Mary Montagu-Scott wins Beaulieu Village Community Award

The Hon Mary Montagu-Scott has been presented with the inaugural Beaulieu Village Community Award, which will be given out each year to mark International Women's Day.

Mrs Montagu-Scott, 60, is the sister of Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and a former High Sheriff of Hampshire.

She is also a trustee of the New Forest Agricultural Show Society, commodore of the Beaulieu River Sailing club, and a patron of Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington.

Mary Montagu-Scott escorted Lord Ivar Mountbatten when he paid a visit to Buckler's Hard (Image: Supplied)

The new award has been created by the Beaulieu Village Hall committee to honour women who "go the extra mile" to support the community.

Committee chairman Tony Bishop-Weston said: "There are a number of women who deserve the award and whose names were suggested by the community, but it was clear and fitting that the first award should go to Mary Montagu-Scott."

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Mr Bishop-Weston said her accolades and achievements were numerous.

But he added: "Like Mary's grandmother, Pearl Pleydell-Bouverie, a former Lady Montagu of Beaulieu, there is far more behind the scenes that sometimes goes unappreciated.

"We hope this first-ever International Women's Day Beaulieu Village Community Award goes some way in helping that appreciation of women in our community to be more ubiquitous in years to come."

Mary Montagu-Scott with her brother, Lord Montagu, aboard Gipsy Moth IV at Buckler's Hard (Image: Beaulieu Enterprises) Mrs Montagu-Scott added: "I am absolutely thrilled to have been awarded this beautifully made Beaulieu Village Community award for International Women’s Day.

"It came as a complete surprise and I am really honoured to be the first recipient. I love all the things I do in the Beaulieu community and the many brilliant people I work with. It's all a team effort."

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Married with two children, Mrs Montagu-Scott has lived in Beaulieu all her life.

She is the daughter of Edward, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, who opened the family's ancestral home, Palace House, to the public in 1952 and created what became the National Motor Museum.

Mary Montagu-Scott and her brother welcomed The Wombles when they visited the National Motor Museum in 2024 (Image: Newsquest)

Mrs Montagu-Scott went to Brockenhurst College and Southampton Art College before studying theatre design at the Central School of Art in London.

During her time at Brockenhurst, her father hosted a dinner party attended by Michael Jackson and Liberace.

Mrs Montagu-Scott is is closely associated with Buckler's Hard, a former shipbuilding village on the banks of the Beaulieu River, and is a director of the Buckler's Hard Maritime Museum.

In April 2017 she began a one-year term as High Sheriff of Hampshire and in 2018 became a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire.