If this intrigues you, buy the (regrettably out-of-print) book.
In the spring of 1920, a Duke and Duchess were forced to Downsize:
“The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire were to move into a mansion in Carlton Gardens. ‘It will be interesting to see what the pictures look like in a small house’ remarked the Duchess.”
*
1921:
“On February 25, Lady Cynthia Mosley gave birth to a baby girl, later named Vivien. One of the first visitors to her bedside was Mrs. Margot Asquith, wife of the former Liberal Prime Minister. ‘Dear child, you look very pale’ she said. ‘You must not have another child for a long time. Herbert always withdrew in time, such a noble man.’ ”
The father of the baby girl was the decidedly ignoble Oswald Mosley, who (in addition to being an odious fascist), reportedly had affairs with his wife Lady Cynthia’s younger sister and stepmother (!) during their marriage. He ALSO had an affair with Diana Mitford, who he eventually married after Lady Cynthia’s early death.
*
On May 22, 1927, a startling new review opened at the London Pavilion:
“Jazz pianist Edyth [sic] Baker, rumoured to be a close friend of Prince George, had such an impact that the Earl of Lonsdale dropped his cigar.”
Image via 
*
June 10, 1928:
“…the sixty-two-year-old Duchess of Bedford left Lympne Aerodrome in a bid to fly to India and back in eight days, flatly refusing to admit that it was a thrilling venture. ‘Interesting, yes, but not thrilling’ she snapped. ‘I am never thrilled.’ “
The intrepid and un-thrillable Duchess of Bedford (Mary Russell, 1865-1937) was an active supporter of the women’s suffrage movement and member of the Women’s Tax Resistance League (“no vote, no tax”), an ornithologist, and a founder of hospitals. She took up aviation in her sixties, and her eight-day round-trip flight to India was a great success. Shortly after she embarked on a second record-breaking flight (on both of these occasions she was not the primary pilot but did occasionally take over the controls), this time to South Africa and back. She died at age seventy-one when the plane she was piloting crashed off the coast of England.
Image via 
*
August 4, 1930:
“Sir Francis Laking, twenty-six-year-old Baronet, died in St. George’s Hospital after drinking too much yellow Chartreuse. In his will, he left all his motor-cars to his friend Tallulah Bankhead. It was soon discovered that he did not own a single motor-car.”
Men (sighs).
Image via 
*
1931:
“Charlie Chaplin, already white-haired, had arrived in England, staying in a suite at the Carlton Hotel in the Haymarket and being feted by everybody from Lady Astor to the Duke and Duchess of York. On February 21, the famous film star spent the day at Chequers with Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald where both men fell asleep after lunch.”
File this one under Dad Magazine, February 1931 edition! True, Charlie Chaplin was not yet a Dad—but he was a Future Dad, as this anecdote presages.
*
In 1932, the first stirrings of an historic love affair:
“On January 30, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Simpson were found weekending at Fort Belvedere for the first time. Lady Furness acted as hostess and the Prince of Wales armed the men in the house-party with bill-hooks and got them to attack the laurel which was encroaching on his garden. In the evening, he astonished Mrs. Simpson by taking out his needlework. ‘This is my secret vice’, he said, explaining that he was making the cover for a backgammon table.”
Sadly I have been unable to find out much more about the Duke of Windsor’s secret passion for needlework. Perhaps this was what first endeared him to Wallis?? Incidentally, had the Prince lived in a slightly different time and place, he could have joined up with these very pleasant-sounding fellow-hobbyists.
*
Spring of 1932:
“One of the most remarkable of this year’s crop of debutantes was Lord Redesdale’s fourth daughter, the Hon. Unity Mitford. She was to attend many dances this season with her pet grass-snake, Enid, slung around her neck.”
Ah yes, the Mitfords strike again. Mitford enthusiasts will recall that sometimes Unity brought along her pet rat Ratular instead. And in Hons and Rebels, Jessica Mitford recounts the time when a slightly younger Unity intentionally terrified a governess heeding the call of nature, Unity having left a snake (Enid) artfully wrapped around the toilet chain. Jonathan Guinness (Diana Mitford and Bryan Guinness’s son and author of The House of Mitford, which is by far the worst of the books about the Mitfords) later pooh-poohed this story, impugning Decca’s honesty and asserting that “no live snake would stay wrapped around a lavatory chain for five seconds.” What a spoilsport. I imagine that Enid was more than up to the challenge.
