Elegant Duchess (“the Blog”, “I”, “me”, or “my”) is committed to protecting the privacy of its readers, subscribers and visitors. This Privacy Policy explains what information I collect, how I use it, how it is stored, and your rights in relation to your personal data.
By using elegantduchess.com (“the Website”), you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
1. Who I Am
Elegant Duchess is a personal travel and lifestyle blog operated from the United Kingdom. For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, I act as the Data Controller for information collected via the Website.
If you have any questions regarding this policy or how your data is processed, please contact me at info@elegantduchess.com.
2. Information I Collect
I only collect information necessary to operate the Website, respond to enquiries and improve the reader experience. This may include:
- Contact information you provide voluntarily (name and email address) when submitting a contact form, leaving a comment or subscribing to the blog.
- Technical information collected automatically, such as IP address, browser type, device information, referring URL, pages viewed and time spent on the Website.
- Cookies and analytics data collected via third-party tools (see Section 6 below).
- Correspondence if you contact me directly by email, comment or social media.
I do not intentionally collect any sensitive personal data, and I do not knowingly collect data from children under the age of 16.
3. How I Use Your Information
I use the information collected for the following purposes:
- To respond to enquiries and communications you send me.
- To manage blog subscriptions and send updates, new posts and occasional news.
- To improve the content, layout and performance of the Website.
- To understand how visitors use the Website through anonymised analytics.
- To comply with legal obligations.
Your data is not sold, rented, traded or shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, I rely on the following lawful bases for processing personal data:
- Consent – for blog subscriptions, cookies (where required) and marketing communications.
- Legitimate interests – for analysing website performance, responding to enquiries and maintaining the security of the Website.
- Legal obligation – where I am required to process data to comply with the law.
5. Blog Subscriptions
If you subscribe to the blog, your name and email address will only be used to send you updates about new content, news and occasional related information. Your information will not be shared with third parties.
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email or by contacting me directly at info@elegantduchess.com.
6. Cookies and Analytics
The Website uses cookies and similar technologies to help improve your experience and to understand how the Website is used.
Cookies may be used for:
- Essential website functionality.
- Analytics and performance measurement.
- Personalisation and content optimisation.
- Affiliate and advertising tracking (where applicable).
I currently use:
- Google Analytics – to collect anonymised information about how visitors use the Website.
- Jetpack – for security, performance and traffic statistics.
- WordPress – to manage core Website functionality and comments.
You can control, block or delete cookies at any time by adjusting your browser settings. For more information on managing cookies, visit https://www.aboutcookies.org/ or https://www.allaboutcookies.org/.
Please note that disabling cookies may affect certain features of the Website.
7. Affiliate Links and Third-Party Websites
Some blog posts and pages contain affiliate links to third-party websites. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Third-party websites have their own privacy policies, and I am not responsible for their content, cookies or data practices. I recommend reviewing their privacy policies before providing personal information.
8. Comments
If you leave a comment on the Website, your name, email address and any information you choose to include will be stored to help manage discussions and prevent spam. Comments and associated metadata are retained for as long as the post remains published.
9. Data Sharing
I do not share your personal information with third parties, except in the following limited situations:
- With trusted service providers who help operate the Website (for example, hosting providers, email delivery services, analytics providers).
- Where required by law, regulation or legal process.
- To protect the rights, property or safety of Elegant Duchess, its readers or others.
Any third-party providers used are required to handle personal data in line with applicable data protection laws.
10. Data Retention
Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law:
- Blog subscriber information – until you unsubscribe.
- Enquiries and correspondence – for as long as reasonably needed to manage the enquiry.
- Analytics data – in line with the retention settings of Google Analytics and similar tools.
- Comments – for as long as the related content remains published.
11. Data Security
I take reasonable steps to protect personal data from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and I cannot guarantee absolute security.
12. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- The right to access the personal data I hold about you.
- The right to request correction of inaccurate data.
- The right to request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”).
- The right to restrict or object to processing.
- The right to withdraw consent at any time.
- The right to data portability.
- The right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact me at info@elegantduchess.com.
13. International Transfers
Some third-party service providers (such as Google Analytics) may process data outside of the UK. Where this happens, I rely on those providers using appropriate safeguards, such as UK/EU-approved standard contractual clauses, to protect your data.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology or my practices. The most recent version will always be published on this page.
Last updated: July 2026
15. Contact
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact me at:
📧 info@elegantduchess.com