Barnscourt Parish Church, Co. Tyrone, 18 March 2024 DSC_0025-2
Alexandra Anastasia Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, OBE OStJ (née Phillips; b.27 Feb 1946 d.10 Dec 2018) was a British peeress and philanthropist. She was the wife of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn, and a descendant of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (b.1799 d.1837) in whose honour she founded the Pushkin Trust and the Pushkin prizes.
Born Alexandra Anastasia Phillips, she was the eldest daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Harold "Bunny" Phillips (b.1909 d.1980) and Georgina Wernher (b.1919 d.2011). Her paternal grandparents were Colonel Joseph Harold John Phillips and Mary Mercedes Bryce (b.1882 d.1951), daughter of John Pablo Bryce (b.1846 d.1901). Her maternal grandparents were Sir Harold Augustus Wernher (b.1893 d. 1973), 3rd Baronet and Countess Anastasia de Torby (b.1892 d.1977), morganatic daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia (b.1861 d.1929). Through the countess, she and her siblings claimed descent from the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and his great-grandfather, the Afro-Russian courtier Abram Petrovich Hannibal also know as Gannibal (b.1696? d.1781).
Sacha, as she was known to friends and family, had a younger brother, Nicholas Harold Phillips (b. 1947 d.1991), and three younger sisters, including Fiona Mercedes Burnett (b.30 March 1951), song writer and author, Marita Georgina Knight (formerly Crawley; b.28 May 1954) and Natalia Ayesha Grosvenor (b.8 May 1959), Duchess of Westminster.
Sacha was born in Tucson, Arizona, where her family was living while her father recovered from tuberculosis. She was christened at St Margaret's Church, Westminster, with Lord Louis Mountbatten (b.1900 d.1979), the Duchess of Kent (b.22 Feb 1933), and Sir William Stephenson among her godparents. Upon returning to the United Kingdom, the family lived at Thorpe Lubenham Hall in Northamptonshire, and later Checkendon Court, in South Oxfordshire.
She was educated at St Mary's School, Wantage, and in Paris, but her mother forbade university. She had a debutante ball attended by 800 guests including the late Queen Elizabeth II (b.1926 d. 2022) and the late Prince Philip (b.1921 d.2021), Duke of Edinburgh at Luton Hoo, the Bedfordshire seat of her maternal grandparents, the Wernhers, in the summer of 1964.
On 20 October 1966, at the age of 20, she married at Westminster Abbey, James Hamilton (b. 4 July 1934), Marquess of Hamilton, Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone and son and heir apparent of the 4th Duke of Abercorn. Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family attended, including Prince Andrew (b.19 Feb 1960), who was a pageboy.
In June 1979, James succeeded his father as 5th Duke of Abercorn and moved to the family seat, Baronscourt, near Newtownstewart in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
The Duke and Duchess had three children and three grandchildren:
James Harold Charles Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton (b. 19 Aug 1969); married 7 May 2004, Tanya Marie Nation (b.30 April 1971), had issue:
Lady Sophia Alexandra Hamilton (b. 8 June 1973); married 7 Sept 2002, Anthony William Vivian Loyd (b.12 Sept 1966), divorced 2005, no issue.
Lord Nicholas Edward Hamilton (b. 5 July 1979); married 30 August 2009, Tatiana Kronberg (b.1979), had issue.
Sacha was a close friend of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who often came carriage driving at Baronscourt. Her younger sister, Natalia Grosvenor (b. 8 May 1959), the Duchess of Westminster, is a godmother of Prince William (b. 21 June 1982), Prince of Wales. Her husband was a first cousin of John Spencer (b.1924 d.1992), 8th Earl Spencer, father of Diana, (b.1961 d.1997), Princess of Wales.
Sacha, Duchess of Abercorn died on 10th Dec 2018 at the age of 72 following an illness. Following a private funeral, she was buried at Baronscourt Parish Church, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. A memorial service was held at St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, on 30 May 2019, which was attended by Prince Andrew (b.19 Feb 1960), the Duke of York.