*
In 1934, more animal news:
“On April 16, thirty-four-year-old Eric Hatry, barrister brother of the gaoled financier Clarence Hatry, was charged with urging his dog to worry a cat in Soho.”
*
And in 1939, more on the doings of the Devonshires:
“On February 22, it was revealed that the Duke of Devonshire had installed a conveyor-belt to transport food from the kitchen to the dining-room at Chatsworth. It was claimed that this gadget could carry a bowl of soup 328 feet in thirty-two seconds without a drop being spilt.”
By the by, when this particular Duke of Devonshire (Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire, a.k.a. Deborah Mitford’s father-in-law) died in 1950, he was attended by his physician, John Bodkin Adams, a likely serial killer (never convicted), who was ultimately linked to over 160 suspicious deaths!
*
Well, I never. *drops cigar*
While I was on an internet trawl for interesting English gardens, I came across the existence of Eltham Palace which is incredible, but best of all I learned that the Courtaulds who remodeled the palace had a ring-tailed lemur named Mah-Johng: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of…
I went there last year; rather adorably they have put a stuffed Lemur in Mah-Johng’s little sleeping room. (Do go if you ever get the chance- I was dragged around what seemed like nearly every National Trust property and English Heritage site as a child and this is one of the most fascinating).
The English sense of whimsy always surprises me. There aren’t silly things like that in US national parks unless you count the bears.
Upon reflection, it could be because I go to the forest-type parks and not the buildings.
I was dragged around what seemed like nearly every National Trust property and English Heritage site as a child
Dittooooooo
I’ve never been, but my dad went once and promptly informed me that I have to have my wedding reception there.
“Sir Francis Laking, twenty-six-year-old Baronet, died in St. George’s Hospital after drinking too much yellow Chartreuse. In his will, he left all his motor-cars to his friend Tallulah Bankhead. It was soon discovered that he did not own a single motor-car.”
This is the best one. Closely followed by Unity and her pet snake Enid, both of whom I would have spent all my time with at garden parties.
Of all the people who have ever and will ever exist in this universe and others, I think Tallulah Bankhead would most appreciate this.
Before Unity became a Nazi, though, right?
oh NO! I need to do better research on my historical BFFs.
…probably not, though? As she was yet another of the Mitford Nazi sympathizers?
A) This is fantastic.
B) Unity Mitford is a great name and sounds like a cross between a blaxsploitation character and a Jane Austin heroine.
C) *Monocle pops out in shock*
Oh no I did not know about Murderpedia.org goodbye the rest of my day.
Mary Russell !! Did Laurie R. King pick that name deliberately, I wonder?
In the evening, he astonished Mrs. Simpson by taking out his needlework. ‘This is my secret vice’, he said, explaining that he was making the cover for a backgammon table.”
WOWOWOW WHOA WHAT
his physician, John Bodkin Adams, a likely serial killer (never convicted), who was ultimately linked to over 160 suspicious deaths!
WHAAAAAT
So many monocles smashed. Even more cigars dropped. I am AGOG AT IT ALL.
New life goal: be Mary Russell.
You know the snake incident is apocryphal because, besides staying coiled around a chain, the bathrooms back then were freezing cold. Poor snake probably would have tucked herself so deep in Unity’s bra she never would have gotten her unstuck.
… What? Don’t your snakes like to cuddle up in your bra?
I feel like rich people used to be a lot more interesting (or least, more delightfully dotty) than they are now.
The English aristocracy is full of so many delightful weirdos that it almost makes me not despise them (almost but not quite)
Look up Alexander Thynn, the 7th Marquess of Bath
Sadly, nothing can make me not despise the English aristocracy. Even my love of Mitford trivia won’t do it.
They’re so…….. rich. Useless and rich. None of them are even gentlemen scientists any more, which is at least using your obscene wealth for something.
