Lady Annabel Goldsmith death: Socialite who gave her name to London nightclub dies, aged 91
Socialite Lady Annabel Goldsmith, whose name was immortalized when a nightclub in Mayfair was named after her, died at the age of 91.
Lady Annabel was the mother of six children, including Conservative politician Zac Goldsmith and film producer Jemima Goldsmith.
Her first husband, hospitality entrepreneur Mark Birley, founded the private members’ club Annabel’s in London in 1963. This exclusive venue would continue to host royalty and rock stars.
Lady Annabel was the younger daughter of the eighth Marquess of Londonderry. His youngest child, Ben, told the BBC he was “absolutely irreplaceable”.
He added: “We are bereft, not for him – because his life was extraordinary and complete – but for us, because of the huge hole he left behind in our lives.”
The statement continued: “I talked to him every day for 45 years, he really had my back and we loved each other very much. I will miss him so much.”
In a joint statement, her children said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our mother, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, who died peacefully in her sleep this morning at the age of 91.”
Lady Annabel was the mother of six children, three from her first marriage and three from her second marriage to businessman Sir James Goldsmith. To talk Times “I was a hands-on mother and I’m a hands-on grandmother,” she said in 2006, adding: “We go on holidays; I talk every day. I’m not prejudiced about working women, but I was so engrossed in my children that I never let them out of my sight.”
There were Rupert, Robin and India Jane with her first husband, Mr Birley, and Jemima, Zac and Ben with Sir James.
His first marriage broke up after Lady Annabel discovered and later told him that Mr Birley was unfaithful. Vanity Fair: “He had to seduce every woman like a butterfly.”
But she told the magazine: “It’s pretty hard living with someone who’s a perfectionist, but the truth is, living with Mark was fun.” He remained close to Mr Birley, with whom he met regularly until his death in 2007.
She would become the mistress and then wife of the entrepreneur Sir James Goldsmith, who himself had two children by his mistress, Laure Boulay de la Meurthe.
Her long relationship with Sir James made her a fixture in gossip columns in the 1960s and 1970s. Lady Annabel was born Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart in 1934, the second daughter of Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh.
He had known about the tragedy since his mother passed away from cancer when he was just 17 years old. Her father fell into alcoholism following his mother’s death and died of liver failure two months after the birth of Lady Annabel’s first son, Rupert.
In 1986, at the age of 30, Rupert disappeared off the coast of West Africa, presumed drowned. Lady Annabel described the incident in an interview as “the worst thing that ever happened to me”. Guard, “It was worse than my parents dying, but I said to myself: ‘I have six children. I lost one. I have to be strong for the rest,'” he told the newspaper.
She wrote a number of books, including her own autobiography, Annabel: An Unconventional Life, which tells the story of the life of her pet dog, Copper.
He said this in 2009 Guard Stating that his happiness in life does not come from being elite, he said, “Give me dogs, give me children, give me books, and I will be happy.”
