Constance Marten went into hiding to 'avoid baby being taken into care', why is she an aristocrat, who are her parents

Marten and Mark Gordon, 50, are on trial at the Old Bailey, charged with gross negligence manslaughter following the death of their daughter in early 2023.

Marten comes from a wealthy and aristocratic background, raised at the grand Crichel House estate in Dorset. Her father, Napier Marten, served as a page to Queen Elizabeth II and is the son of Mary Anna Marten, a close friend of the Queen Mother. Despite her privileged upbringing, Marten told jurors she was “financially privileged... but emotionally not at all,” and described herself as estranged from her family.

Victoria was born on Christmas Eve 2022 while the couple were staying in a rented cottage in Northumberland. The baby died just over two weeks later, on January 9. Her body was found wrapped in a shopping bag in a disused shed near Brighton after the couple were arrested on February 27, 2023. The prosecution alleges the child died from hypothermia or was smothered while co-sleeping in a tent on the South Downs.

Marten and Gordon had avoided contact with authorities for weeks after the baby’s birth. Giving evidence on Thursday, Marten told the court: “Absolutely not, we did everything we could to protect her.” She said they were afraid Victoria would be taken by social services, describing the removal of her previous children as having been “stolen by the state.”

Explaining their decision to live off-grid, Marten said: “I didn’t want one single authority to have jurisdiction over my daughter, so if we kept moving, they couldn’t take her.” She added: “I knew that my family would be looking and they would have people that they were paying to follow us.”

After leaving the cottage on Boxing Day, Marten said their plan was to “continue to move jurisdictions every three or four days, rent a place in cash and live there as long as I can with Victoria.” She described the baby as “good”, saying she fed regularly and slept a lot.

Victoria was often carried in a sling under Marten’s coat to keep her hidden. On January 5, their car caught fire near Bolton, forcing them to flee and continue travelling on foot. Marten told the court: “Obviously I wanted to keep Victoria with us. Children, especially babies… are very sensitive to love, warmth, environment, in terms of motherly love, and I don’t think it’s fair on a young baby not to experience that.”

She added: “I think she needed to be with her parents as long as possible. For her sake predominantly, but obviously as a mother, it’s heart-wrenching when you lose your children.”

Asked how she feels now about her daughter’s death, Marten said: “I don’t think this process has really allowed me to grieve properly. I still feel angry, upset, still in shock.”

She also reflected: “If I had a crystal ball and I could see into the future what would happen to Victoria because of my exhaustion then of course I would have preferred to have made different choices but we did what we could in the moment to keep her with her parents and to protect her.”

The court heard that Marten and Gordon met around ten years ago, later travelling to Peru where they held a non-legally binding “blessing” ceremony. “I love him very much,” Marten said. “He is very dear to me.” She added that he was not welcomed by her family.

Gordon has elected not to give evidence in the trial. Both defendants, who have no fixed address, deny gross negligence manslaughter and causing or allowing Victoria’s death between January 4 and February 27, 2023. They have previously been convicted of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.

Why is Constance Marten an aristocrat and who are her parents?

Constance was born in 1987 to Napier Marten and Virginie De Selliers, into a family with deep ties to British aristocracy and royal circles. Her paternal grandmother, Mary Anna Marten, was a trustee of the British Museum and a goddaughter to the Queen Mother. As a child, she was also a playmate of Princess Margaret.

Her father, Napier Marten, served as a page to Queen Elizabeth II between 1973 and 1975. The family lived at Crichel House, a grand Georgian mansion set within 5,000 acres of parkland in Dorset. The estate, regarded as one of the most significant Georgian homes in England, was used as a filming location for the 1996 adaptation of Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor.

Constance grew up at Crichel House alongside her two younger brothers, Maximilian and Tobias. She was educated at St Mary’s Shaftesbury, an independent Roman Catholic girls’ school known for its notable alumnae, including novelist Sophie Kinsella, art curator Laura Lopes—daughter of Queen Camilla—and filmmaker Martha Fiennes, sister of actor Ralph Fiennes. Before the school closed in 2020 due to financial difficulties during the pandemic, annual boarding fees exceeded £30,000.