Mark Birley
Privacy Level: Private with Public Biography and Family Tree (Yellow)

Mark Birley

Mark L. Birley
Born 1930s.
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and [mother unknown]
Father of [private son (1950s - unknown)]
Died 2000s.
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Phil Richardson private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 5 Nov 2014
This page has been accessed 276 times.

Biography

Marcus Lecky Oswald Hornby Birley (30 May 1930 – 24 August 2007), known as Mark Birley, was a British entrepreneur known for his investments in the hospitality industry. He was educated at Eton where he excelled at drawing, after doing his National Service he went up to University College, Oxford to read PPE but left after a year.



Career

In 1963 Mark Birley founded Annabel's at Berkeley Square in the exclusive Mayfair district of London. The club was named for his wife, the former Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart, and it was the first of its kind: a member-only nightclub that catered to an exclusive clientele, including the Prince of Wales.

In 1972 Birley opened Mark's Club and continued to expand his portfolio in the restaurant, nightclub and hotel business. He became the owner of the Annabel's Group, which includes Mark Birley Holdings Limited. He launched a men's fragrance line, Mark Birley for Men, in 1996, in collaboration with the perfumers Frédéric Malle and Pierre Bourdon. Birley also designed the former family offices of Peter Palumbo, Baron Palumbo in the City of London into a member's club, The Walbrook, which opened in 2000.[1]

Private life Mark Birley was the son of Sir Oswald Birley, the royal and society portrait painter, and his wife, the former Rhoda Pike. His sister, Maxime de la Falaise, became a noted fashion model of the 1950s and her daughter is Loulou de la Falaise who was a muse to the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.

On 10 March 1954 he married Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart, daughter of the 8th Marquess of Londonderry. They had three children Rupert, Robin and India Jane.

Annabel Birley became the mistress of Birley's former friend Sir James Goldsmith, and gave birth to two of Goldsmith's children while she was still married to, but separated from, Birley. The Birleys divorced in 1975.[2]

As a child Birley's son Robin was mauled and badly scarred for life by a tiger at the private zoo of family friend John Aspinall. In 1986 Birley's other son, Rupert, disappeared in Togo and was never found. He is supposed to have died. In his last years, Birley himself was disabled and needed to use a wheelchair. For a time, he turned over the reins of his businesses to his two surviving children. In 2006, however, Birley dismissed his son Robin and returned to the helm of his empire, which until his death he ran with his daughter India Jane.

Death He died on 24 August 2007, aged 77, following a stroke.

Wikipedia

This profile is a collaborative work-in-progress. Can you contribute information or sources?

Sources

Mark Oswald Hornby Lecky Birley Gender: Male Age: 77 Birth Date: 1930 Death Date: 24 Aug 2007 Last Residence: London, Greater London, England Postal Code District: Sw7

See also:


Only the Trusted List can access the following:
  • Mark's formal name
  • full middle name (L.)
  • exact birthdate
  • birth location
  • exact deathdate
  • images (1)
  • private siblings' names
  • private children's names (1)
  • spouse's name and marriage information
For access to Mark Birley's full information you must be on the Trusted List. Please login.


Is Mark your relative? Please don't go away!
 star icon Login to collaborate or comment, or
 star icon contact private message the profile manager, or
 star icon ask our community of genealogists a question.
Comments

Leave a message for others who see this profile. If you prefer to keep it private, send a private message to the profile manager. private message
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.

B  >  Birley  >  Mark Birley