Constance Marten: Who is the aristocrat who ended up in prison for killing her own baby?

Constance Marten, once a child of privilege and aristocratic grace, now faces years behind bars after being convicted of killing her own baby. Born into a life of wealth, power, and freedom, Marten is today locked behind the walls of HMP Bronzefield, her dazzling lineage overshadowed by a devastating tale of neglect, delusion, and death reportsThe Evening Standard.

Together with her partner Mark Gordon-a convicted rapist-Marten sparked a national manhunt in early 2023, convinced that the world was against them and only they knew what was right for their newborn daughter. But this twisted sense of superiority and self-pity led to a series of disastrous decisions, culminating in the tragic death of baby Victoria after just a few days of life.

The pair, fuelled by paranoia and an unshakeable belief in their own righteousness, hid from authorities in a freezing tent on the South Downs in the depths of winter. Their actions shocked the nation and led to a two-and-a-half-year legal saga, which ended at the Old Bailey on Monday with a jury convicting both of gross negligence manslaughter.

Who is Constance Marten's family?

It was a dramatic fall for Marten, who once roamed the grand grounds of the Grade I listed Crichel House in Dorset, a sprawling estate where she grew up alongside her three brothers-Maximilian, Freddie, and Tobias. Her family pedigree was impeccable: her grandmother, Mary Anna Marten, was a goddaughter of the Queen Mother and a childhood friend of Princess Margaret, while her father, Napier, served as a page to Queen Elizabeth II.

Mary Marten herself was the central figure in the infamous Crichel Down affair, one of Britain's great post-war political scandals. After the government seized part of the family estate during the Second World War and failed to return it, she fought tirelessly-and successfully-for its return, a battle that even forced a minister to resign.

Marten's father Napier lived a life of opulence until, in 1996, he vanished during what he later described as a personal "awakening." Constance was just nine at the time. In his absence, he left behind luxury for a spiritual journey that included whale-watching, tree surgery, and alleged visions. He shaved his head, moved to Australia, and later spoke of crying non-stop for seven days after an emotional encounter with whales during an out-of-body experience.

Reflecting on his departure, he admitted, "I do recall having a recognition of myself that I was exhibiting some sort of courage, but of course, in many other people's minds I was exhibiting some sort of cowardice."

On returning to Britain, Napier rejected his share of the estimated £115 million family fortune, choosing instead to live in a lorry and train in craniosacral therapy. The Crichel estate was passed to his eldest son, and in 2013 the mansion-along with 400 acres-was sold for a reported £34 million to a hedge fund billionaire.

For Constance Marten, the legacy of privilege, rebellion, and eccentricity now lies in tatters. What remains is a sobering reminder that even the grandest of bloodlines offer no protection from the consequences of catastrophic choices.

Who is Constance Marten? What life did she lead?

Marten, once the toast of high society and even featured as Tatler's "babe of the month," spiralled from rebellious aristocrat to convicted criminal, with her path to prison paved by a string of troubled choices and a fateful relationship that ended in heartbreak, reports The BBC.

Educated at St Mary's, Shaftesbury, a respected private girls' school, Marten was known among peers as something of a rebel. Her early family life was fractured; her parents separated when she was around seven years old. Her father left for Australia in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, while her mother-pregnant with her fourth child-later remarried.

In 2006, after finishing school, Marten travelled with her mother to Nigeria to visit the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (Scoan) in Lagos. While her mother, now going by Virginie De Selliers, soon returned to the UK, Marten stayed on, becoming a disciple at the church. But after four months she was expelled and returned home.

Back in the UK, she enrolled in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at Leeds University, spending a year in Cairo as part of her course. During this time, she briefly tasted the spotlight. At 21, Tatler magazine profiled her, describing decadent scenes and quoting her colourful commentary on aristocratic parties, including one hosted by a viscount which she likened to "a debauched feast from ancient Greece." She also mused about getting a tattoo of a tortoise.

After university, she took a position as a researcher at Al Jazeera and even attempted to make a documentary on controversial Nigerian preacher TB Joshua. However, by 2015, Marten had left journalism behind, training to become an actress instead. Friends say she abruptly stopped attending acting classes in 2016 and seemed to vanish from her usual circles.

It was around this period that Marten met Mark Gordon in an incense shop in Tottenham, North London. Gordon, a convicted rapist, made a troubling impression on Marten's family, who were deeply wary of the relationship from the beginning. Their concerns, however, went unheeded.

By 2017, the couple were travelling through South America with backpacks, disconnected from their former lives. When they returned to Britain, Marten-now in her 30s-was pregnant with her first child, marking the beginning of a dark chapter that would ultimately lead to baby Victoria's death and Marten's conviction for gross negligence manslaughter.

Her descent from aristocratic promise to criminal notoriety has stunned the nation, leaving behind a haunting legacy of a life once full of potential, now defined by tragedy.