders of the castle into Duke and Duchess of Northumberland.
The popularity of Alnwick Castle has increased after its use as a setting for part of the filming of Harry Potter movies. It’s also been used in Downton Abbey and The Hollow Crown. It’s the second biggest inhabited castle in England after Windsor.
It now has a famous and award winning garden, created by Jane Percy, who is widely credited with helping boost Alnwick’s fortunes in the early 21st century.
