# Annabelle Neilson

Iona Annabelle Neilson (31 March 1969 – 12 July 2018), known professionally as Annabelle Neilson, was an English socialite, model, author, and television personality. In a career that spanned 28 years, she was best known as the longtime muse of the fashion designer Alexander McQueen, as a main cast member on the Bravo reality television series Ladies of London (2014–2015), and as the writer of the Me Me Me children's book series.
Neilson was the first wife of Nathaniel Philip "Nat" Rothschild, a birth member of the Rothschild family's banking family of England.

## Early life

Iona Annabelle Neilson was born in Lambeth, South London, England on 31 March 1969, as the middle child and younger daughter to Maxwell Frederick "Max" Neilson (1939–2022), an investment and property advisor, and his wife, Marchesa Elizabetta Maria "Elizabeth" (née Campus [Di] Santinelli; 1943–2023), an interior designer. She had an elder sister, Camilla Jane "Millie" Neilson (born 1967), an artist, and a younger brother, Rupert David Frederick Neilson (1971–1971).
Neilson—until the age of sixteen—split her time between her family's country estate, Chilterns House in Chiltern Hills, and her family's home, 185 Chatsworth Court (Pembroke Road) in Kensington and Chelsea, West London.
Neilson had a troubled childhood. She once recalled: "My parents took me to 40 psychologists between the ages of four and eight to find out what was wrong with me. I didn't speak to anyone except my sister in a made-up language only she understood", along with "something like 20 child therapists", specifically, by the age of eight.
Neilson was a passionate horse rider from the age of four, until the age of sixteen.

### Education

Neilson attended Lady Eden's School on Victoria Road in Kensington, London, where she was held back a year. She caught up at Cobham Hall School, a private day and boarding school, housed in Cobham Hall in Cobham, Kent, where her school friends included the Japanese jewellery designer Francesca Amfitheatrof. She finished her education with no qualifications at the age of sixteen, opting to stay in bed instead of taking her O-levels. She was severely dyslexic and experienced extreme bullying in her school years.

### 1985 attack in Australia

Neilson was randomly attacked by a man during her gap year in Perth, Western Australia, at the age of sixteen. She was tied to a tree and continuously beaten during the attack, which lasted two hours before she eventually broke free. She did not know her attacker. She received facial reconstructive surgery in the aftermath, having been left disfigured. She quickly fell into a deep depression and became a heroin addict. She later said her addiction saved her "because otherwise I would have killed myself." Her attacker was later convicted of killing three women.

### Family

Neilson was born into an aristocratic family. During her childhood, she often enjoyed play dates at Warwick Castle, with her paternal cousin, Guy Greville, 9th Earl of Warwick (born 1957), the only son of her half-aunt Sarah Anne Chester Greville, Lady Brooke (née Beatty; born 1934), a socialite and former fashion model, and her first husband, David Greville, 8th Earl of Warwick (1934–1996). She was a paternal fourth cousin of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900–2002).
Neilson's mother gained her title through her Italian father, Marchese Gaetano Campus-Santinelli, who died in Sassari, Sardinia, before the birth of his granddaughter. It has been claimed that a distant relative, Captain Francesco Maria Santinelli (1627–1697), an Italian count, had an extramarital affair with Christina, Queen of Sweden (1626–1689), and was bestowed a title as an honour of him killing her lover. This title has been passed down, in generations, through the female relations.

