The Lady (magazine)


The Lady is one of Britain's longest-running weekly women's magazines. It has been in continuous publication since 1885 and is based in London. It is particularly notable for its classified advertisements for domestic service and child care; it also has extensive listings of holiday properties.

History and profile

The magazine was founded by Thomas Gibson Bowles, the maternal grandfather of the aristocratic and controversial Mitford sisters. Bowles also founded the English magazine Vanity Fair.
Bowles gave the Mitford girls' father his first job: general manager of the magazine. Early contributors included Nancy Mitford and Lewis Carroll, who compiled a puzzle for the title.
In November 2008, Bowles' great grandson, Ben Budworth, took the reins as publisher on behalf of the family and set about modernising its style. As part of this process, Budworth appointed Rachel Johnson as the magazine's ninth editor in September 2009 she took over from Arline Usden who became an editor at large. A Channel 4 programme, The Lady and the Revamp, screened in March 2010, followed the new editor in her quest to raise awareness of the magazine and increase circulation.
Matt Warren was appointed the tenth editor in January 2012. In November 2013, he was named Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors. In 2014, he was Highly Commended in the Editor of the Year category at the PPA Independent Publisher Awards. The magazine specialises in quirky, entertaining and informative features and quality writing.
Sam Taylor became the magazine's eleventh editor in August 2015. Under her editorship, the magazine has been shortlisted for multiple awards, including PPA Cover of the Year, PPA Cover of the Year 2017 and BSME Cover of the Year 2018. Sam Taylor was shortlisted for Editor of The Year, Women’s Brand 2016 at the BSME awards.
The Lady moved to Borehamwood in Hertfordshire and Bylaugh Hall in Norfolk on 1 October 2019. At the same time Maxine Frith was appointed as the twelfth editor of the magazine.

In popular culture

The popular television series Downton Abbey mentions The Lady more than once in the context of advertising for ladies' maids and housekeepers. In Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, a character advertises in The Lady for a nanny.