Society's Queen: The Life of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry
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From the author of the critically acclaimed THE VICEROY'S DAUGHTERS, the story of a glittering aristocrat who was also at the heart of political society in the interwar years.
At the age of twenty-one, Edith Chaplin married one of the most eligible bachelors of the day, the eldest son of the sixth Marquess of Londonderry. Her husband served in the Ulster cabinet and was Air Minister in the National Government of 1934-5. Edith founded the Women's Legion during the First World War and was also an early campaigner for women's suffrage. She created the renowned Mount Stewart Gardens in County Down that are now owned by the National Trust.
All her life, Edith remained at the heart of politics both in Westminster and Ireland. She is perhaps best known for her role as 'society's queen' - a hostess to the rich and famous. Her close circle of friends included Winston Churchill, Lady Astor, Neville Chamberlain and Harold Macmillan who congregated in her salon, known as 'The Ark'. Other members included artists and writers such as John Buchan, Sean O'Casey. Britain's first Labour prime minister, Ramsey MacDonald, became romantically obsessed by her.
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Praise for Society's Queen
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De Courcy's biography re-creates a world of glittering house parties, aristocratic immorality and political intrigue in a narrative that reads like a racy novel - SUNDAY TIMESThis thoroughly enjoyable account is written with a light touch and an eye for the ridiculous, yet also succeeds in creating a genuine sense of unease and impending gloom - DAILY MAIL
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