Duchess of Rutland settles ‘Bee-va’ vs ‘Bel-vwar’ debate and talks Belvoir Castle

The owner of Belvoir Castle, the Duchess of Rutland, has confirmed the correct pronunciation of the site’s name, after years of debate over whether it is said ‘Bee-va’ or ‘Bel-vwar’.

Emma Manners, the Duchess of Rutland, runs commercial activities at Belvoir Castle near Grantham, opening her fabulous stately home up to the public 180 days a year.

Her journey through life is a remarkable one. Starting as a farmer’s daughter in Wales, The Duchess of Rutland went on to run an interior design company, meeting the Duke of Rutland at a dinner party and eventually marrying him in 1992.

The Duchess of Rutland oversees and runs commercial events at Belvoir Castle.

Speaking to The Lincolnite about the launch of her new autobiography The Accidental Duchess, Her Grace traced back the origins of the name Belvoir and provided some fascinating insight into the debate of how it is pronounced started.

The Duchess said: “It is ‘Bee-va’, it originates from 1066, when indigenous English speakers could not pronounce the French spelling of Belvoir, so over generations it has changed to sounding like beaver.

“The word Belvoir means beautiful view in French, which is fitting for the castle as from every angle you look, you are treated to a beautiful view.”

The Duchess knows best, it’s ‘Bee-va’!

The land at Belvoir was a gift from William the Conqueror to the family’s first recorded ancestor, Robert de Todeni, one of his Norman barons and a standard bearer in the Battle of Hastings.

This is backed up by Belvoir Farm, which recently put out a television advert for its drinks range and clarified that is in fact pronounced ‘Bee-va’ despite the spelling indicating that it should be ‘Bel-vwar’.

A large part of Belvoir Castle’s recent history is its use in hit Netflix show The Crown, depicting Windsor Castle for the first three seasons of the royal drama.

The Duchess called it a “great honour” to have scenes from the show filmed at her home, stating that the money generated from this goes straight back into renovation and preservation of Belvoir Castle.

The Duchess’ new book will explore her life from farmer’s daughter in Wales to running a 200-room stately home.

We also discussed the Royal Family, with The Duchess of Rutland expressing her thanks to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following her recent passing.

“I was a huge fan of Her Majesty’s work and what she has done for every single one of us, whether we are monarchists or not.

“I consider her an unsung hero of the 20th and 21st century, and the baton has been handed over to King Charles III in the most wonderful, positive way.”

The Duchess with her loving pooches.

The Accidental Duchess by Emma Manners Duchess of Rutland is published by Pan Macmillan. It is available to buy now, after being released on September 15.

The autobiography is a revealing glimpse into the Duchess’ life, from maintaining a 200-room stately home, to partying with Hugh Grant and dressing as a cleaner to catch a glimpse of filming of The Crown inside Belvoir Castle.

The Accidental Duchess, the autobiography from Emma Manners Duchess of Rutland, is out now.