Frances was educated at St Paul's Girls' School in London and has an MA (Hons) from Oxford University where she read music at St. Catherine's College.

For many years she was a director of Christie's Auctioneers in St. James's specialising in musical instruments. From 1996 to 2014, she was a partner and director of J & A Beare Ltd, international dealers in stringed instruments and bows.

 

She was a founding trustee of the Abbado Trust which gives loans to young professional musicians wishing to upgrade their instruments. Frances is also a member of the government’s Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee.

 

She is proud to have been involved with the Taxi Charity since 2015, and became an ambassador for the charity in September 2023.