## Career

Neilson launched her professional career as a fashion model during her early 20s. She became a muse for the fashion designer Alexander McQueen at the age of 22, and continued until his death in 2010. She was also a muse for John Galliano. She walked in fashion shows for McQueen and Galliano throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
Neilson appeared twice in the Vogue portfolio, How Many People Does It Take to Make a Dress?, where she depicted designers and their support groups, in 2000.
Neilson made her debut as an author with her novel On the Pond, which was published in 2005. She had been in the process of adapting the book into a film.
Neilson signed with the modeling agency Storm Management in 2007.
Neilson was the creator and writer of the PBS SoCAL arts and culture documentary series, Voces on PBS. The first season, consisting of four episodes, was broadcast in 2012. The second season, consisting of three episodes, was broadcast in 2015. The third, and final, season, consisting of three episodes, was broadcast in 2019. The series explored the diversity of the Latino cultural experience, and was produced by Latino Public Broadcasting.
Neilson appeared in the short film Because You're Mine in 2013, where she received special thanks.
Neilson rose to prominence as an original main cast member on the Bravo (U.S.) reality television series Ladies of London, which chronicled the lives of six women who lived in London, as they balanced their social lives, businesses, and families. The first season premiered on 2 June 2014, with Caroline Stanbury, Marissa Hermer, Juliet Angus, Caprice Bourret, and Noelle Reno, with the finale episode broadcast on 21 July 2014. The debut episode attracted 1.17M U.S. viewers. She quickly became a fan favourite and often published blogs on BravoTV.com. On 30 March 2015, the network renewed the series for a second season. She returned to the main cast for the second season, which premiered on 7 September 2015, with Caroline Fleming, Hermer, Stanbury, Angus, and Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke. She announced her departure from the show in a post to her official Instagram account on 9 November 2015, immediately following the airing of the season two finale.
Neilson appeared on the ITV daytime magazine programme This Morning, co-guesting alongside her Ladies of London co-stars: Angus, Hermer, Montagu, Reno, and Stanbury. The group were interviewed by Phillip Schofield and Amanda Holden, in the episode broadcast on 7 October 2014. Darren Kennedy, Bryan Adams and Laura Toogood also appeared on the episode.
Neilson was the "up-and-coming" author of the Me Me Me children's book series, illustrated by John Stephen Morrall, known as Astro, a graffiti artist. The first instalment, Angry Me (ISBN 9780992872878), was published by Fat Fox Books on 18 August 2015. The second and third instalments, Messy Me (ISBN 9781910884010) and Dreamy Me (ISBN 9781910884027), were published by Fat Fox Books on 19 January 2016. Angry Me is about her anger surrounding her struggles with dyslexia, Messy Me is about her sister, and Dreamy Me is about the fantasies she had during her recovery following her horse riding accident. There are fifteen unpublished works from the series, including Happy Me, ADD Me, about her experiences surrounding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Mellow Yellow, Giggle Me, and Bad Me.
Neilson attended a book signing at Alligator's Mouth, an indie children's bookshop, in Richmond, London on 5 September 2015. She attended a second book signing at Waterstones, Piccadilly on 11 February 2016.
Neilson appeared on the Bravo pop culture-based late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, co-guesting with Heather Dubrow, from The Real Housewives of Orange County, in the episode broadcast on 28 September 2015. During the episode, the trio participated in a gamelet created by Andy Cohen, titled 'Saved by the Anna-Bell'.
Neilson wrote her autobiography, McQueen and I (ISBN 9780753555125), which was published by Virgin Books on 4 February 2016.
Neilson made her final on-screen appearance in a cameo role during the biographical documentary film McQueen. The documentary focused on the life and career of Alexander McQueen, and was released during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, on 22 April.

## Charity work

Neilson modelled in Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief fundraiser, in aid of White Ribbon Alliance – Haiti, at Somerset House in Strand, London on 18 February 2010.
Neilson trained for a Goodwood race at Ladies' Day on 13 August 2013, in aid of Water, which sponsors a school in Ethiopia.
Neilson walked in Campbell's Fashion for Relief fundraiser, in aid of Disasters Emergency Committee – Ebola at Somerset House on 19 February 2015.
Neilson wrote a section of the children's book, The Curious Tale of Fi-Rex! (ISBN 978-1910884003), in aid of Children in Need 2015, which was published by Fat Fox Books on 1 October. The book was written, in chapters, by twenty public figures; Jamie Oliver and Jools Oliver, Amanda Holden, Ronan Keating, Bear Grylls, Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster, Coleen Rooney and Wayne Rooney, Denise van Outen, Andy Murray, Keith Lemon, Tom Daley, Sir Paul McCartney, One Direction, Take That, Kate Moss, Nicholas Grimshaw, and Kylie Minogue.
Neilson was involved with the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, through which she met Nelson Mandela himself. She had been introduced to the charity by Campbell.

