and an African woman, Maria Bell.

Her father, Sir John Lindsay, was the nephew of William Murray, First Earl of Mansfield,

and he brought her here to Kenwood

to be raised by her Great Uncle.

They enjoyed a really good relationship

and he was very fond of her.

It was relatively unusual for

a mixed race woman to enjoy this high social status in the 18th century

particularly as during this period, Britain was involved in the slave trade.

We've invited some English Heritage

members here to Kenwood to find out

what life was like for Dido Belle.

- Please.

Hello Miss Belle, I'm Ella.

My name is Leyla. - I'm Olivia.

Oh I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance.

You see, I do not

often have guests here.

We'd love to find out more about you and your life

as a lady at Kenwood House.

Where were you born?

I was born in the Caribbean.

- Dido was raised as a lady rather than a servant.

She was taught to read and write, and play music.

All skills that were expected

of an accomplished young lady of the 18th century.

She also worked as a sort of secretary

to her uncle Lord Mansfield.

She would help him with letter writing.

She also supervised the poultry yard

and dairy. This was a

fashionable pastime for young ladies

during the 18th century.

The Mansfields employed

a dairy maid to do the day-to-day chores

but Dido was probably involved in tasks like

churning the butter or making cream.

The dairy was a sort of family pastime.

She was very much part of the family.

However, she was sometimes treated differently.

When Lord Mansfield had guests,

Dido wouldn't dine with the family.

Instead, she would join the ladies after

dinner, for coffee or to walk in the grounds.

Dido was raised with her cousin,

Lady Elizabeth Murray. They were very close in age

and they enjoyed a really close relationship.

How did you feel when you were painted next

to your cousin as an equal?

It was a real honour.

My cousin is like a sister to me.

- This painting is really

unique in 18th century British

art, in that it shows Dido

as a near equal to her

white companion, Lady Elizabeth.

They're both dressed in

fashionable silk dresses

and are wearing beautiful pearl jewellery.

However, there are still references to Dido's origins.

She's wearing a silk turban

with an ostrich feather plume

and carrying exotic fruits, which are in sharp contrast

to the more traditional English roses worn by her cousin.

Lord Mansfield died in 1793.

In his will, he left her a generous financial gift

He also made sure to state that she was a free woman

and not a slave.

Dido married and left Kenwood.

She lived in London with her husband and three sons

until 1804, when she died at the age of only 43.

Dido Belle was a really remarkable woman for her time.

One of the lovely things about working here at Kenwood

is knowing that we are walking in her

footsteps, and one of my favourite things is sharing

her story with visitors.

Thank you Miss Belle. - You're most welcome.