Person    | Female  Born 18/5/1919  Died 21/2/1991

Dame Margot Fonteyn

Categories: Dance, Seriously Famous

Countries: China/Hong Kong, Panama

Prima ballerina assoluta.  Born Reigate as Margaret Hookham. As a child lived for a time in Shanghai. Her stage name was based on "Fontes" the name of her mother's paternal family, wealthy Brazilians. Had a 10 year affair with Constant Lambert starting when she was 18 and he 32.  It finished badly with him standing her up at the altar and then marrying someone else.  1955 married a Panamanian politician, Dr Roberto Arias (also described as a gunrunner and whisky smuggler). His uncle was the dictator of Panama at the time and Arias was immediately appointed ambassador to Britain. Fonteyn funded the purchase of the embassy at 17a Thurloe Place where they lived. Panamanian politics are complicated and in 1959 Arias was involved in an attempted rebellion in Panama. Through him Fonteyn befriended Imelda Marcos, General and Mrs Pinochet and Manuel Noriega. She was herself involved in acquiring guns for revolutionary purposes (indeed was once caught and deported) and funding them by her dancing.  In 1964, as an elected politician Arias was crippled in a shooting "accident" involving a former political associate, though it is also said that the gunman was the husband of a woman with whom he was having an affair. Effectively a quadriplegic he was thereafter looked after by his wife while she continued her dance career. This did not stop him having an affair with his secretary/nurse.

Discovered by Ninette de Valois. The choreographer, Frederick Ashton, created roles for her, such as the Firebird and in the 40s and 50s she reached the pinnacle of her profession.  Was performing in Holland when Germany invaded.   A huge success in New York and on a US tour.  In 1962 Fonteyn's ballet career found new life in her partnership with Rudolf Nureyev. Although he was 19 years her junior their friendship was very close, possibly more. In 1970 she retired to live with her husband in Panama running a cattle farm, where she died.

Much of the information above comes from Tony Palmer's 2005 documentary Margot where her former friends and colleagues are interviewed. If true, she did lead an extraordinary life. 

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Dame Margot Fonteyn

Commemorated ati

Dame Margot Fonteyn - WC2

Plaque unveiled by Darcey Bussell. 'Prima Ballerina Assoluta' is a title, nor...

Read More

Margot Fonteyn & J. du Pre

Lisa O'Brien has pointed out that the plaque-makers got 'assoluta' wrong.

Read More

Virtues - Delectation

In a formal garden Margot Fonteyn sits demurely listening to Edward Sackville...

Read More

Other Subjects

Leonide Massine

Leonide Massine

Born Moscow. Ballet dancer and choreographer. Principle choreographer of Diaghilev's Ballet Russes. Appeared in films The Red Shoes (1948) and The Tales of Hoffman (1952). Died in Cologne.

Person, Dance, Russia

1 memorial
Ballet Rambert

Ballet Rambert

Britain's oldest dance company. Founded by Dame Marie Rambert initially as Rambert Dancers, and then, at the Mercury Theatre, in 1931, as the Ballet Club and then, until the 1980s, as Ballet Ramber...

Group, Dance

2 memorials
Sir Frederick Ashton

Sir Frederick Ashton

Ballet dancer and choreographer. Born Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He studied under Léonide Massine and Marie Rambert, and was chief choreographer to Ninette de Valoi...

Person, Dance, Seriously Famous, Ecuador

1 memorial
Princess Seraphine Astafieva

Princess Seraphine Astafieva

Ballerina. Danced for Diaghilev, and opened a ballet school in 1916 in London. The title of ‘Princess’ may be spurious. In the picture the Princess is on the right. Alicia Markova is the dancer on ...

Person, Dance, Russia

1 memorial
William H. Heath

William H. Heath

Mayor of Wandsworth 1936/37 and ballroom dancer. The cutting in our photograph is dated 24/8/1937, so we presume Mrs Heath was still around, and happy for him and Nellie Wood to go off together!

Person, Dance, Politics & Administration, Austria

1 memorial

Previously viewed

William Bateman Fagan

William Bateman Fagan

Born Bermondsey. Andrew Behan's researches have found that when he was baptised on 7 April 1872 at St Mary Newington Church, Lambeth his date of birth was recorded as 3 September 1860. Lots of inte...

Person, Sculpture

12 memorials
Royal Mail

Royal Mail

Before the 2012 Olympics started the Royal Mail committed to turn a red post box gold for each British Gold medal, Olympic and Paralympic.  In the event this meant that over 100 boxes turned colour...

Group, Transport

14 memorials
Sir Joseph Banks

Sir Joseph Banks

From the British Library: "Joseph Banks was a prominent botanist, who served as President of the Royal Society, and advised on the development of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. He was a key figu...

Person, Science

2 memorials
John Flaxman

John Flaxman

Born in York. Neo-classical sculptor.

Person, Sculpture

7 memorials