Highlights
- Martha Sitwell and her magpie Hecate starred in an Axel Arigato ad campaign released June 20.
- Hecate died by drowning just five days after the campaign video went live on Instagram.
- Sitwell tearfully announced Hecate’s death, calling her “so clever and so cautious about water.”
Ladies of London star Martha Sitwell and her beloved pet magpie, Hecate, made their fashion debut together in a newly released Axel Arigato ad campaign, a partnership that has taken on a bittersweet significance following the bird’s sudden and tragic death just days later.
Sitwell spoke about Hecate’s origins in a video shared to the Swedish footwear and fashion label’s Instagram account on June 20. The clip offered fans an intimate look into the eccentric bond between the aristocratic British socialite and her feathered companion, one that viewers of Bravo’s Ladies of London: The New Reign had already come to adore.
Sitwell explained how Hecate came to live with her, saying, “Hecate fell or was pushed from her nest as a tiny baby and wasn’t going to make it on her own. No parents were feeding, and one of my followers found her and knew that I’d rescue most things.”
From that unlikely beginning, an inseparable partnership was formed. Sitwell, 46, made no attempt to downplay just how thoroughly the magpie had commandeered her household.
“Hecate steals everything,” she said. “Everything belongs to Hecate. She’s a bit like Princess Margaret, she loves boys and booze. She wakes me up at about 5 a.m. She gets up and then starts crashing around until the staff come and give her worms.”
Sitwell also described their morning ritual, adding, “And then quite often we’ll have a bath together and then I go off and walk my dogs, and she shouts at people through the window.”
The Axel Arigato ad campaign proved to be one of Hecate’s final public appearances. Just five days after the video went live, Sitwell announced through tears in an Instagram video posted June 25, “I’ve got the worst news to share with you all. Hecate died yesterday. She drowned, and she was always so cautious about water.”
Sitwell went on to explain the circumstances, saying, “There was a tub I left outside that was too deep. It was right next to her bath. I don’t understand why she went in it, and it was a momentary lapse of concentration, and I am so sorry.”
The loss clearly devastated the reality star, who had spoken openly about her deep emotional connection to the bird. Sitwell had previously said she was “obsessed” with Hecate, noting, “I just love spending time with her. She’s clever and engaging and funny.”
Sitwell introduced Hecate to the world on the now-on-pause first season of Bravo’s Ladies of London: New Reign, which aired earlier this year as a reboot of the series that originally aired for three seasons between 2014 and 2017.
Hecate flew around Sitwell’s cottage at her leisure, which prompted some of her visitors to wear protective goggles when they came over. The bird would routinely fly in and out of scenes, often landing on Sitwell’s head.
Sitwell compared Hecate’s personality to that of a diva like Mariah Carey, with the bird’s habits contributing to the chaotic state of her home.
The New York Times took note of the pair’s unusual chemistry, running a profile of the eccentric Sitwell in which the charms of her magpie, Hecate, were described as “impossible to resist.”
Sitwell’s connection to the fashion world made the Axel Arigato collaboration a natural fit. She has spoken candidly about her life story, recounting, “I am the eternal riches to rags and rags to riches story. I grew up in enormous privilege. I was then homeless. I was then discovered by Vivienne Westwood.”
Discussing how her background resonates with audiences, Sitwell said, “I think that people relate to the peaks and troughs that I’ve had in my life. A lot of people who message me are in a trough, and they’re saying, ‘You give me hope.'”
Concluding her emotional announcement of Hecate’s passing, Sitwell said, “I’m so sorry, everybody. I know you loved her as much as I did, and I’m completely shattered. I’m so sorry.”
The Axel Arigato ad campaign now stands as a cherished final record of Martha Sitwell and Hecate together, a testament to one of reality television’s most genuinely eccentric and beloved duos.
