Lady Annabel Goldsmith, the celebrated society beauty who gave her name to the iconic Mayfair nightclub Annabel's, has died at the age of 91. Her family announced that she passed away peacefully in her sleep after a very short illness.
Born Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart in London in 1934 into an Anglo-Irish aristocratic family, she became Lady Annabel at 15 when her father inherited the Marquessate of Londonderry. Queen Elizabeth II attended her coming-out ball in 1952.
Lady Annabel was married first to Mark Birley, who founded Annabel's nightclub in 1963. The club became a legendary haunt for royalty and celebrities, from the Kennedys to Frank Sinatra. After Birley, she was the mistress and later wife of billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith, with whom she had three children: Jemima, Zac, and Ben.
Her family paid tribute, with son Ben saying: 'We are bereft... because of the immense hole in our lives she leaves behind.' Her children Robin, India Jane, Jemima, Zac, and Ben survive her. She was predeceased by her eldest son Rupert, who died in 1986 aged 30.
Lady Annabel was also an author, writing memoirs Annabel: An Unconventional Life (2004) and No Invitation Required (2009), and founded the Eurosceptic Democracy Movement. She attended son Zac's wedding to Hum Fleming just last month.
