Lady Martha Sitwell has revealed she slept rough as a teenager and has spoken out about the devastating abuse she suffered on the streets of London.
The 44-year-old socialite and model, best known for being the ‘face of Royal Ascot’, first revealed she was homeless between the ages of 13 and 16.
In a new interview with The temperatureLady Sitwell, who is the ex-wife of Baronet Sir George Sitwell, explained how her story proves that homelessness can happen to anyone.
After being kicked out of her home, she slept rough for three years until she was spotted by Vivienne Westwood outside the Piccadilly Theater and her life changed completely.
At this time, Ms. Sitwell faced constant threats and danger, including being “spit on and kicked” by those who saw her as vulnerable and being raped while she was a young teenager.
Lady Martha Sitwell (pictured in November 2023) has spoken about her experience of ‘sleeping rough’ as a teenager – and the devastating abuse she suffered.
Between the ages of 13 and 16, Lady Sitwell, now 44, slept on the streets of London (photo from 1996)
She told the newspaper she had “nowhere to go” and was unprepared to live on the streets after being kicked out of her family home.
Describing her years of homelessness, she said: “Often I would be woken up by someone – not necessarily another homeless person – stealing what little I had gotten to survive that day.”
She added that the “party nights” (Thursday to Sunday) were the worst: “While the bars were open, I would regularly subject myself to small acts of random cruelty, being spat on or punched.” foot by a passing partygoer to make his friends laugh, because I was homeless and therefore not human in their eyes.
“Later, after closing, when the crowds of people waiting for taxis or buses to go home have dwindled to a handful of stupid, bored drunks, I might be subjected to more sustained acts of violence.”
As a young teenager, she faced dangers at night, particularly in the hours after people returned home from a night out and before commuters began their journey.
During the day it involved begging for money while being ignored by people who thought she was lazy and shy at work.
One horrific incident even saw her kidnapped by a group of four men and raped by all of them.
Lady Sitwell says her journey into homelessness proves it’s something that can happen to anyone.
Lady Sitwell (pictured at the 2021 Ascot Ladies Day lunch) is now known as the former ‘face of Ascot’ after being spotted by Vivienne Westwood
Lady Martha Sitwell takes part in the first sidesaddle race for 90 years in Ingarsby, Leicestershire, in 2013
She grew up in a large Georgian house in north Norfolk, the middle child of foodies Justin and Melanie de Blank.
She and her siblings had hobbies such as ballet and horseback riding, and experienced a privileged childhood.
But her hidden issues with dyslexia and dyspraxia – as well as an attention deficit disorder only diagnosed when she was 30 – meant she struggled at school.
The now socialite suffered a series of traumatic events even before homelessness struck, including rape by a family friend aged 11 and her father’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease when she was 13 years.
Finding solace with goth and punk friends in London, Ms Sitwell turned to partying, smoking, LSD and ecstasy – and was eventually kicked out of her home.
She first slept in the Tottenham Court Road underpass before meeting her boyfriend, a drug addict, and moving to the Piccadilly Theatre.
At just 17 years old, she had a son, Conor De Blank, and the baby was raised by her aunt.
Later, she was spotted by Vivienne Westwood outside a door at the Piccadilly Theater, and her life changed dramatically.
Lady Sitwell has never revealed the identity of her son’s heavily tattooed father, who she is pictured kissing, above, with baby Conor on her lap while she holds a cigarette.
She became known as the “face of Ascot” and as a “doyenne” of equestrianism.
Ms Sitwell married former film producer Sir George in 2007 and lived with him in Northamptonshire at the Grade II-listed Weston Hall, worth £3.25 million.
But his relationship with the great-nephew of poet Dame Edith Sitwell became frosty and she threw a “divorce party” in 2017 to mark the end of their ten-year union.
In September 2021, she revealed her fury after Sir George sold Northamptonshire home Weston Hall for £3.25 million after living in the family home for 300 years.
“My husband, with whom I spent 12 years, for whom I gave up a promising modeling career and who now lives in Knightsbridge, sold the house which, at the time of our divorce, could never be sold,” said Lady Sitwell. , who claimed she was almost bankrupt after her divorce.
Despite complaints from his ex-wife, Sir George insisted he had “no control” over the sale of Weston Hall and its contents.
Laura Whitmore, Philip Treacy, Kim Murdoch, Samantha Barks and Martha Sitwell attend Derby Day in 2013
Lady Sitwell once described marriage in general as “pure misery”, explaining: “It sucks all your energy, your youth and all the fun out of your life.” »
She is still a model, stylist, designer and makeup artist – but says she lives day to day in a rented apartment.
Following her split from Sir George, Lady Sitwell was linked to Sotheby’s boss Lord Dalmeny until they split in April 2022.
A year later, she was spotted leaving the upmarket Scott’s in Mayfair with Charles Saatchi, the ex-husband of Nigella Lawson.
Last December, homelessness charity Shelter found that 309,000 people would spend Christmas without accommodation. In 2022, homelessness among workers in England increased by 22 percent compared to two years earlier.