Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Deborah Vivien Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (born March 31, 1920 at Asthall Manor , Asthall , Oxfordshire , England as Deborah Vivien Mitford ; † September 24, 2014 at Chatsworth House , Bakewell , Derbyshire ) was a British duchess, entrepreneur and author.
Life
Deborah Cavendish was the youngest and last survivor of the six Mitford sisters, daughters of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, who were prominent figures in English society in the 1930s and 1940s. The four older, well-known sisters were the writer Nancy Mitford , the two Nazi sympathizers Diana and Unity Mitford , the latter a personal friend and admirer of Adolf Hitler , and the writer and communist Jessica Mitford . She was also an aunt of the racing driver and sports official Max Mosley .
In 1941 she married Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire . The marriage to the Duke of Devonshire had six children, three of whom died in infancy. She was a close friend of the writer Patrick Leigh Fermor .
Together with her husband, the Duchess and her husband succeeded in making Chatsworth Castle , the castle of the Devonshires in the Peak District , one of the most famous mansions and one of the largest tourist attractions in England within 50 years. She wrote several books on the property.
In 1999, Deborah Cavendish was appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by Queen Elizabeth II .
literature
- Susanne Kippenberger : The red sheep of the family. Jessica Mitford and her sisters . Berlin: Hanser, 2014, ISBN 978-3-446-24649-2
Web links
- Deborah Cavendish in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Obituary in the Berliner Tagesspiegel , accessed on September 26, 2014
- Duchess of Devonshire: Deborah Mitford is dead , Spiegel Online , September 26, 2014
Individual evidence
- ^ Robert D. McFadden: Deborah Cavendish, Last Mitford Sister and Savior of Grand Estate, Dies at 94th New York Times, September 24, 2014, accessed September 27, 2014 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cavendish, Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Devonshire, Deborah Vivien Cavendish, Duchess of (full name); Freeman-Mitford, Deborah Vivien (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British noblewoman, entrepreneur and author |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 31, 1920 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Asthall Manor , Asthall , Oxfordshire , England |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 24, 2014 |
| Place of death | Chatsworth House , Bakewell , Derbyshire |