| Honorific-Prefix: | The Right Honourable |
| The Lady Ampthill | |
| Office: | Lady of the Bedchamber |
| 1Blankname: | Queen |
| 1Namedata: | Mary of Teck |
| Term Start: | 1911 |
| Term End: | 24 March 1953 |
| Birth Date: | 8 October 1874 |
| Birth Place: | London, England |
| Death Date: | 12 December 1957 (aged 83) |
| Death Place: | London, England |
| Children: | 5, including John and Guy |
| Father: | Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp |
Margaret Russell, Baroness Ampthill, (Lady Margaret Lygon; 8 October 1874 – 12 December 1957) was an English courtier and Red Cross volunteer, known for her long friendship with Queen Mary.[1]
Russell was born at 13, Belgrave Square, London,[2] to Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp and Lady Mary Stanhope, daughter of Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope. She married the 2nd Baron Ampthill, a civil servant, in 1894.[3]
Lord Ampthill served as Governor of Madras from 1900 to 1906. Lady Ampthill was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Crown of India in 1900 and awarded a gold Kaisar-i-Hind Medal in 1906.[1] [3]
Lady Ampthill first became friends with Queen Mary in 1891, when she was known as Princess May. Lady Margaret was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary in 1911, but was honoured by four monarchs for her charity work.[1]
In 1918, she was appointed a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for her work with the Red Cross during the First World War and a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1946 for her work as a courtier. She was also a Dame of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.[3]
She died in hospital in London after a long illness.[1] After her death, Viscount Templewood eulogised her in The Times and commented on her friendship with Queen Mary:
Lady Margaret married Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill in Madresfield, Worcestershire on 6 October 1894, two days before her 20th birthday. The Ampthills had four sons and one daughter:[3]
She died in Hammersmith, London, aged 83.
| Escutcheon: | Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill (Argent a lion rampant Gules on a chief Sable three escallops Argent a mullet Or for difference) impaling Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp (Argent two lions passant in pale tails fourchée Gules). |
| Supporters: | Dexter a lion sinister a heraldic antelope both Gules the latter ducally gorged lined armed and unguled Or and each charged with a mullet Or for difference.[6] |