Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Culture

    Who Is Lady Jane Fellowes? Everything You Need to Know About Princess Diana's Sister

    She has a special role in the royal wedding.

    Alex Warner#039;s avatar
    By Alex Warner
    Published 19 May 2018 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Her real name is CynthiaPrincess Diana was a bridesmaid in her weddingJane and Diana were neighbors at Kensington PalaceShe has kept out of the spotlight since her sister's death

    The Spencer family has arrived to the royal wedding! To honor Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, he and Meghan Markle decided to invite her whole family, including her siblings Earl Charles Spencer, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and Lady Jane Fellowes,

    Prince Harry chose his auntie Jane to give a reading during the ceremony to celebrate his mother's life. "Prince Harry is keen to involve his mother's family in his wedding," Harry's secretary wrote in a statement.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    "Prince Harry and Ms. Markle both feel honoured that Lady Jane will be representing her family and helping to celebrate the memory of the late Princess on the wedding day."

    Wearing a silver jacket and sensible black hat, Jane read a passage from the Old Testament, Song of Solomon 2:12, which goes:

    You may like
    • Meghan Markle in a black suit Prince Harry Reveals the Two Things Meghan Markle Prayed to Princess Diana For During Emotional Gravesite Visit
    • Princess Diana sitting in a carriage with Prince Charles Diana Said Her Wedding to Charles Was One Family Member's "Proudest Day"
    • Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer in linen vests at Wimbledon 2026 Amelia and Eliza Spencer Follow in Princess Diana's Style Footsteps at Wimbledon

    "The flowers appear on the Earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs and the vines are in blossom, they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one's house, it would be utterly scorned."

    Lady Jane Fellowes gives a reading from the Song of Solomon #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/SQSj692LGTMay 19, 2018

    So, here's what you need to know about Lady Jane Fellowes.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Her real name is Cynthia

    She was originally born Cynthia Jane Spencer on February 11, 1957, to Edward John Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd, but has since decided to go by her middle name. She is the second born of the four Spencer children.

    Fun fact: her older sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale also goes by one of her middle names. She was born Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia Spencer, but goes by Sarah.

    Princess Diana was a bridesmaid in her wedding

    In 1978, Jane married Robert Fellowes, who was then the assistant private secretary to the Queen—and a 16-year-old Diana was one of her bridesmaids!

    What to read next
    • Harriet Sperling wears a bridal white lace dress from a Princess Kate-approved label for Day 5 of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 20, 2026 Harriet Sperling Returns to Royal Ascot in Bridal Lace
    • Princess Diana wears a white gown and matching hat on the Buckingham Palace balcony in 1983 for Trooping the Colour, alongside King Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Michael of Kent An Unexpected Royal Offered Princess Diana Their Undying Support
    • Emilia and Eliza Spencer in white dresses at the 2026 Wimbledon championships Amelia and Eliza Spencer Are Serving Tennis Whites at Wimbledon

    Photograph, People, White, Black-and-white, Standing, Monochrome, Child, Dress, Snapshot, Fashion,

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Sarah and Robert have three kids together, Emily Jane McCorquodale, 34, George Edmund McCorquodale, 33, and Celia Rose McCorquodale, 29.

    Jane and Diana were neighbors at Kensington Palace

    Since her husband Lord Fellowes was the Queen's private secretary, he lived on the Palace grounds, reportedly in a house called the Old Barracks. Prince Charles and Diana lived in apartments 8 and 9, which are right next door.

    She has kept out of the spotlight since her sister's death

    According to a BBC documentary, it was Lady Jane who gave the tragic news of Diana's death to her sister Sarah and brother Charles on the morning of August 31, 1997. Jane did not participate in the documentary, but her siblings did.

    Since Diana's funeral—where she read a poem by Henry Van Dyke Jr.—it's been reported that the two had a strained relationship. According to the Princess of Wales' former butler, Paul Burrell, the two were distant because of Jane's husband's position with the Queen.

    Follow along here as we report on the royal wedding in real-time—from the dress to the tiara to Harry and Meghan's most adorable moments.

    Explore More
    Diana Meghan Markle Prince Harry
    Alex Warner
    Alex Warner
    Social Links Navigation
    Editor

    I’m currently working at Dotdash Meredith as the Celeb Entertainment E-Commerce Lead contributing affiliate content for People.com and InStyle.com. I’m basically like your personal shopper, from writing about that cozy loungewear set you didn’t know you needed to keeping tabs on the best sales and deals on the internet. I’m also a pro at finding affordable dupes for celebrity looks and I love to dig into the data to strategize content opportunities.

    Read more
    Princess Kate Middleton has long wavy brown hair and wears a black polo neck sweater with a brown blazer
    Royals One Royal Has Become "Very Close" to Princess Kate
    By Amy Mackelden
    Pippa Middleton wearing a white dress and sunglasses at Wimbledon
    Royals Pippa Middleton Could Be Offered One Future Role With Princess Kate
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Prince Harry smiling in front of a step and repeat
    Royals Prince Harry’s Cousin Shares Thoughts on His “Exciting” Return to Britain
    By Kristin Contino
    The exterior of Althorp House with sheep in the foreground
    Royals Take a Look Inside Princess Diana's Stunning Childhood Home, Althorp House
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Culture
    US actress Zendaya presents the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award to US actress Jean Smart onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026.
    Culture We're Tracking Every Can't-Miss Moment From the 2026 Emmys
    a split image of author katya suvorov posing resting her chin on her hands and the cover of her memoir ungrateful immigrant daughter featuring a baby photo
    Books The Moment I Realized My Mom Was a Mail-Order Bride
     
     
    A still of Taylor Frankie Paul and Ben Lambert in #039;The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.#039;
    TV shows Two Fan-Favorites Have Left 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives'. Will #MomTok Survive This?
    A split image of author R.F. Kuang, resting her head on her hand while sitting with her shoulder propped on a restaurant booth table, next to the cover art for #039;Taipei Story.#039;
    Books R.F. Kuang Shares Her Favorite Reads About the “Hilarious Friction” of Learning a Language
     
     
    Latest in Features
    collage of nyfw beauty trends on a green background
    Beauty Per NYFW, We're Ditching Hair Parts and Going All Out With Eyeliner
    Coach
    Fall fashion Gen Z Darlings PinkPantheress and Elle Fanning Trade FaceTime for Festival Crowds in Coach's Newest Campaign
     
     
    mariska hargitay collage from the emmys
    Beauty Mariska Hargitay and I Just Debriefed on the Emmys Over FaceTime
    two women with blow buns and low ponytails on a liquid golden background
    Hair The Reign of the Slick Back Bun Is Over
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.