The Duchess of Rutland’s daughter Lady Violet had Belvoir Castle up till 3am with a glamorous wedding afterparty over the summer, basking in music, drinks and dancing well into the night – but when it came to her own celebrations, things appeared much more lowkey.

Emma Manners turned 62 earlier this month, but the occasion seems to have passed with little fanfare save a few heartwarming posts from her children, who praised their mother’s ‘strength – and commemorated her getting thorough the ‘toughest year of her life’.

Once known for ‘crowd-surfing’ at her recent birthday celebrations, the mother-of-four instead looks to have had a more intimate gathering after spending the past 12 months dealing with the aftermath of an unexpected cancer diagnosis.

In March, it was revealed she was in remission – after a mammogram found ‘three shadows’ in her left breast in July 2023, a month after a finding a lump she had dismissed as a ‘pimple or cyst’.

In an interview for The Telegraph, as she opened up about her stage two cancer, Emma revealed she’d had her left breast removed after she was told it couldn’t be saved, though luckily a biopsy showed the cancer hadn’t spread further. 

After five days of precautionary radiation treatment, she was then told she was in remission – and admitted she also sought help from ‘alternative therapies’, such as changes to her diet and meditation. 

In the personal and intimate piece, she warned cancer ‘doesn’t care who you are’, adding: ‘Cancer is a hideous disease and the ultimate leveller. No one is immune – not the King of England, the Princess of Wales and certainly not me. 

‘Like everyone else who has ever found themselves sitting opposite a doctor being told “you have cancer”, I felt terrified.’

Emma Manners turned 62 earlier this month, but the occasion seems to have passed with little fanfare save a few heartwarming posts from her children, who praised their mother’s ‘strength – and commemorated her getting thorough the ‘toughest year of her life’

Born Emma Watkins and raised on a farm in France, the Duchess lives in the 356-room Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire with her ex-husband David Manners, the 11th Duke of Rutland.

She shares five children with her ex-husband: Violet, 31, Alice, 29, Eliza, 27, Charles, 25, and Hugo, 21 . 

The kids sent their mother birthday wishes as they praised their ‘role model’ after she opened up about her health journey this year.

Among them was Eliza, who penned a heartfelt tribute to Emma.

‘Happy birthday my darling Mumma,’ she wrote. ‘Strong, hilarious, driven and the matriarch that we all look up to.

‘The last year has been the hardest, it’s only up from here. Love you eternally. xx’ 

In her own post, the Duchess shared: ‘Thank you all for your wonderful birthday wishes. Somehow made it through this year – and ready to keep kicking on!

‘Feeling so grateful and overwhelmed by all the love and support – thank you.’

The kids sent their mother birthday wishes as they praised their ‘role model’ after she opened up about her health journey this year. Among them was Violet, who penned a heartfelt tribute to Emma

The Duchess of Rutland’s daughter Lady Violet had Belvoir Castle up till 3am with a glamorous wedding afterparty over the summer, basking in music, drinks and dancing well into the night – but when it came to her own celebrations, things appeared much more lowkey

The Duchess lives in the 356-room Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire with her ex-husband David Manners. Pictured at her home in 2021

Emma pictured with her daughters Lady Alice Manners, Lady Eliza Manners and Lady Violet Manners in 2018

Earlier this year, Emma admitted she has at times felt ‘guilty’ following the diagnosis and ‘blamed herself’ after having ten pregnancies, five children and taking up smoking in her 40s. 

In recent years, she tried hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help ease symptoms of the menopause, opting for an implant. 

‘Some believe, and I’m among them, that it may have contributed to or even caused my cancer,’ she added. 

Emma fully embraced conventional treatment, but in a bid to try everything she could, also explored ‘alternative medicines’. 

After reading Dr Sarah Myhill’s book on the paleo-ketogenic diet, she cut out sugar and carbohydrates, as Sarah argues they can ‘feed’ cancer. 

Instead, she has focused on increasing protein and vitamin C in her diet, and taking up fasting. 

In addition, she’s introduced guided meditations daily to reduce her stress levels, ‘grounding’ walks in nature, and writing a diary. 

Emma lives in Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, which she runs with her ex-husband and is known for featuring in Netflix’s The Crown. 

She’s previously admitted that she understands her relationship with her ex-husband is ‘wildly unconventional’

The 356-room, 11th-century Leicestershire castle, is where the 11th Duke of Rutland’s ancestors have resided for almost 1,000 years and costs £500,000 a year to maintain. 

The couple are now separated, and both have other partners, and Emma is in a relationship with estate manager, Phil Burtt. 

She split from the Duke in 2012 following a 20-year marriage, but has said they remain the ‘best of friends’. 

She previously opened up about the moment she discovered her husband David was having an affair, after he declined to dance with her at his 50th birthday before she then saw him laughing with another woman. 

She spoke about feeling as if she was ‘fighting for breath’ as it dawned on her that everything was about to change. 

Instead of confiding in friends, she said she coped with her husband’s infidelity by smoking, drinking wine and dancing on her own to Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.

Despite this, she has revealed several intimate details about her life in her memoir, The Accidental Duchess – including that she had a breakdown in 2017 and has suffered from panic attacks for several years. She has also had five miscarriages.

Emma married the Duke of Rutland David Manners in June 1992, after they had met at a dinner party two years earlier. She has previously said her ‘biggest regret’ was the dissolution of her relationship.

The marriage broke down in 2012 after the Duke embarked on an affair with a woman who lived on his estate. 

Emma, who has become known as the ‘frugal duchess’, previously how, in her household, nothing is ever thrown away and she shops in budget supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl to make sure they live within their means.

She’s previously admitted that she understands her relationship with her ex-husband is ‘wildly unconventional’. 

‘It’s been wildly unconventional but maybe it’s grown up’, said Emma in an interview with the Sunday Times in 2021, ‘The aristocracy has been behaving in those ways for generations.’

As well as her memoir The Accidental Duchess, which charts her journey from farmer’s daughter to landed aristocrat, Emma also runs a hit podcast, Duchess, about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running stately homes. 

She’s also active on Instagram, where she boasts 61, 500 followers.