Lady Tatiana Mountbatten, 29, admitted breaking the 60mph speed limit on the M4 in her Porsche Macan three times in March this year (pictured leaving Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court in Battersea, London)
The Queen’s second cousin has been banned from driving after speeding three times in ten days despite claiming it would place ‘significant hardship’ on her equestrian business.
Lady Tatiana Mountbatten, 29, from Knightsbridge, admitted breaking the 60mph speed limit on the M4 in her 2018 £50,000 grey Porsche Macan three times in March this year.
The aristocratic horse rider was caught in her 4×4 by a speed camera on the M4 near Heston Services on March 1 driving at 70mph, the court heard.
Her Porsche was then caught five days later, on March 6, travelling at 71mph and then again on March 10 at 70mph.
Mountbatten appeared at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court, Battersea, London, today wearing a silk scarf under a black designer coat.
She spoke only to confirm her name, address, date of birth, and to enter guilty pleas to three charges of exceeding the speed limit.
Lady Mountbatten already had nine penalty points on her licence after receiving three more for each speeding offence which took her over the disqualification threshold of 12 points.
Because Lady Mountbatten is the only holder of a HGV licence within her business, the court heard the ban will cause great inconvenience in transporting horses via a horse box
Lady Mountbatten is the only holder of a HGV licence within her business, the court heard the ban will cause great inconvenience in transporting horses via a horse box
Lawyers representing Lady Mountbatten said that a driving ban would place her in ‘significant hardship’ because she needed to travel to and from her equestrian business, which is an hour from London.
And because she is the only holder of a HGV licence within her business, the court heard the ban will cause great inconvenience in transporting horses via a horse box.
Lady Mountbatten rides every morning in Windsor and drives to run her business horsehub.com, according to her website.
Her horses are based outside of London making her dependent on using her car.
She wrote in mitigation: ‘I use my car to drive to work every day. Seven days a week.’
Instead the trip will take take three-and-a-half hours via public transport
The 29-year-old (pictured above at a racing event) was caught speeding three times in ten days
Lady Mountbatten was appointed as an ambassador to the ‘quintessential luxury British fashion’ brand Crofton & Hall least year (pictured at Bvlgari launch at the Roundhouse in September)
Mark Haslam, defending, said the impact of a ban would mean she would have to use public transport or ‘beg, borrow and steal’ to get to work but her ‘greatest concern’ was it could cost her staff their jobs.
He added: ‘There is going to be significant hardship both to her and to third parties.
‘The defendant is self employed as a professional horse trainer.
‘Of course she is the author of her own misfortune and she must bear the consequences. But there is a knock-on effect.’
Mr Haslam said his client had not ‘wilfully disregarded’ the limit but had been ‘blissfully unaware of her offending’ after not realising the speed had been reduced from 70mph to 60mph.
‘I do not want the court to take the view that this was someone who was wilfully driving around ignoring the speed limits.’
Regarding the speeding offences themselves the lawyer added: ‘They are not at the top end of the scale, but the lower end of the scale.’
He conceded the totting disqualification is there ‘to teach a lesson to those who behave in this way.’
He added: ‘Of course I accept that it’s the defendant’s responsibility.’
‘The defendant is a self-employed personal horse trainer and I ask the court to deal with her, whatever her other connections may or may not be.
‘She works very hard and very long hours as a horse trainer. It is not a nine to five occupation.’
He continued: ‘She has recently taken up training as a therapist. That is something she will have to put aside.
‘Most importantly, the third particular consequence, in this one for some time she has worked on a voluntary basis riding for the disabled for a charity.’
Lady Mountbatten volunteers with Riding for the Disabled Association which provides opportunities for disabled children and adults.
Lady Mountbatten is the daughter of Lord Milford Haven, who is a cousin of the Queen’s, making her the second cousin of the Queen
‘She will do her very best to continue, but will have to concentrate on her business.
‘It is going to have a significant effect so the defendant will learn a salutary lesson and she has found the process of dealing with this quite stressful.’
However, a panel of magistrates said Lady Mountbatten would be disqualified for six months.
She was fined £150 for each speeding offence, with £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
Magistrate Bukky Okunade told her: ‘We have heard what has been said on your behalf and given you credit for pleading guilty in the first instance.
‘They are serious matters of speeding, a multiple matter, three. Because of your totting you have to be disqualified for six months.
‘If you drive while disqualified it is a serious offence and you can be sent into custody and disqualified again.’
Lady Mountbatten was appointed as an ambassador to the ‘quintessential luxury British fashion’ brand Crofton & Hall least year.
Her brother, Lord Henry David Mountbatten, escaped a driving ban in 2012 after telling the court he could not afford to take a taxi to his regular flying lessons.
The horse rider, who trained under Olympian Charlotte Dujardin,is the daughter of Lord Milford Haven, who is a cousin of the Queen’s, making Lady Tatiana the second cousin of the Queen.
Lady Mountbatten was educated at elite £12,000-a year Millfield private school in Street, Somerset.
Her personal website reads: ‘All you really need to know is that I spend every day doing what I love more than anything in the world; riding horses.
‘I’m professional dressage rider based in Windsor.
‘Here, I train a couple of my own horses and some horses which have been put in training with me by some wonderful people who have trusted me with the education and career of their horse.
‘I hold monthly dressage clinics at home in West Sussex, Great Trippetts Polo Club to be more precise.’
Her mother, Sarah Georgina Walker, is the Marchioness of Milford Haven.