Tracy Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort facts for kids

Tracy Louise Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort (born 22 December 1958) is a British duchess, environmental activist, and former actress. She is often known as Tracy Worcester, a name she used before 2017. As an actress, she was known as Tracy-Louise Ward. She was married to the 12th Duke of Beaufort.

Tracy's Early Life and Acting Career

Growing Up in England

Tracy Louise Ward was born in Kensington, London. Her father, the Honourable Peter Alistair Ward, was a younger son of the 3rd Earl of Dudley. Her sister is the actress Rachel Ward. Tracy grew up on her father's estate in Cornwell, Oxfordshire.

From Modeling to Acting

After finishing school, Tracy worked as a model in Paris. She then worked at Christie's, a famous auction house in London, and later at art galleries in New York. In her early twenties, she decided to become an actress. She trained at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and the London Drama School.

Memorable Roles on Screen

Tracy is well-known for playing Tessa Robinson in the TV detective series C.A.T.S. Eyes from 1986 to 1987. She also appeared in the film Dance with a Stranger and a Doctor Who episode called Timelash, both in 1985. You might also remember her as the first Miss Scarlett in the TV game show Cluedo in 1990. She also performed in plays like Our Day Out and Intimacy.

Tracy's Family Life

Marriage and Children

On 13 June 1987, Tracy married Henry, Marquess of Worcester. He was a landowner and the oldest son of the 11th Duke of Beaufort. Their wedding was a big event, attended by Charles, Prince of Wales (who is now King Charles III) and Diana, Princess of Wales. Tracy and Henry had three children together, including Henry Robert FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester. They divorced in 2018.

Tracy's Environmental Work

Protecting Our Planet

Since 1989, Tracy Worcester has been very active in protecting the environment. She started volunteering with Friends of the Earth, a well-known environmental group. She has also been involved with many other organizations, like The Gaia Foundation and The Schumacher Society. She was also part of the Council of the UK's Soil Association, which promotes organic farming.

Supporting Local Food

Tracy is a big supporter of local food. She believes that buying food from nearby farms helps the environment and local communities. She has spent years raising money, writing, and speaking publicly about this idea. She has also made documentary films, including Is Small Still Beautiful in India and The Politics of Happiness in Bhutan.

Fighting Factory Farms

One of her most important projects is fighting against large-scale factory farming, especially pig farms. She produced a documentary film called Pig Business, which was shown on Channel 4 in 2009. This film showed the negative effects of factory farming on the environment and people's health.

Tracy founded and leads an organization called Farms Not Factories. This group encourages people to buy meat only from farms where animals are treated well and raised locally. She talks to the government and encourages everyone to support local farmers. She has even worked with famous people like actors Jerome Flynn and Dominic West, and chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Mark Hix, to bring attention to this issue. She has also bought shares in big food companies like Tesco and Sainsbury's to speak out against them using pork from factory farms.

Political Involvement

Tracy has also been involved in politics. She supported the Green Party candidate Caroline Lucas in the 2015 general election. In the 2019 general election, she campaigned for Jeremy Corbyn. She now supports George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain. In 2012, she was one of the people who helped pay bail for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. She also publishes a monthly newsletter to share her ideas and updates.