Unlike the emperor of Japan, who has published scientific papers about gobies
LORD BATH. What a daffy little nutcase! Wifelets! Floppy hats! Really bad art!
His son the 8th Marquess-to-be is probably the stupidest, sweetest gazillionaire in all England. Just dumb as a brick. The show the Beeb did on them made me cringe and howl and d’awww continually.
This is his personal website http://www.lordbath.co.uk/home
Ok what, he gets to be Marquess of BATH?!? I flippin’ love bath! Maybe he’ll trade it for an appropriately garish vest? What do you think?
Also, I love that his murals are clearly in the “I am still learning how to paint” mode and he just devotes an entire freaking room to them, it’s delightful. I don’t have nearly enough rooms for that.
I think his boring but delightfully named son and heir Ceawlin Henry Lazlo, Viscount Weymouth, is running their estate these days, so you might have to up your bargaining chips
His autobiography seems delightfully complicated. Three publications, but as different books of the same volume, all under the same title of Strictly Private.
The best must be volume 1, A PLATEFUL OF PRIVILEGE.
More privilege for me, Nanny!
I’m SO GLAD that someone else lists Nancy as their favourite Mitford sister.
I’ve read before (in one of the Mitford bios, I don’t remember which one) that Oswald Mosley may actually have continued to lead his former sister-in-law on after he was already seeing Diana Mitford, because he was that horrible.
I love this kind of post (and the comments) and I need to buy this book.
TEAM NANCY
Ok, but let’s be real, Eric Hatry was probably setting his dog to terrorize some innocent cat and laughing while the cat freaked out, because rich men are the worst.
Yep.
Goddamn Eric Hatry. I bet he pulled wings off flies when he was a kid.
The actual 3rd Baronet (yellow chartreuse guy) looks even cooler that his bather (misleadingly pictured above). http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.p… Although, the 1st Baronet appears to have use the 2nd Bt as the sperm for Queen Maud of Norway… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Laking#Rece…
Oswald Mosley was somehow even worse than that, Lady Cynthia /died/, and instead of immediately marrying his adoring mistress and future wife Diana Mitford (who had left her own husband and completely trashed her life to be with him), he screwed around with Baba, Cynthia’s sister, until Diana got pregnant. And then they were married by actual Nazis. MOSLEY.
Married at Hitler’s house! Why would you do that?
I think Cynthia and Baba’s stepmother might also have had an affair w/ Oswald? He was just The Worst. Their father, Lord Mountbatten, was the last viceroy of India. A family almost as fascinating as the Mitfords!
SO GLAD THAT NANCY IS YOUR FAVORITE MITFORD, AS SHE SHOULD BE
that is all, i have a lot of feelings about the mitfords, sorry for screaming
YES! I *knew* I would find my fellow Nancy-fanciers here!
brb, changing my daughter’s name to Edyth-with-a-Y.
I’ve been to Chatsworth LOADS of times and they’ve never mentioned the conveyor belt! Unreasonable!
Some of the phrasing in this book is delightfully odd. E.g:
“On January 30, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Simpson were found weekending at Fort Belvedere for the first time”
It makes it sound like nobody actually invited them, they were just found wandering the gardens and invited in for tea.
Goodness Worthington, who on earth is that wandering through the north west culinary shrubbery?
I believe it is the Simpsons, my lord, shall I have Lewis release the dogs?
….. No, no go and fetch them in, his highness is fond of the woman and Lady Furness says we mustn’t have any more maulings on the property.
Is “the goaled financier” perhaps a typo for “the gaoled financier”? Clarence Hatry was convicted and imprisoned for financial crimes. (Also, for the confused: “worry” in this context almost certainly means “bite” or “attack”.)
Wait, do other people not use “worry” in this sense? I thought it was pretty clear, by analogy with stuff like dogs worrying sheep.
Re “Sadly I have been unable to find out much more about the Duke of Windsor’s secret passion for needlework.”
