India Jane Birley

India Jane Birley (born 14 January 1961) is a British artist, heiress and businesswoman. She was a co-owner/manager of her father's London nightclub Annabel's in its later years, as well as some of her father's other establishments.

Biography

India Jane Birley (born 14 January 1961) is a British artist, heiress and businesswoman. In its later years, she was the co-owner/manager of Annabel's nightclub, which was founded by her father, Mark Birley. She assisted in running the club and her father's other establishments, including Harry's Bar and Mark's Club, until they were sold in 2007 to entrepreneur Richard Caring for £95m.

Born in London, she is the daughter of Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart, from her marriage to nightclub mogul Mark Birley. She has two brothers, Rupert (presumed deceased) and Robin; and three half-siblings, Zac, Jemima, and Ben Goldsmith from her mother's affair with James Goldsmith, the man who became her second husband.

In 1980 while training at an art school in Madrid, she met and married Jonty Colchester,[1] an interior designer. In 1985, they were divorced. In 1993 at Chelsea Registry Office, she married Francis Pike,[2] a historian. They separated in 2002, before divorcing in 2006. During this separation, Birley was in a relationship that resulted in her giving birth to a son.

Birley divorced Francis Pike in 2006. Two years later, in 2008, she married her current husband Sebastian Whitestone,[3] at Chelsea Registry. Whitestone is an antiquarian horologist.

Career

Birley, the granddaughter of society and royal portrait painter Sir Oswald Birley, is a painter whose 1999 portrait Conrad Moffat Black (Baron Black of Crossharbour) and Barbara Amiel, appears at London's National Portrait Gallery. She illustrated her mother's book Copper: A Dog's Life.

Beginning in 2003, she was co-director of her father's nightclub Annabel's with her brother Robin Birley. Her father left her son, Eben, the bulk of his estates. Her brother Robin sued to overturn the will, and a settlement was reached between the siblings. After the sale of Annabel's nightclub and her late father's other business interest, she played no further role in management.

References
  1. "Hurly Birley".
  2. "Annabel's: A tale of love, snobbery, revenge... And some jolly good". 2006-10-14.
  3. Walker, Tim (2008-07-24). "Birleys reconciled at India Jane's wedding".
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