Miranda, Countess Of Stockton

Miranda Elizabeth Louise Macmillan, Countess of Stockton (née Quarry), was born on 27 May 1947 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. She was the daughter of Richard Bridges St John Quarry, a British Army officer in the Royal Corps of Signals, and Diana Elizabeth Lloyd, whose father was Lieutenant-Colonel Horace Lloyd. Miranda had an older sister named Venitia, born in 1942.

Her family resided in Berkshire, but they divorced when Miranda was still a young child. In 1951, her mother remarried Stormont Mancroft, a Conservative politician. Through her mother's second marriage, Miranda gained three half-siblings: two daughters and one son, Benjamin Mancroft.

In 1962, her sister Venitia married Frederick Barker, who later became a master of the Quorn Hunt. At that time, Miranda's father was living at Gaddeshill House in Eversley, Hampshire, while her mother resided at 48 Montagu Square in Marylebone. Venitia was noted to be a skilled side-saddle rider.

Miranda Quarry was educated at Crofton Grange School in Hertfordshire and attended a finishing school in Paris. After completing her education, she traveled through Spain and Italy and later lived in New York City. Upon returning to England, she was employed by Michael Fish, a fashion designer and outfitter, which marked the beginning of her career in fashion and social circles. She became a fashion model and was recognized as an "It girl." Subsequently, she worked as a flower seller at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

In her personal life, Miranda Quarry first met actor Peter Sellers, who was a customer of Michael Fish. Sellers took interest in her after seeing her at the Dorchester Hotel. They married in 1970 at Caxton Hall in Westminster, notably wearing a gypsy dress and accompanied by her two Pekinese dogs. The couple established a residence on an estate in County Kildare, Ireland. Their marriage lasted approximately three years, ending in divorce in 1974, with Sellers alleging infidelities. Despite their separation, they maintained a friendship until Sellers' death in 1980.

In 1975, Miranda married Sir Nicholas Nuttall. The marriage resulted in three daughters: Gytha Miranda (born in 1975), Amber Louise (born in 1977), and Olympia Jubilee (born in 1978). The couple divided their time between Britain and the Bahamas and remained married until 1983.

Her third marriage was to Alexander Macmillan, 2nd Earl of Stockton, in 1995. The marriage ended with their separation in 2011.

Miranda Macmillan passed away at her residence on 18 March 2020 due to pancreatic cancer after a brief illness.