Tributes paid to Fiona Lady Montagu who died aged 79

For more than 40 years Fiona, Lady Montagu helped her husband run the family business - the award-winning National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.

Rarely out of the public eye the couple often found themselves playing host to royalty, rock stars and other celebrities.

Lord and Lady Montagu were married for more than 40 years (Image: Newsquest.)

After Lord Montagu died in 2015 the former TV producer moved away and began a new life in London.

Speaking at the time she voiced her admiration for her late husband and described her time at Beaulieu as "fantastic".

READ MORE: Lady Montagu, widow of Lord Montagu, reveals why she is leaving Beaulieu

But peace and privacy at the internationally-renowned attraction were often in short supply, thanks to the large number of tourists who trooped through Palace House. 

She once told the Daily Echo: "I’ve always said that I’m not to the manor born, I’m to the manor married.

"I remember the day I walked into my bedroom and a little girl was sitting at my dressing table, brushing her hair. That’s when I decided that maybe my bedroom should be out of bounds to visitors!"

Fiona Lady Montagu with Ed Stewart at an Elvis party held to celebrate her 70th birthday (Image: Unknown)

But Lady Montagu had no regrets about her 41 years at Beaulieu, even though she was always "on parade".

She said: "I’m a very positive person and so was my husband – I don’t think he ever had a negative thought in his life.

"We made a wonderful team and I was so very, very fond of him. What an amazing man he was."

READ MORE: Elvis fan Lady Montagu as you have never seen her before

Lord and Lady Montagu were married at Lymington Register Office in 1974, a few months after the peer’s first marriage ended in divorce.

Lord and Lady Montagu present Florrie Crouch with cruise tickets she won in a grand draw (Image: Newsquest.)

Lord Montagu, who already had two children, became a father for the third time when his son Jonathan was born at Southampton General Hospital in 1976.

Lady Montagu was heavily involved in the Beaulieu-based Countryside Education Trust.

A CET spokesperson said: "Lady Montagu was a champion of the Trust ever since its creation, raising considerable funds for the charity with her annual Christmas Fair."

When her husband died he was succeeded by his eldest son, Ralph, who became the 4th Baron Montagu of Beaulieu.

Referring to his half-brother he said: "Jonathan Montagu is sad to report the death of his mother Fiona, Lady Montagu.

"She passed away peacefully at her home in London following a short illness. She spent her last week surrounded by her close family."

In full - the statement released by Lord Montagu following the death of his father's second wife

"Jonathan Montagu is sad to report the death of his mother Fiona, Lady Montagu. She passed away peacefully at her home in London following a short illness on Sunday 14th May. She spent her last week surrounded by her close family including Jonathan, Nathalie, her grand-daughter Akina, Ralph and Mary.

"Fiona, Lady Montagu was born in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), the daughter of Richard and Isobel Herbert.

"She attended finishing school in Switzerland after which she worked as a film production assistant in Britain before marrying Edward, Lord Montagu in September 1974.

"As Lady Montagu of Beaulieu, she became a champion of the newly established Countryside Education Trust, raising considerable funds for the charity, particularly through an annual Christmas Fair which she organised at Palace House.

"She served as an international advisor to the World Centre of Compassion for Children, was a trustee of Vision-in-Action, led by Yasuhiko Kimura, and became a Patron of the Relational Thinking Network.

"She was instrumental in the foundation of the Club of Budapest, an informal association of people in art, literature and culture, and was appointed their first global ambassador. This gave rise to the formation of the World Wisdom Council which promotes the idea of change througha new dimension of consciousness.

"Since the death of Edward, Lord Montagu in 2015, she lived in London. The family intends to hold a private funeral which will be followed by a service of thanksgiving for her life at a later date."