Slavica Ecclestone
Encyclopedia
Slavica Ecclestone is a former model and ex-wife of Formula One
racing CEO Bernie Ecclestone
.
, Croatia
. The young Slavica worked as an international fashion model, modelling for a number of leading clients, including designer Armani.
While working on a Formula One promotional event for Armani at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix
in Monza
, she met Bernie Ecclestone. Bernie pursued Slavica doggedly, undaunted by their 28-year age difference, the language barrier (she spoke Croatian
and Italian
, he spoke only English
), and their difference in height. At 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m), Slavica was nearly a foot taller than her suitor, Ecclestone being only 5 ft 2½ in (1.59 m) tall.
Slavica was patron of the non-partisan British-Croatian Society in London.
The couple have two daughters, Tamara
(born 1984) and Petra
(born December 1988).
A complex system of companies places much of the Bernie Ecclestone's wealth in Slavica's name, with much of his Formula One related property owned by a Jersey
-based holding company (named SLEC, for SLavica ECclestone), of which Slavica is the major stockholder. She also owns her own promotion company.
It was confirmed in November 2008 that Slavica Ecclestone filed for divorce after twenty-three years of marriage. The divorce was granted on March 11, 2009.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing CEO Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
.
Biography
She was born in 1958 in RijekaRijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The young Slavica worked as an international fashion model, modelling for a number of leading clients, including designer Armani.
While working on a Formula One promotional event for Armani at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
in Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, she met Bernie Ecclestone. Bernie pursued Slavica doggedly, undaunted by their 28-year age difference, the language barrier (she spoke Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, he spoke only English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
), and their difference in height. At 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m), Slavica was nearly a foot taller than her suitor, Ecclestone being only 5 ft 2½ in (1.59 m) tall.
Slavica was patron of the non-partisan British-Croatian Society in London.
The couple have two daughters, Tamara
Tamara Ecclestone
Tamara Ecclestone is an English-Croatian socialite, television personality and model.-Early life:Tamara Ecclestone was born in Milan. Ecclestone is the elder daughter of Croatian former Armani model Slavica Ecclestone and middle daughter of "Formula 1 Supremo" Bernie Ecclestone...
(born 1984) and Petra
Petra Ecclestone
Petra Ecclestone is a British-Croatian heiress, model, fashion designer and socialite, the younger daughter of Croatian former Armani model Slavica and Formula One billionaire Bernie Ecclestone. She has an older sister, Tamara and an older paternal half-sister, Deborah...
(born December 1988).
A complex system of companies places much of the Bernie Ecclestone's wealth in Slavica's name, with much of his Formula One related property owned by a Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
-based holding company (named SLEC, for SLavica ECclestone), of which Slavica is the major stockholder. She also owns her own promotion company.
It was confirmed in November 2008 that Slavica Ecclestone filed for divorce after twenty-three years of marriage. The divorce was granted on March 11, 2009.