Women and power

The laws of primogeniture have always ensured that the list of Sackville Dukes and Earls dominate their female counterparts in Knole’s history, but the women weave a fascinating and rich thread throughout its tale. Often wealthy and powerful in their own right, they left their mark on the house and its land, a legacy that remains with us today.

The melancholy chronicles of Lady Anne Clifford
One of the most well recorded feminine contributions to Knole was that of Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676), who wrote a series of diaries during the period she lived at Knole.

Lady Betty Germain
Lady Betty was a great friend of the 1st Duke and Duchess of Dorset, Lionel and Elizabeth Sackville, and stamped her mark on three of Knole's showrooms

Vita Sackville-West and Knole
Discover Vita Sackville-West's connection to Knole; her colourful life and her literary legacy as a poet, novelist, gardener, biographer and journalist.

Lady Betty Germain
Lady Betty was a great friend of the 1st Duke and Duchess of Dorset, Lionel and Elizabeth Sackville, and stamped her mark on three of Knole's showrooms