Dido Belle Exhibition

An exhibition which tells the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed race daughter of a slave and a British admiral,

The only portrait representation of Dido Belle known to exist hangs in the Ambassador’s Room at Scone Palace.

Dido Elizabeth Belle was born in the 18th century to Sir John Lindsay, nephew of the 1st Earl of Mansfield, and the African slave Maria Belle. She was brought up under the care and protection of the 1st Earl of Mansfield who was the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. The 1st Earl’s family home was at Scone Palace.

The exhibition at Scone will include interpretive panels which will explore Belle’s lineage and family tree, and provide background on her father Sir John Lindsay’s illustrious naval career, which saw him serve in a number of wars, campaigns and survey voyages that were crucial in the rise of the British Empire.

A central focus of the exhibition will be the1779 portrait attributed to Johann Zoffany, which depicts Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin, The Lady Elizabeth Murray.