Gliding gracefully towards us in a showstopping gold tailored suit, her Louboutin heels clicking purposefully on the polished wooden floor, Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, greets us not with a formal handshake and glacial aristocratic gaze, but a warm hug and beaming smile that lights up the room at her magnificent Elizabethan residence, Longleat House in Wiltshire.
"I'm so excited," she smiles as she invites us for the first time into the newly decorated private apartment she shares with her husband Ceawlin, the 8th Marquess, and their two young sons, John, Viscount Weymouth, and Lord Henry Thynn.
"It's such an honour to be joining the amazing HELLO! team!"
Indeed, HELLO! can proudly reveal that Emma is our new Social Editor at Large, and for the coming year, will be reporting on glamorous high-profile events, exhibitions, fashion shows and film festivals, to name but a few, in the international calendar.
A modern Marchioness
As the modern face of 21st century British aristocracy, Emma is unique.
Pushing the boundaries with a series of firsts, she has blazed her own trail since marrying Ceawlin in 2013 and becoming Marchioness after the death of Alexander Thynn, the eccentric 7th Marquess, four years ago.
At a time when it shouldn't matter, much has been made of the fact that Emma is the first mixed heritage woman – her mother is former London socialite Suzanna McQuiston, her father is Nigerian oil magnate Oladipo Jadesimi – to become a marchioness.
She is also the first with that title to walk the runway at fashion shows – coveted designers including Dolce & Gabbana – to become a brand ambassador for numerous prestige brands to compete in Strictly Come Dancing – and, on an unusual note, to spend evenings watching TV cocooned in an infrared sauna bag.
"After I've made the boys dinner, it's homework and bed for them," says Emma. "Then I climb into my cosy infrared bag, lie on the floor, and watch The Gentlemen and Palm Royale with Ceawlin."
Her marriage with husband Ceawlin
Preferring to observe from the sidelines while his beautiful wife steps into the limelight for our exclusive photoshoot, Ceawlin, 49, is an attentive modern husband and dad.
The couple, who celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary in June, clearly adore one another.
"He's very romantic," confides Emma. "He's also thoughtful, gives me lovely presents and enjoys celebrating special occasions."
Breaking with the rigid aristocratic conventions of 16 generations of Marquesses before them seems to be what makes them tick.
Family life with her 'boisterous' boys
"I don't know what people imagine I'm like," muses Emma, the down-to-earth chatelaine of this 900–acre estate. "I'm friendly, open, honest, and practical. Gym kit or full glam is my entire wardrobe. At Longleat I'm in my hoody most of the time. With two boisterous boys, I never wear white at home – can you imagine?!"
"They love playing in the house; it's perfect for hide-and-seek and they use the grand staircase as base camp," says Emma, whose expression changes to a wry smile as we wander through a corridor of antique Chinese urns.
"They were playing pac-ball out here the other day and smashed one of the lids."
"This isn't a museum; it's a real home and accidents happen. The boys are like wild creatures and play together like little foxes," she continues, her voice full of pride and affection.
"When I get them ready in my bathroom each morning, they flood the floor and make silly noises. They grew up loving pirates and soldiers and are fascinated by the history of the house. They get on so well, share a room, and are always together."
As for their individual personalities, Emma describes John as "very competitive" and his younger brother Henry as "happy just to hang out."
"With his fighting spirit, I feel like John is a feistier version of me. He wants to be a tennis player and start a tournament for children at Longleat, so we're resurfacing the tennis court. He wants to play in it, sell the tickets and organise it all.
"Both he and Henry have started to learn to fence," she continues. "Henry joins in with everything but isn't as hyper-bothered. He loves superheroes and has natural agility in gymnastics."
John is destined to steer the Longleat ship when he eventually becomes the 9th Marquess. Does he understand what this means?
"I suppose he does," says Emma, "but watching his father and me, he'll see that the role is about dedication and hard work."
Longleat's impressive safari park
The boys are already well-versed in conducting tours of the Safari Park – which features a myriad of animals including the famous lions, tigers, giraffe, rhinos, koalas, two sloths and the latest addition, a pack of painted dogs, one of Africa's most endangered species – for friends.
"They're very good at hosting," says Emma. "A few weeks ago, Lord Freddie and Sophie Windsor brought their daughters Maud, who's 10, and Isabella, seven, down to see us, so John and Henry took them on safari. They were so sweet together."
While over a million visitors a year flock to see Longleat's opulent Venetian palace-inspired state rooms, which feature ornate ceilings, Flemish tapestries, French furniture, and grand master paintings including a Titian – retrieved after a burglary and soon set to go to auction at Christie's – Emma and her family live in a separate wing, where their new interiors blend modern living with the 500-year-old historic backdrop.
Their private home on the estate
For keen chef Emma, their modest private kitchen, brimming with fruit, vegetables, and herbs, is perfect for them. "It had to be functional, with a big fridge, two dishwashers and a hot tap," she says.
Despite being partial to scones covered in generous dollops of jam and cream, which she tucks into during our interview, Emma works hard to maintain her health and fitness.
Early morning exercise – she wakes at dawn to run through the mist around the Longleat estate – is as much a form of meditation as a work-out.
"It's what makes me feel able to do everything, to compose my thoughts. The mind can make thoughts scatter like jacks, but after a run, they fall into place with clarity for me. I like to take the boys out for runs all over the estate too. I'm trying to instill in them that getting out into the fresh air is very important."
Baby number three
Previous generations of Marchionesses were expected to continue having children, long after dutifully producing the required 'heir and a spare'. Although times have changed, would Emma like more?
"Not right now," she says, smiling. "Keeping up with the boys is a lot – they're on different schedules at school already. But never say never!"
Photography: Elisabeth Hoff
Hair: Jack Thirlway
Makeup: Howard Kong
Fashion Stylist: Jodie Nellist assisted by Ciara Russell