## Personal life

Neilson kept her personal life mostly private. She once said, "I'd prefer to be infamous rather than famous" and often described herself as "more rock and roll than posh".
Neilson and her then-boyfriend, Nathaniel Philip "Nat" Rothschild (born 12 July 1971), a British-born Canadian financier, who was the only son of Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild (1936–2024) and Serena Rothschild, Baroness Rothschild (1934–2019), from the Rothschild family's banking family of England, eloped to Las Vegas, Nevada on 13 November 1995. She later told the Daily Mail newspaper: "Nat and I had been together for four years and I was 26 when I married him. He first asked me to marry him half an hour after we met and then every day afterwards. Finally, we decided to do it." The couple first met on a beach in Bali, Indonesia. They separated, which she initiated, in 1997 and their divorce was finalised in 1998, after less than three years of marriage. She received a substantial out-of-court settlement after signing a confidentiality agreement and agreeing to revert back to her maiden name, having been known as Annabelle Rothschild. Her sister-in-law was The Hon. Hannah Rothschild (born 1962). In 2014, her ex-husband said: "I find it bizarre that I'm still linked with someone I was involved with literally 20 years ago.
Neilson dated Lord Edward 'Speggy' Spencer-Churchill (born 1974), the youngest son of John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough and Rosita Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, following her divorce from Rothschild. The two remained close friends following their split. She attended Speggy's wedding to Kimberly "Kimi" Hammerstroem at Blenheim Palace on 7 July 2018, five days prior to her death, marking her final public appearance.
Neilson was a member of the Primrose Hill set during the 1990s. She later remained sober, but continued to smoke cigarettes. She was well-known as a socialite and had been described as an "it" girl.
Neilson lived at 2 Oakley Gardens in Chelsea, London, which she purchased for £700,000 in December 2001, and was estimated to be worth £3.1M at the time of her death. She owned a house in Australia.
Neilson had an extremely close friendship with the fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen CBE. The pair were introduced to each other by the magazine editor Isabella Blow. She was born two weeks after him. He called her Tinkerbell. McQueen's fashion house, Alexander McQueen, dedicated their Autumn/Winter 1998 show, Joan, to her. She was a bridesmaid at McQueen's unofficial Ibiza marriage ceremony to George Forsyth in 2000, which she also organised. She had a bedroom in every home he owned. She was the last person to see McQueen alive, having left his Green Street, Mayfair home at 3:00AM on 11 February 2010, the day of his suicide. She attended his funeral, which was held at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge on 25 February 2010, where she read lines from the Edgar Allan Poe poem, Annabel Lee. She organised and spoke at his memorial service, which was held at St Paul's Cathedral on 20 September 2010. She acted more reserved after his death. She later told the Daily Mail: "He was my brother, my boyfriend, my soulmate. Most of the time people called me Mrs. McQueen. Quite often we were sharing a bed. The truth is I was happier with Lee than with anyone else. He asked me to marry him towards the end and I said no. I wish now that I had said yes."
Neilson was a close family friend of the House of Montagu. John Montagu, 11th Earl of Sandwich, and his wife, Caroline Montagu, Countess of Sandwich, looked after her when she was a young girl. She would stay at Mapperton House during the shooting season. She was particularly close with Luke Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke, and his brother, The Hon. Orlando William Montagu, having met them during her 20s. She later became friends with Viscount Hinchingbrooke's wife, Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, whom she affectionately called Jules.
Neilson and Kate Moss were best friends. She was romantically involved with Jefferson Hack, the father of Lila Moss, following Moss and Hack's split. She had also been romantically linked to Will Ricker, and Karta Healy, the heir to Kettle Crisps. Naomi Campbell was a close friend. Her closest friend from the Bravo world was fellow-Brit, Lisa Vanderpump, from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules.
Neilson was an avid horse racer until 2013, when she was thrown off the saddle at 45 mph, breaking her pelvis. Four ambulances and a helicopter ambulance attended the scene. She was able to walk again after twelve weeks and was told by doctors that she could never ride again. She suffered chronic back pain forever after the incident.
Neilson enjoyed flying helicopters and swimming with sharks. She once competed in a rally across the Himalayas during the winter.

## Death

Neilson was found dead at her home in Chelsea, London on the evening of 12 July 2018. She was 49. The London Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at approximately 22:20 hours on Thursday, 12 July, to a residential address ... after a woman had been found deceased at the location. The death is not being treated as suspicious by police." Her death was announced to the public four days later, on 16 July. She had made her final public appearance five days earlier, on 7 July. Susan Lord, a spokesperson for Westminster Coroner's Court revealed her cause of death to be a "cerebrovascular accident", or a stroke. Her family said her cause of death was a heart attack. Natural causes were also reported as a possible cause of death.
On 14 July, two days after Neilson's death, a picture of a man in a swimming pool was shared to her official Instagram account, with the caption: "Fatties get in first! ?". The posthumous post led her close friends to believe the rumours of her death had been a hoax. Later that same day, a family member cleared her Instagram feed of negative-seeming photographs and captions.
Neilson was laid to rest following her private funeral service at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge on 27 July 2018. Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell gave a joint eulogy during the service, while Meg Mathews, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler and Tyler's then-partner, Dave Gardner, were among the mourners. Her ex-husband was not in attendance, while Campbell arrived late.
Neilson died on her former husband's 47th birthday, leading to numerous conspiracy theories, including conspiracy theories relating to the Rothschild family.

### Tributes

Tributes poured in from Neilson's family, friends, and fans across the world, with Caroline Stanbury, Marissa Hermer, Juliet Angus, Caroline Fleming, Sophie Stanbury, and Adela King, from Bravo's Ladies of London, leading the tributes on social media.
On 17 July, Neilson's sister, Millie, released a statement on behalf of her family: "Very sadly, we have been informed today that my sister Annabelle, died as a result of a heart attack at home last Thursday. It has come as a complete shock, as she had many plans having recently returned from Spain. My parents and I are devastated and shocked by this news. We would ask the media to respect the privacy of our family and Annabelle's close friends during this very difficult time. We will not be making any further statement at this time. We thank you for your consideration."
The fashion house, Alexander McQueen, paid tribute with lines from Edgar Allan Poe's poem, Annabel Lee. The Kate Moss Agency paid tribute with a broken heart emoji: "💔".
Bravo shared in a statement to The Daily Dish: "We at Bravo are saddened to hear about the passing of Annabelle Neilson who was a dearly loved and respected cast member on two seasons of 'Ladies of London.' We send our deepest sympathies to her family and friends during this very difficult time." On 18 July, Andy Cohen opened that nights episode of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen by saying: "I want to get started with some sad news. We found out that Annabelle from Ladies of London passed away. We just found out today. Don't have a lot of details; we just want to send our love to her family. She was unique and spirited and really wonderful to watch and to know. We're torn up about it here."