A woman's home IS HER CASTLE

Fancy a peek behind the scenes at a country estate? Farmer's daughter Emma Manners, 11th Duchess of Rutland, takes us inside her family home at Christmas

- CHRISTABEL SMITH

The place I call home is Belvoir Castle, a fairy-tale estate in Leicestershire. The festive season here is always a highlight. Every year we have a theme, and this year it’s Cinderella. I work closely with my decorator designer, Ray, to create an enchanted wonderland, including a Santa’s grotto, where Father Christmas hands out gifts to children. I wrap hundreds of presents every year. We’re open to the public right up to Christmas, and the planning starts almost as soon as the decorations are dismantled.

Decorating the castle is a real joy. We have 75 Christmas trees, and the tallest is usually around 14ft. I keep our most precious ornaments for the tree in our sitting room, and we always have a nativity scene. We have 200 or so rooms, so games of hide-and-seek can take a while!

For me, Christmas has always been a magical family experience. I was born Emma Watkins, a farmer’s daughter from the Welsh borders, something I write about in my book, The Accidental Duchess. I had the happiest of childhoods, in a farmhouse with an off-center front door, and my mother, Roma, was a wonderful cook. The Christmas table was laid with gleaming silver and sparkling glass, we’d feast on turkey with all the extras, and everyone would sing or play an instrument. Now, at Belvoir Castle, I always have my family rituals in mind as I prepare for Christmas on a much larger scale, incorporating my husband David’s family traditions as well.