A former British socialite with ties to the royal circle has been convicted of manslaughter in the death of her infant daughter following a months-long saga that gripped the U.K.
Constance Marten, 38, and her partner, Mark Gordon, 51, were found guilty in the death of their newborn, Victoria, who died in early 2023 while the couple was evading authorities and living in a makeshift tent during freezing winter conditions.
Marten, the daughter of Napier Marten—a former page to Queen Elizabeth II—and granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, a goddaughter of the Queen Mother, once told friends she had played as a child with Princes William and Harry, according to the BBC.
But Marten’s life took a dark turn. In 2016, she reportedly severed ties with her aristocratic family and later began a relationship with Gordon, who had previously served 20 years in a U.S. prison after being convicted of raping a woman at knifepoint in Florida at the age of 14. He was deported back to the U.K. in 2010 and met Marten a few years later. Together, they went on to have five children, including Victoria.
Their downfall began in January 2023, when a placenta was discovered in a burned-out car linked to the couple, prompting a nationwide search. For seven weeks, Marten and Gordon moved across England, reportedly avoiding hospitals and shelters, while caring for their newborn in extreme winter weather.
Police finally apprehended them in Brighton in February 2023. Days later, Victoria’s body was found inside a bag, not far from where they had been staying. Authorities have said the baby’s cause of death could not be definitively determined, but Marten allegedly told police the child had died in her sleep. She offered no further explanation.
“This was a completely avoidable tragedy,” said Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford in a statement. “The couple had many opportunities to seek help, yet they chose not to. They knew the police were actively searching for them.”
The case has sparked widespread outrage and sorrow in the U.K., with many questioning how a woman born into privilege could spiral into such tragic circumstances.
Marten and Gordon are expected to be sentenced later this year.
