Duchess of Rutland to sign her new autobiography at Belvoir Castle

The Duchess of Rutland will be signing copies of her new autobiography.

Belvoir Castle is hosting a special event for the launch of The Accidental Duchess.

Life in a castle isn’t always a fairytale, as the Duchess of Rutland illustrates in her real-life account of the ups and downs of running a property with 356 rooms.

The autobiography also details her beginnings as Emma Watkins, the pony-mad daughter of a Welsh farmer - through to her love affair with David Manners, heir to one of the most senior hereditary titles in the land.

When David succeeded his father, Emma became the chatelaine of Belvoir Castle, ancestral home of the Dukes of Rutland.

The Accidental Duchess is billed as something that will appeal to everyone who has visited a stately home and wondered what it would be like to live there.

The Duchess of Rutland will be signing copies of her book in the Elizabeth Saloon at Belvoir Castle on Saturday (September 24) from 11am until 1pm (castle entry ticket required) and at the Duchess Gallery at The Engine Yard on Wednesday (September 28) from 11am until 1pm.

The Accidental Duchess, published by Macmillan, is also available in bookshops, online and at the Belvoir Castle shop