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More details emerged yesterday of the aristocrat being sought by police after she, her partner and their newborn baby abandoned their burning car on the M61 near Bolton 11 days ago.
There have since been a string of sightings of Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their baby.
They were first spotted in Lancashire, shortly after leaving their car, which had been purchased only six days beforehand.
Ms Marten was then caught on a CCTV camera 250 miles away, apparently carrying the swaddled baby under a large red scarf at the port of Harwich in Essex.
Missing mother Constance Marten (pictured) was a ‘very talented’ actress who ‘could have gone very far’, before becoming estranged from her wealthy family, a former classmate has said
Ms Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been missing since January 5 after their car broke down and caught fire on the M61. The pair were seen leaving the motorway on foot with their newborn
Police believe the couple may have been planning to leave the country on a ferry to Holland, but further sightings followed in Colchester and, most recently, in east London.
As officers pleaded for the couple to make themselves known to the authorities, further details about Constance Martens’ privileged background emerged.
Privately educated, the 35-year-old hails from an aristocratic family with links to the royals.
When she was 21, she featured in society magazine Tatler as its ‘Babe of the Month’.
Posing in 2009 for a Q&A-type feature, Ms Marten described her favourite place as being on top of the Matterhorn, which she had recently climbed.
Asked what her best party had been, she answered: ‘Viscount Cranbourne’s party in Dorset – the theme was the Feast of Bacchus.’
She added that her party trick was ‘crunching a Coke can between my shoulder blades’ like ‘a human recycling machine’ and that her future plans included getting a tattoo of a tortoise on the bottom of her foot.
Her family’s £100 million Dorset estate included a Grade I-listed mansion, four villages, a cricket club and a lake, while her brother’s wedding to a society jewellery designer last summer was featured on the website of fashion bible Vogue.
Ms Marten is believed to have been spotted wrapped in red blanket in Harwich Port, Essex on Saturday at 9am
Until today, nothing was known of 48-year-old Mr Gordon, but the Daily Mail can reveal that he has led a very different life compared with that of his partner.
Born in Birmingham, as a boy he moved to America with his mother Sylvia, who had several other, older children, before returning to England in February 2010.
It is understood he settled in north London, where he subsequently started a relationship with Ms Marten. It is unclear how they met, but by 2016 they had set up home together.
Police sources say they are treating the family’s disappearance as a missing persons investigation. They say the search is primarily to ensure the welfare of the child.
While Ms Marten is understood to have had some contact with her family since disappearing, the couple are said to have lived a ‘transient’ lifestyle, which police believe may make it harder to find them.
Given her background, there is also the possibility she may have access to funds.
Known by the nickname of ‘Toots’, she attended private St Mary’s School in Shaftesbury, after which she is understood to have studied Arabic and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Leeds.
She then trained as a journalist and photographer. She is the granddaughter of Toby Marten, a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy and equerry to George VI, and his wife Mary Anna, who had close links to the Royal Family, attending the Brownies pack at Buckingham Palace alongside Princess Margaret in her youth.
Ms Marten (pictured) and her partner have now been missing for ten days, however, there have been several sightings including in Essex and East London
Police released this picture of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon outside East Ham station at around 11.45am on Saturday January 7
Her godmother was the late Queen Mother and she herself was the daughter of a baron.
An archaeologist, Mrs Marten was awarded an OBE in 1980 and appointed High Sheriff of Dorset.
The couple and their family lived at Crichel House, an 18th-century manor house which featured in the 1996 film of Jane Austen’s Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow.
Mrs Marten was survived by five daughters and one son, Napier Marten, who was a page to Queen Elizabeth II. He had four children, including Constance.
The last confirmed sighting of Ms Marten, Mr Gordon and their baby was in east London on Saturday, January 7, between 11.45am and 12.30pm.
It led to the ‘fast-moving’ investigation being handed over to the Metropolitan Police. ‘It has now been more than a week since Constance and Mark’s car broke down on the M61, and we are growing increasingly concerned not only for their welfare, but for the welfare of their newborn child,’ said Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation.
‘Being on the move for a week must be exhausting for new parents and a newborn baby. Constance and Mark, I appeal directly to you, please think of your baby’s health and wellbeing and get in touch with us so we can ensure your child is medically well and has no underlying issues.’
The couple’s disappearance came to light on January 6 when police took the unusual step of issuing a direct plea for Ms Marten to contact the emergency services or go to the nearest hospital. Having given birth ‘very recently’, neither she nor her child had been seen by a doctor.
The pair had been caught on CCTV the previous evening as they walked off the motorway carrying the baby after their car broke down at junction four of the M61.
‘As a mum, I would like to make a direct appeal to Constance,’ said Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr.
‘Constance, I know this is an exceptionally hard time for you and you are likely feeling scared but I promise that our No 1 priority is the same as yours – to keep your beautiful newborn safe.’
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