Lady Victoria Hervey

Lady Victoria Frederica Isabella Hervey (Template:IPAc-en; born 6 October 1976) is an English model, socialite, and former "It girl".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, half-sister of the 7th Marquess, and sister of the 8th Marquess and Lady Isabella Hervey.

Early life

Hervey ancestral arms

File:Formentor Monaco.jpg

Le Formentor, Monte Carlo, a childhood home

Lady Victoria is the eldest child of the 6th Marquess of Bristol and his third wife, Yvonne Marie Sutton, and was born on her father's 61st birthday, 6 October 1976.<ref name=burkes>Template:Cite web</ref> She is the elder sister of the incumbent 8th Marquess of Bristol and Lady Isabella Hervey. Her older half-brothers were the 7th Marquess of Bristol and Lord Nicholas Hervey, both of whom are deceased. Leka, Crown Prince of Albania, stood sponsor as one of her godfathers.<ref>De-la-Noy, Michael. The House of Hervey. London, 2001. Template:ISBN</ref>

For the first two years of her life Hervey lived at Ickworth House, the family seat in Suffolk, before her parents went into tax exile in Monaco. At the time of her father's death in 1985, the family was living in an apartment in Monte Carlo,<ref name=probate> ”COCHRANE most honourable marquis Victor Frederick” in Probate Index for England and Wales 1985, online at probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 7 April 2020</ref>

She was educated at Benenden School,<ref name=burkes/> and spent a gap year in Florence before working at advertising agencies in London.

Career

Early work

After Hervey turned down a place to read French and History of Art at the University of Bristol, her mother stopped her allowance and she reluctantly became a receptionist for producer Michael Winner.Template:Citation needed

Modelling and fashion

Hervey became a part-time catwalk model in a career move she hoped would take her into television presenting, but with her statuesque 6-foot height she took to the career full-time, ultimately modelling for Christian Dior. In April 2000, she and friend Jayne Blight opened Knightsbridge fashion boutique Akademi. Frequented by Victoria Beckham, Meg Mathews and Martine McCutcheon, it closed in 2001 with debts estimated at £350,000. Hervey was reportedly only £20 out of pocket by the business failure but in the year following the closure, Hervey owed a series of personal debts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2012, it was reported that Hervey had taken the position as Events and Society Editor for The Untitled Magazine, a bi-annual magazine about fashion and entertainment.<ref>"Lady Victoria Hervey joins THE UNTITLED MAGAZINE", Fashion Beauty Monitor 25 June 2012.</ref>

Film

In December 2003, Hervey secured a small part in the 2004 Colin Hanks film Rx as a waitress in a diner.<ref>Profiles: Lady Victoria Hervey Template:Webarchive, HELLO Magazine. Accessed 23 September 2008.</ref>

Television

In 2001, Hervey made a cameo appearance in BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous in the first episode of series four. In October 2004, Hervey appeared on Channel Five'sThe Farm. In July 2006, she appeared in the ITV show Love Island. On 18 September 2007, she appeared on ITV's Don't Call Me Stupid programme, where she was asked to learn about the Labour Party with George Galloway. In February 2015, Hervey, an experienced skier, appeared on Channel 4's The Jump where she participated on the condition her dog joined her in Austria.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Literary

In 2016 Hervey's young adult book, Lady in Waiting, was published by Finch. The novel is semi-autobiographical and concerns life at a girls' boarding school.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

Hervey lives in Los Angeles. She has had relationships with several well-known people, including the then Prince Andrew (briefly during 1999)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Boyzone member Shane Lynch.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2003, Hervey attracted controversy after saying, "It's so bad being homeless in winter. They should go somewhere warm like the Caribbean where they can eat fresh fish all day."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In January 2022 Hervey said in an interview that she felt that Ghislaine Maxwell had used her as "bait", to attract women to Jeffrey Epstein's parties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /> She later suggested that a photo showing the then Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre had been faked with body doubles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After Giuffre's April 2025 suicide, Hervey sparked outrage by sharing a link to the news of her death on social media with the comment "When lies catch up with you there's no way out."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In December 2024, Lady Victoria was among the guests at the annual Claridge’s Christmas Tree unveiling in Mayfair, London. The event brought together figures from fashion and society, including Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, Olivia Buckingham, Lady Violet Manners, and Alice Naylor-Leyland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• Hello Magazine profile