My DH is 71 and grew up surrounded by the wealthy. His parents were of the same generation as the Duke of Windsor, who was the toast of North Shore Long Island and Palm Beach. All of them did needlepoint- my mother AND father-in-law left us yards and yards of pillow covers, chair covers, throw rugs, *banners*, random things- so I guess it was a thing in those days.
Also, although DH is from a (somewhat) more humble background, his best friend was very wealthy. We visited friend’s mother once in Palm Beach. Right there on the coffee table, next to photos of the grandchildren, was a photo of Edward and Wallis- friends of the family.
Oswald Mosley didn’t actually leave Cimmie for Diana, did he? She left her husband, but he stayed married; he and Diana only fully got together after Cimmie died from peritonitis.
Also, Jonathan Guinness was the son of Diana and her first husband, Bryan Guinness, not Oswald Mosley (sorry! I am a nitpicker when it comes to Mitford facts, clearly). The House of Mitford is pretty bad, though.
Ugh, I cannot believe I made these careless Mitford errors! You are right on both counts. Jonathan Guinness is OF COURSE not Mosley’s son; his last name is Guinness for goodness sakes. I AM SO EMBARRASSED [hangs head; sobs quietly]. This will teach me to read my work over before submitting it to websites.
They all had ridiculously complicated personal lives; errors are inescapable! And all of the titles mean that children don’t all have the same names as their parents, anyway. (Have you heard the anecdote about Unity telling Hitler her father was Lord Redesdale, and him assuming that she was illegitimate, as her surname was Mitford?)
Nancy seems like she would be a firecracker at parties, but I have such love for Decca. Obviously, Decca was a self-righteous twat, but what an adventurous self-righteous twat she was!
(Also, special love for queer Pam. I’m probably most like her; not just the queer part, but the “Y’all crazy, imma chill out in the country and just have a quiet normal life. You can visit if you want to.” part)
Yeah, Decca is my favourite. In some ways, I feel like Diana would be the most appealing to be friends with – funnier and more intelligent than Debo or Pam, kinder and less spikey than Nancy or Decca – but I could never get past the Fascism/Nazism. Debo gets a serious side-eye from me for describing her as a “saint”. No, the fact that she is nice to her friends and family does not excuse the hideous politics!
Diana is the most perfect reminder that abhorrent hatred often is dressed up in the package of a gorgeous and charming person. Otherwise, such hatred would never be palatable.
I LOLed at “self-righteous twat.” The self-righteousness is a big part of the reason Decca is not my personal favorite, although I do think she was fascinating and in some respects very admirable. I also think she reminds me a bit too much of my equally self-righteous grandparents, who were very active in the same political circles during the same time period.
“Sir Francis Laking, twenty-six-year-old Baronet, died in St. George’s Hospital after drinking too much yellow Chartreuse. In his will, he left all his motor-cars to his friend Tallulah Bankhead. It was soon discovered that he did not own a single motor-car.”
“Leave non-existent motor-cars to friends in will” is going on my To-Do List.
And they weren't even particularly good at Intrigue anymore by this point.
I think I found my life motto.
‘I am never thrilled.’
Ugh, I cannot believe I made these careless Mitford errors! You are right on both counts. Jonathan Guinness is OF COURSE not Mosley's son; his last name is Guinness for goodness sakes. I AM SO EMBARRASSED [hangs head; sobs quietly]. This will teach me to read my work over before submitting it to websites.
TEAM NANCY
YES! I *knew* I would find my fellow Nancy-fanciers here!
I LOLed at "self-righteous twat." The self-righteousness is a big part of the reason Decca is not my personal favorite, although I do think she was fascinating and in some respects very admirable. I also think she reminds me a bit too much of my equally self-righteous grandparents, who were very active in the same political circles during the same time period.
LORD BATH. What a daffy little nutcase! Wifelets! Floppy hats! Really bad art!
His son the 8th Marquess-to-be is probably the stupidest, sweetest gazillionaire in all England. Just dumb as a brick. The show the Beeb did on them made me cringe and howl and d'awww continually.
I SWEAR I read about this somewhere but I think it was in a fanfiction or Penny Dreadful.
You are now picturing girls fangirling Hitler and Lenin like they are their favorite 1direction boys.
EEK.