Christina Smith

Christina Anne Smith (27 March 1934 – 11 March 2022) was a property developer and entrepreneur, who became known as the 'queen of Covent Garden', a historic part of central London, as a result of becoming the area's largest private landlord. She started as a shop owner and ended up running a multi-million pound property empire, which supported her eclectic collection of retail and catering outlets around Covent Garden. Eccentric in her approach, she successfully campaigned to preserve the historic market buildings that make up the centre of the former market of Covent Garden. She became a significant supporter of the arts, architecture and charitable causes.

Early years Smith was born in 1934 at Welbeck Hospital, in Marylebone, just over a mile from Covent Garden. Her father was Ronald Smith, who worked as the doctor for Rugby School, and her mother was Maud (née Campbell). Her mother's family was of Scottish heritage, but Maud Smith was Finnish, which later played some influence on Christina's approach to style. She went to St Mary's School, Calne until she was 17 years old.