Ava Willing Astor

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Giovanni Boldini: Portrait of Mrs. Ava Astor, oil on canvas, around 1909/1919

Ava Willing Astor (born September 15, 1868 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania as Ava Lowle Willing , † June 9, 1958 in New York City , New York ) was an American high society lady in New York society ( Belle Époque ) and later a member of the British aristocracy .

Life

Giovanni Boldini : Mrs. Ava Astor, oil on canvas, 1905

Ava Lowle Willing came from a prominent family and was a direct descendant of General Benedict Arnold (1741-1801). Her father, Edward Shippen Willing (1822-1906), was a wealthy businessman and Alice Bell Barton (1833-1903). Ava, who was just one year old, and her older siblings, Susan and John, grew up under the care of her grandmother. Ava's childhood revolved around perfect behavior and social representation. She attended Miss Porter's School for Girls in Farmington and was considered extremely intelligent - she spoke several foreign languages ​​and showed an interest in literature , music and painting .

On February 17, 1891, Ava Willing married the wealthy heir of the Astor dynasty Lt.-Col. John Jacob Astor IV (1864-1912), the only son of the wealthy businessman William Backhouse Astor, Jr. and his wife Caroline Webster Schermerhorn . The young couple lived in the Manhattan townhouse on Fifth Avenue - a wedding gift from their in-laws. The marriage, which was reportedly tumultuous, resulted in two children:

⚭ 1914–1939 Helen Dinsmore Huntington
⚭ 1939–1953 Mary Benedict Cushing
⚭ 1953–1959 Roberta Brooke Russell
  • Ava Alice Muriel (7 July 1902 - 19 July 1956)
⚭ 1924–1932 Prince Serge Plantonowitsch Obolensky (1890–1978), Russian officer
⚭ 1933–1939 Raimund von Hofmannsthal († 1974), son of the writer Hugo von Hofmannsthal
⚭ 1940–1945 Philip John Ryves Harding; British journalist
⚭ 1946–1952 David Pleydell-Bouverie; New York architect

Ava Astor was an eccentric beauty who practiced Egyptian magic and considered herself the reincarnation of the Egyptian princess Aknathon . Their dinner parties, cocktail receptions, and charity balls for the American money aristocracy were famous and filled the social columns of the newspapers; just like her extravagant wardrobe and her sophisticated hats. In addition to social obligations, Ava Astor was involved in several charitable organizations and was one of the most important art patrons.

Mrs. Ava Astor, around 1900/1907
John Singer Sargent : Lord Ribblesdale, oil on canvas, 1902

The marriage to John Jacob Astor IV, known as a capricious and difficult person, broke up more and more and in November 1909 Ava Astor filed for divorce. Her husband let it be known through his lawyer that their daughter was the result of an extramarital relationship. The judge ruled that the allegations her husband had made against her were unfounded - the marriage ended in divorce in 1910 because of irreconcilable differences. In an out-of-court settlement, Mrs. Astor was awarded the townhouse on Fifth Avenue and an annual pension of $ 50,000 - the latter only until she was married again.

Together with her 9-year-old daughter, Ava Astor went on a trip to Europe for several months - in the United Kingdom she lived with Lady Nancy Astor , a cousin of her ex-husband, and with her sister-in-law Pauline Astor in their London townhouse. Mrs. Astor later bought a townhouse in Grosvenor Square and became a prominent member of London society. At one of the many social events she met the 64-year-old widower Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale , and they both married in June 1919 at St. Mary's Church in London. The couple preferred the London life and seldom stayed at the country estate near Gisburne Park . Six years later, her husband died of a stroke and was buried in the family vault. Lady Ribblesdale returned to New York City in the 1930s and reacquired US citizenship.

Lady Ribblesdale - millionaire heiress, philanthropist and grande dame - died at the age of 89 of complications from pneumonia and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow . Her fortune of over $ 1 million and multiple real estate has been split between her four grandchildren.

Name in different phases of life

  • 1868-1891 Ava Willing
  • 1891-1910 Ava Astor
  • 1919-1958 Ava Lister, Baroness Ribblesdale

literature

  • John Eaton, Charles Haas: Titanic: Triumph & Tragedy . Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1994, ISBN 1-85260-493-X
  • Walter Lord: A Night to Remember . Penguin, London 1976, ISBN 0-14-004757-3
  • Anthony Masters: Nancy Astor A Biography . McGraw-Hill, New York 1981, ISBN 0-07-040784-3
  • Charles Kidd, David Williamson: Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage . St Martin's Press, New York 1990.
  • Katja Doubek: The Astors. Glory and misery of a legendary money dynasty . Piper, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-492-05098-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A rather disgusting bunch . In: The world
personal data
SURNAME Willing Astor, Ava
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ava Lowle Willing; Ava Astor; Ava Lister, Baroness Ribblesdale
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American high society lady in New York society, later a member of the British aristocracy
DATE OF BIRTH September 15, 1868
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH June 9, 1958
Place of death New York City , New York