September 15, 2010

The Dowager Duchess

I was poking around and remembered that I had referenced the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, the former Deborah Mitford on several other occasions.

She became the Duchess when her husband’s older brother died during World War II. At that time, he was married to Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy, the older sister of JFK. She died several years later in a plane crash and is buried next to her late husband at Chatsworth.Kick Kennedy They spent their honeymoon at a cottage on the Chatsworth property.chatsworth cottage In a book entitled “The Englishwoman’s House”, by Derry Moore, one of the women he interviewed is Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, who had this to say about the house where she lived:
You can sit in the drawing-room on the first floor and be unaware that a thousand people are in the house at the same time. devonshireSo well built is it, that the faintest murmur, like a distant sea, is all you hear… Views-Over-Chatsworth I also found some more images of the young Duchess, who was really quite a beauty. Here she is in 1941.Deborah-Freeman-Mitford-1941 Attending an event in 1954.Deborah1954 Becoming a Dame Commander of The Royal Victorian Order, bestowed by her friend, HM QEII.Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Duke and Duchess’s 50th Wedding Anniversary, which they shared with 500 other couples celebrating theirs.Duke-And-Duchess-50th Anniv An elegant and, no doubt, charming Lady.

7 comments:

  1. She is an extremely talented writer as well.

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  2. A true lady. She seems to grow more beautiful every year.

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  3. She has a marvelous new auto-biography out, Wait for Me.

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  4. Love this historical stuff! Great pictures.

    Thank you

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  5. What a lady! Looking forward to Saturday!

    xo
    E+J

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  6. These gals really had "IT"! Have you read the biography of Pamela Churchill Harriman by Sally Bedell Smith? A gossipsy fun read. Interesting - Kick Kennedy is mentioned in that too.

    Cheers,

    Marjorie

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  7. Google the image of the Duchess of Devonshire in a Renaissance style portrait by Pietro Annigoni...it is amazing and beautiful.

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