Allegra Mostyn-Owen

Allegra Mostyn-Owen was a British art historian and editor, primarily known for her brief marriage to the future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson. The daughter of prominent art historian William Mostyn-Owen and writer Gaia Servadio, she moved in influential London social and intellectual circles. Her life was marked by her academic pursuits in art history and her subsequent retreat from public life following her high-profile divorce.

Early life and family

Allegra Mostyn-Owen was born into a distinguished Anglo-Italian family with deep connections to the British aristocracy and the art world. Her father, William Mostyn-Owen, was a renowned scholar and former picture editor for Christie's, while her mother, Gaia Servadio, was an acclaimed novelist and journalist. She was a niece of Clarissa Eden, Countess of Avon, the widow of former Prime Minister Anthony Eden. Her brother, Owen Mostyn-Owen, also worked in the arts. The family's homes, including a farmhouse in Tuscany, were frequented by notable figures from literature, politics, and academia.

Education

Mostyn-Owen received a privileged education, attending the exclusive St Paul's Girls' School in London. She subsequently won a place at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she studied Modern History. At the University of Oxford, she was a contemporary and peer of many future influential figures in British politics. She furthered her studies at the Courtauld Institute of Art, part of the University of London, specializing in Renaissance art and solidifying her credentials as an art historian.

Career

Following her studies, Mostyn-Owen pursued a career aligned with her academic background. She worked as an editorial assistant for the prestigious art magazine *Apollo*, founded by her father. Her expertise in Italian Renaissance painting and connoisseurship was well-regarded within specialist circles. She later contributed to projects for Sotheby's and assisted with research for various art historical publications, maintaining a professional life within the niche world of art criticism and auction houses.

Personal life

Mostyn-Owen's personal life became a subject of intense media scrutiny following her marriage to Boris Johnson in 1987. The wedding was held at the West Felton church in Shropshire and was considered a union of two brilliant Oxford University graduates. The marriage, however, was short-lived and unraveled amid Johnson's political ambitions and infidelity. Their divorce was finalized in 1993, shortly before Johnson's marriage to Marina Wheeler. This period coincided with Johnson's early career as a journalist for *The Daily Telegraph* and his election as Member of Parliament for Henley.

Later life and death

After her divorce, Mostyn-Owen largely withdrew from public view, living a quiet and private life. She reportedly struggled with periods of ill health and lived reclusively in Notting Hill. She maintained a distance from the political limelight that engulfed her former husband as he rose to become Mayor of London and later Leader of the Conservative Party. Allegra Mostyn-Owen died from cancer in a London hospital in July 2017, at the age of 52. Her death was confirmed by her family and noted in obituaries in major publications including *The Times* and *The Guardian*.

Category:1964 births Category:2017 deaths Category:British art historians Category:Alumni of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Category:Courtauld Institute of Art alumni