Countess Moira Rossi di Montelera (1910-May 2004), nee Lady Moira Forbes

[Shinjinee]

Countess Moira Rossi di Montelera (1910-2004), nee Lady Moira Forbes a
daughter of the 8th Earl of Granard and his wife Beatrice Mills, the
American heiress, died last year aged 94. According to Theroff's files,
she was twice married (and twice divorced) but had no issue. Her sister
Eileen married the Marquess of Bute, and is grandmother of the present
Marquess. Countess Moira's second husband was Theo Rossi di Montelera
(better known as the jeweller Theo Rossi).

I don't know how Theo Rossi is related to Maria Christina Rossi di
Montelera, a relative of the Belgian queen and a godmother of young
Prince Gabriel of Belgium.


http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4153/is_200504/ai_n13613599
Countess Moira Rossi di Montelera died in May last year, aged 94, a
grand old lady who had surrounded herself with opulent 18th century
ormolu and silk brocade, tortoiseshell and ebony, painted, carved and
gilded furnishings and friends the breadth of American and European
society.

Moira Mary Forbes was born in 1910, daughter of the 8th Earl of Granath
and Countess Beatrice (whose father was American financier Ogden
Mills).

That combination of Irish aristocracy and American Gilded Age glamour
found expression in Countess Rossi's two passions: horse racing and
jewellery. It was her brief second marriage was to Theo Rossi, of
Martini Rossi fame, gained her the exotic title that fit her like one
of her trademark elbowlength kid gloves.

[snip]


http://www.angelfire.com/in/heinbruins/Rignon.html
1.1.1.1.Emanuela San Martino d'Agliè, m.1962 Ernesto [dei conti] Rossi
di Montelera (*1938)
1.1.1.1.1.Lidia Rossi di Montelera (*1963), m.1990 Count Alexander of
Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg (*1964) issue 1 son and 4 daus omitted here
1.1.1.1.2.Maria Cristina Rossi di Montelera (*1965), m.1994 Baron
Hans-Ulrich von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen (*1960) issue 2 sons
omitted here
1.1.1.1.3.Ginevra Rossi di Montelera (*1967) apparently a nun
1.1.1.1.4.Antonella Rossi di Montelera (*1970), m.2003 Count Alois of
Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems (*1963)

Emanuela is a niece of Queen Paola (being daughter of her eldest sister
Maria Christina who died 2003]. The connection would be through
Ernesto Rossi di Montelera
More about him at http://www.obsfin.ch/anglais/fond-board.htm

Was Theo Rossi, second husband of the deceased Countess, the same Theo
Rossi who raced boats? [as mentioned here:
http://www.thunderboats.org/art_1939goldcup_remembered.shtml]
Is he also the same man who is head of the Italian vermouth industry?
It would appear so from
[http://tyforum.bravepages.com/artc/p-3-39.html] There is also a Theo
Rossi who is married to a Countess Carla Cavelli, but unlikely to be
the same man who married Lady Moira Forbes.


Shinjinee

[Don Aitken]

Post by Shinjinee
Countess Moira Rossi di Montelera (1910-2004), nee Lady Moira Forbes a
daughter of the 8th Earl of Granard and his wife Beatrice Mills, the
American heiress, died last year aged 94. According to Theroff's files,
she was twice married (and twice divorced) but had no issue. Her sister
Eileen married the Marquess of Bute, and is grandmother of the present
Marquess. Countess Moira's second husband was Theo Rossi di Montelera
(better known as the jeweller Theo Rossi).

A little more on her paternal ancestry. Although the earldom is Irish
(cr. 1684), the family is of Scottish origin. The Forbes of Granard
are a younger line of the very extensive family of Forbes of Forbes,
of which the head is Lord Forbes, the Premier Lord of Parliament in
the peerage of Scotland (cr. 1445). He is also Chief of Clan Forbes.

Another branch became Lords Forbes of Pitsligo. The fourth holder of
this title was attainted in 1746. Due to the unusual remainder, it is
uncertain whether the title revived on his death, and, if so, whether
the heir-general or the heir male is entitled. An unsuccessful claim
to it was made in the 19th century.

The Lords Sempill (cr.1489) are yet another branch, Sir William Forbes
of Craigievar having changed his name to Sempill on inheriting that
peerage in 1884.

The Earls of Granard are an example of the use of non-existent
courtesy titles; the heir is known as Viscount Forbes, although there
has never been any such peerage.

