Gwladys Robinson, Marchioness Of Ripon

Constance Gwladys Robinson, Marchioness of Ripon (22 April 1859 – 28 October 1917), was a British figure known for her patronage of the arts. She maintained personal and professional relationships with notable cultural figures of her time and supported various artistic endeavors in the United Kingdom.

Born in 1859, she was the daughter of Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea, and Elizabeth Herbert. Her father, Sidney Herbert, was a member of the aristocracy, and her mother was recognized as a writer and a convert to Catholicism. Constance Gwladys Herbert was part of a family with notable siblings and prominent ancestors. Her paternal grandparents were George Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke, and Countess Catherine Woronzow, a Russian-born noblewoman and daughter of Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov, the Russian ambassador to Britain. Her maternal lineage included Sir William à Court, 1st Baronet, making her related to prominent British families.

Her siblings included Mary Catherine Herbert (1849–1935), who married the modernist theologian Baron Friedrich von Hügel; George Robert Charles Herbert (1850–1895), who became the 13th Earl of Pembroke; Elizabeth Maud Herbert (1851–1933), who married Sir Charles Hubert Parry, a noted composer; Sidney Herbert (1853–1913), who succeeded his brother as the 14th Earl of Pembroke; William Reginald Herbert (1854–1870), who died at sea aboard HMS Captain; and Michael Henry Herbert (1857–1904), a diplomat and British ambassador to the United States.

Constance Gwladys Herbert initially married St George Lowther, 4th Earl of Lonsdale, with whom she had a daughter named Gladys Mary Juliet. Following the death of her first husband, she married Oliver Robinson, 2nd Marquess of Ripon, in 1885. At that time, she was known as Lady de Grey, a courtesy title. She became the Marchioness of Ripon in 1909 when her husband succeeded to the marquessate. The couple did not have children.

As Marchioness of Ripon, she was recognized for her support of the arts, notably her involvement in the restoration of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. She was a friend and supporter of prominent artists and performers, including Nellie Melba, Nijinsky, and Diaghilev. She hosted and entertained artists such as Jean and Édouard de Reszke during their performances at Covent Garden, providing a level of patronage that extended to influencing London's cultural scene. Her influence was partly exerted through her connection with the impresario Augustus Harris, who was a key figure in the London theatrical and operatic scene.

Constance Gwladys Robinson died in October 1917 at the age of 58. Her husband, Oliver Robinson, survived her by six years, dying in September 1923 at the age of 71. The two are buried together in the Ripon family tomb at Studley Royal Church.