Barnscourt Parish Church, Co. Tyrone, 18 March 2024 DSC_0025-2
Alexandra Anastasia Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, OBE OStJ (née Phillips; b.27 Feb 1946 d.10 Dec 2018) was a British peeress and philanthropist. She was the wife of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn, and a descendant of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (b.1799 d.1837) in whose honour she founded the Pushkin Trust and the Pushkin prizes.
Born Alexandra Anastasia Phillips, she was the eldest daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Harold "Bunny" Phillips (b.1909 d.1980) and Georgina Wernher (b.1919 d.2011). Her paternal grandparents were Colonel Joseph Harold John Phillips and Mary Mercedes Bryce (b.1882 d.1951), daughter of John Pablo Bryce (b.1846 d.1901). Her maternal grandparents were Sir Harold Augustus Wernher (b.1893 d. 1973), 3rd Baronet and Countess Anastasia de Torby (b.1892 d.1977), morganatic daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia (b.1861 d.1929). Through the countess, she and her siblings claimed descent from the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and his great-grandfather, the Afro-Russian courtier Abram Petrovich Hannibal also know as Gannibal (b.1696? d.1781).
Sacha, as she was known to friends and family, had a younger brother, Nicholas Harold Phillips (b. 1947 d.1991), and three younger sisters, including Fiona Mercedes Burnett (b.30 March 1951), song writer and author, Marita Georgina Knight (formerly Crawley; b.28 May 1954) and Natalia Ayesha Grosvenor (b.8 May 1959), Duchess of Westminster.
Sacha was born in Tucson, Arizona, where her family was living while her father recovered from tuberculosis. She was christened at St Margaret's Church, Westminster, with Lord Louis Mountbatten (b.1900 d.1979), the Duchess of Kent (b.22 Feb 1933), and Sir William Stephenson among her godparents. Upon returning to the United Kingdom, the family lived at Thorpe Lubenham Hall in Northamptonshire, and later Checkendon Court, in South Oxfordshire.
She was educated at St Mary's School, Wantage, and in Paris, but her mother forbade university. She had a debutante ball attended by 800 guests including the late Queen Elizabeth II (b.1926 d. 2022) and the late Prince Philip (b.1921 d.2021), Duke of Edinburgh at Luton Hoo, the Bedfordshire seat of her maternal grandparents, the Wernhers, in the summer of 1964.
On 20 October 1966, at the age of 20, she married at Westminster Abbey, James Hamilton (b. 4 July 1934), Marquess of Hamilton, Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone and son and heir apparent of the 4th Duke of Abercorn. Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family attended, including Prince Andrew (b.19 Feb 1960), who was a pageboy.
In June 1979, James succeeded his father as 5th Duke of Abercorn and moved to the family seat, Baronscourt, near Newtownstewart in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
The Duke and Duchess had three children and three grandchildren:
James Harold Charles Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton (b. 19 Aug 1969); married 7 May 2004, Tanya Marie Nation (b.30 April 1971), had issue:
Lady Sophia Alexandra Hamilton (b. 8 June 1973); married 7 Sept 2002, Anthony William Vivian Loyd (b.12 Sept 1966), divorced 2005, no issue.
Lord Nicholas Edward Hamilton (b. 5 July 1979); married 30 August 2009, Tatiana Kronberg (b.1979), had issue.
Sacha was a close friend of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who often came carriage driving at Baronscourt. Her younger sister, Natalia Grosvenor (b. 8 May 1959), the Duchess of Westminster, is a godmother of Prince William (b. 21 June 1982), Prince of Wales. Her husband was a first cousin of John Spencer (b.1924 d.1992), 8th Earl Spencer, father of Diana, (b.1961 d.1997), Princess of Wales.
Sacha, Duchess of Abercorn died on 10th Dec 2018 at the age of 72 following an illness. Following a private funeral, she was buried at Baronscourt Parish Church, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. A memorial service was held at St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, on 30 May 2019, which was attended by Prince Andrew (b.19 Feb 1960), the Duke of York.