Aristocrat daughter of Queen’s page who is missing with lover and newborn was Tatler ‘It’ girl

By William On Jan 15, 2023

The aristocratic daughter of a former page to the Queen was a “very talented” actress who “could have gone a long way” before parting ways with her wealthy family, a former classmate said.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, along with their newborn baby, have been missing for ten days after they were seen leaving their burning disabled car on foot off the M61 near Bolton on January 5.

Both Met and Essex Police joined Greater Manchester Police in their efforts after the couple were spotted in Harwich Port, Essex and later at East Ham tube station in Newham, East London.

Officials are increasingly concerned for the well-being of both mother and baby, who have not been seen by medical personnel since birth.

Missing mother Constance Marten (pictured) was a ‘very talented’ actress who ‘could have gone a long way’, before parting ways with her wealthy family, a former classmate said.

Ms Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been missing since January 5 after their car broke down and caught fire on the M61. The couple was seen walking off the highway with their newborn.

Mrs. Marten belongs to a family of wealthy landowners, with ties to the Royal Family.

She is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, while her father, Napier Marten, was a page to Queen Elizabeth.

Before being separated from her family, which once owned the Crichel estate in Dorset, Marten was considered an ‘It’ girl, appearing on the page of fashion magazine Tatler’s Babe of the Month, while a student in 2008.

In the interview, the now-missing mother described her love for the Swiss Alps and her travels as a volunteer in Nepal.

Ms Marten (pictured) and her partner have been missing for ten days, however there have been several sightings, including in Essex and East London.

Police posted this photo of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon outside East Ham station at around 11:45am on Saturday, January 7.

After attending the University of Leeds, he dabbled in journalism and won awards for his photography, before moving to London and enrolling at East 15 School of Drama in Essex. The Sunday Times reports.

Speaking to the newspaper, an old friend and classmate of the missing woman said: “She was just beautiful, full of life, full of kindness and very, very talented.”

It could have gone too far. She was very talented.

The source said he had been using a trust fund, purportedly from a multi-million dollar trust held at C. Hoare & Co, the UK’s oldest private bank, to pay for the course.

Former classmates from Ms Marten’s East 15 drama school in Essex said she was a “very good actress” who “could have gone a long way”.

Ms Marten is believed to have been seen wrapped in a red blanket in Harwich Port, Essex, at 9am on Saturday

Who is the family of Constance Marten?

Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been missing since January 5.

The police are concerned for her well-being and that of her newborn baby, who has not been seen by medical experts.

Mrs. Marten is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, whose godmother was the late Queen Mother.

The family used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.

Miss Marten’s great-grandfather was Captain Napier Sturt, the third and last Baron Alington.

His father, Napier Marten, was a page to Queen Elizabeth and gave up the £115m family fortune, saying a voice in his head told him to “shave your head and go to Australia”.

Napier Marten’s parents were Toby Marten, Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, and Mary Anna, daughter and heiress of the 3rd Baron Alington.

Mary Anna had close ties to the Royal Family, attending the Brownies herd at Buckingham Palace alongside Princess Margaret, The Independent reported last night.

Following an archeology career that saw her travel the world, Ms Marten was awarded an OBE in 1980 and was appointed Trustee of the British Museum. She died in 2010.

From his father, who died in 1940 on active service in North Africa, he had inherited the extensive estate of Crichel House.

After Napier Marten gave up his inheritance and set off to travel the world, the 5,000-acre estate was expected to pass to his eldest son, Max, Constance’s younger brother.

However, in 2013 the house was bought by American billionaire Richard Chilton.

But the ‘very good actress’ dropped out of drama school in 2016, following a falling out with her course tutor, The Sunday Times reported, the same year she reportedly began living with Mark Gordon in Ilford, East London.

Although Gordon, born in Birmingham, grew up in Florida, he returned to the UK in 2010.

Ms Marten is believed to have estranged from her family due to her relationship with Gordon, however it is believed that she still has access to her family’s funds.

The couple’s neighbors in Ilford said the couple were “mysterious” and rarely used the garden or were seen talking to people.

The source believed that Marten had some odd jobs, but Gordon did not work.

The couple were later evicted from their home in Ilford and moved to the Coldharbour Estate in south-east London.

However, in August last year, after a court hearing, the couple were evicted for a second time, after failing to pay rent and leaving thousands of pounds in property damage.

It is not clear where they lived in the months between August and January of this year.

Marten and Gordon were last seen on January 7, leaving East Ham station in East London at 11:45 a.m.

Earlier that day, Marten had been seen in Harwich Port and in Colchester.

The couple is believed to have first paid cash to travel to Liverpool and then to Essex, possibly using a taxi, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: “It has been over a week since Constance and Mark’s car broke down on the M61, and we are increasingly concerned not just for their well-being, but for the well-being of your newborn child.

Being on the go for a week must be exhausting for new parents and a newborn baby.

‘Constance and Mark, I appeal directly to you, please think about the health and well-being of your baby and contact us so we can ensure your child is medically well and has no underlying issues.

‘Please do this for your son. You wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself if they got bad. All we want to do is help you and your baby.

The Met Police have now taken over the investigation.

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston said last week: “We know that some elements of the public may find police involvement unwelcome and I would like to assure them that we do not wish to impose ourselves for any reason other than to ensure that the newborn baby born be alive and well.’

A police source told The Sunday Times there were concerns that access to a large sum of money, coming from their family ties, could mean they could evade police for a significant amount of time.