Dolores Guiness (31 July 1936 – 20 January 2012)

Profile of Dolores Guiness

Dolores Guiness was a German born "Freiin" (Baroness), socialite, fashion icon and jet set member of the 1950s and 1960s. She has been a member of the International Best Dressed List since 1970. Her mother was the famous Mexican-born socialite Gloria Guinness.

Biography of Dolores Guiness

Born Dolores Maria Agatha Wilhelmine Luise, Freiin von Fürstenberg-Herdringen on 31 July 1936 in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Dolores von Fürstenberg is the second daughter of Franz-Egon Maria Meinhard Engelbert Pius Aloysius Kaspar Ferdinand Dietrich, 3rd Graf von Fürstenberg-Herdringen (1896–1975) and his second wife, Gloria Guinness (1912–1980). 

Though some published sources have described Dolores von Fürstenberg as a countess and a princess, she is, in fact, a Freiin (baroness) by birth, according to the last published issue of the Almanach de Gotha. 

Dolores Guinness with her mother Gloria Guinness

At age 19 Dolores von Fürstenberg married her stepbrother Patrick Benjamin Guinness(1931–1965), son of Loel Guinness and Joan Yarde-Buller, on 22 October 1955 in Paris. Patrick was killed in a car accident in Turtig near Raron, Switzerland 1965.

Dolores Guinness, 1958

After Patrick's death Dolores fell madly in love with Karim Aga Khan, the son of Joan Barbara Yarde-Buller (1908–1997) by her marriage to Aly Khan (1911–1960), and wanted to marry him, but nothing came of that eventually.

Dolores Guinness with Karim Aga Khan in Monte Carlo, 1966

Dolores Guinness with Karim Aga Khan in Monte Carlo, 1966

Dolores was often seen in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Town and Country and Life magazine dressed in designer clothes from Givenchy, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga during the 1950s and 1960s, photographed by Cecil Beaton, Bert Stern, Henry Clarke, Mark Shaw, Richard Avedon and William Klein. She often appeared on the International Best Dressed List during these years.

Dolores Guinness in Christian Dior red dress

Dolores Guinness in dress of Hubert de Givenchy, photo by Henry Clarke

Dolores Guinness died in Lausanne Switzerland on 20 January 2012, at the age of 75.