[Michael]

The Evening Standard (London)
April 13, 2005
SECTION: K; Pg. 15
HEADLINE: Countess of chic
BYLINE: KATRINA BURROUGHS
BOTH her furniture and her lifestyle were pure rococo. Countess Moira
Rossi di Montelera died in May last year, aged 94, a grand old lady who
had surrounded herself with opulent 18th century ormolu and silk
brocade, tortoiseshell and ebony, painted, carved and gilded
furnishings and friends the breadth of American and European society.
Moira Mary Forbes was born in 1910, daughter of the 8th Earl of Granath
and Countess Beatrice (whose father was American financier Ogden
Mills). That combination of Irish aristocracy and American Gilded Age
glamour found expression in Countess Rossi's two passions: horse racing
and jewellery. It was her brief second marriage was to Theo Rossi, of
Martini Rossi fame, gained her the exotic title that fit her like one
of her trademark elbowlength kid gloves. Countess Rossi's childhood was
split between a handful of grand houses: Forbes Castle in Ireland; the
Mills family home on the Hudson River, which is now a museum; Forbes
House in Halkin Street, London, and the Maison Granard in rue de
Varennes, Paris. Later, she moved to Italy and filled a fabulous
Palazzo in Turin with extravagant continental antiques. Most recently,
the countess divided her time between her apartment in Lausanne, on the
shores of Lake Geneva, and, in summer, a suite of rooms in her
favourite hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure, on the Italian Riviera.
There, until five years ago, she was often to be seen taking to the
water in her 1964 Riva powerboat. Brett Sherlock, who was one of her
many friends, is a director of Christie's, which will be auctioning the
countess's furnishings in London and her jewels in Geneva. He describes
glorious gatherings at her Lausanne flat, where she would sit on her
orange silk brocade sofa, propped up with mink cushions, her hair
violet or blue, depending on mood, and hold court. She was the hub of
all society gossip. From her sofa in Lausanne, she knew exactly what
was happening in London, Paris, Geneva and Gstaad. Brett adds: "When we
went out to dinner, her dog, a chihuahua called Frou-frou, would sit on
a mink cushion next to her. All the waiters knew to bring the dog a
saucer of cream." Her taste ranged from the outrageously glam to the
whimsical: she owned several racehorses and followed the sport avidly,
and visitors were amused to see in her hallway a concrete jockey, the
size of a garden gnome, that she'd had painted with her racing colours.
The countess had many sumptuous homes with Italian and French,
18thcentury furniture of great style. One of the highlights of the
120-lot sale is a mid-18th century Louis XV kingwood commode with
ormolu decoration and floral marquetry (estimate: £60,000-100,000). A
Louis XV marble-topped commode with Italian lacca povera decoration and
printed pastoral scenes (estimate: £10,000-Pounds 15,000) dates back
to the mid-18th century. COUNTESS Rossi was also fond of 18th century
clocks.
Pride of her collection is a curious timepiece that became a firm
favourite with visiting children. A monkey perches on a drum-shaped
clock face that sits, in turn, on the back of an elephant with a raised
trunk, all in gilt bronze (estimate: £30,000-Pounds 50,000).
English and Continental Furniture Sale, 21 April, 8 King Street, St
James's, SW1 (020 7389 2664; www.christies.com).

[Shinjinee]

This is the article whose link I posted in the first message. I did not
post the article text, to avoid breach of copyright.

Shinjinee

[Shinjinee]

Very interesting - thanks!

IIRC, a descendant of the Forbes of Granard branch Katherine Forbes was
wife of Hon William Wellesley-Pole, later 3rd Earl of Mornington. Two
of their daughters married peers - the 11th Earl of Westmorland and the
1st Baron Raglan (previously Lord Fitzroy Somerset). The son married a
great heiress, but alas, dissipated her entire (immense) fortune.
After the death of their sons (grandsons of the Wellesley-Pole-Forbes
marriage), the earldom came to the dukes of Wellington, who now use it
as a subsidiary title for the eldest son of the eldest son. The
current "holder" had a grand wedding recently.

Shinjinee

[W***@gmail.com]

Post by Shinjinee
Countess Moira Rossi di Montelera (1910-2004), nee Lady Moira Forbes a
daughter of the 8th Earl of Granard and his wife Beatrice Mills, the
American heiress, died last year aged 94.

For some of her ancestors and relatives on her mother's side, see, for example,
http://www.wargs.com/family/ancestry.html, at Note 7924 & 7925.