Constance Ashley-Cooper, Countess of Shaftesbury

Constance Ashley-Cooper, Countess of Shaftesbury (22 August 1875 – 8 July 1957), formerly Lady Constance Sibell Grosvenor, was the wife of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury. She was the daughter of Victor Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor, and his wife, the former Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, daughter of Richard Lumley, 9th Earl of Scarbrough.

She married the earl 15 July 1899. She was invested as a Dame of Justice of Order of St. John of Jerusalem (DJStJ) and served as a Lady and Extra Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary, wife of King George V of the United Kingdom, between 1906 and 1953.

The earl and countess had five children:

• Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley (4 October 1900 – 8 March 1947).
• Lady Mary Sibell Ashley-Cooper (3 October 1902 – 2 August 1936), who married Napier Sturt, 3rd Baron Alington of Crichel.
• Lady Dorothea Louise Ashley-Cooper (29 April 1907 – 1987), who married to Anthony Head, 1st Viscount Head.
• Lady Lettice Mildred Ashley-Cooper (12 February 1911 – 1990) Flight Officer W.A.A.F ; European War 1939–45 (despatches)
• Major Hon. Anthony John Percy Hugh Michael Ashley-Cooper (5 October 1915 – 1986), who married Julian Petherick and had four daughters.

One of the official homes of the earl and countess was Belfast Castle, which had been reconstructed by the earl's father. However, the couple lived on English estate and spent no time in Belfast after the Partition of Ireland. In 1934, they presented the castle to the city of Belfast. The Chapel of the Resurrection, originally intended as a family mausoleum, was presented to the Church of Ireland, and the remainder of the grounds were sold for housing.[1]

Photographs of the countess by Bassano Ltd are held by the National Portrait Gallery.[2]