Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Encyclopedia
Deborah Vivien Cavendish, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire DCVO
(born 31 March 1920), née The Hon. Deborah Freeman-Mitford is the youngest and last surviving of the six noted Mitford sisters whose political affiliations and marriages were a prominent feature of English culture in the 1930s and 1940s. She was born in Asthall Manor
, Oxfordshire
, England
.
, younger son of the 10th Duke of Devonshire
, in 1941. When Cavendish's older brother, William, Marquess of Hartington
, was killed in combat in 1944, Cavendish became heir to the dukedom and Marquess of Hartington; in 1950, upon the death of his father, he became the 11th Duke of Devonshire.
With her husband, the Duchess was the main public face of Chatsworth
for many decades. Upon the death of her husband in 2004, her son Peregrine Cavendish became the 12th Duke of Devonshire
.
The Duchess has written several books about Chatsworth, and has played a key role in the restoration of the house, the enhancement of the garden and the development of commercial activities such as Chatsworth Farm Shop (which is on a quite different scale from most farm shops as it employs a hundred people); Chatsworth's other retail and catering operations; and assorted offshoots such as Chatsworth Food, which sells luxury foodstuffs which carry her signature and Chatsworth Design which sells image rights to items and designs from the Chatsworth collections. Recognising the commercial imperatives of running a stately home, she takes a very active role and has been known to run the ticket office for Chatsworth House herself. She also supervised the development of the Cavendish Hotel at Baslow
near Chatsworth and the Devonshire Arms Hotel at Bolton Abbey
.
In 1999 the Duchess was appointed a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
(DCVO) by Queen Elizabeth II
, for her service to the Royal Collection Trust
. She became the Dowager
Duchess of Devonshire in 2004, when her son inherited the dukedom upon the death of her husband.
She and the duke had seven children, three of whom died shortly after birth:
The Duchess is the maternal grandmother of the fashion model Stella Tennant
and a maternal aunt of Max Mosley
, former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
(FIA).
during a visit to Munich
in June 1937, when she was visiting Germany
with her mother and her sister Unity
, the latter being the only one of the three who spoke German and, therefore the one who carried on the entire conversation with Hitler. Shortly before ending the interview, she was asked to choose with whom she would have preferred to have tea: American singer Elvis Presley
or Hitler. Looking at the interviewer with astonishment, she answered: "Well, Elvis of course! What an extraordinary question."
In 2010, the BBC journalist Kirsty Wark
interviewed the Duchess for Newsnight
. In it, the Duchess talked about life in the 1930s and 1940s, Hitler, the Chatsworth estate, and the marginalisation of the upper classes. She was also interviewed on December 23 by Charlie Rose
for PBS
. She spoke of her memoir and other interesting aspects of her life.
(28 November 1904 - 30 June 1973)
Pamela Mitford (25 November 1907 – 12 April 1994)
Thomas Mitford (2 January 1909 – 30 March 1945)
Diana Mitford
(17 June 1910 – 11 August 2003)
Unity Mitford
(8 August 1914 – 28 May 1948)
Jessica Mitford
(11 September 1917 – 22 July 1996)
Deborah Mitford (born 31 March 1920)
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(born 31 March 1920), née The Hon. Deborah Freeman-Mitford is the youngest and last surviving of the six noted Mitford sisters whose political affiliations and marriages were a prominent feature of English culture in the 1930s and 1940s. She was born in Asthall Manor
Asthall Manor
Asthall Manor is a gabled Jacobean Cotswold manor house in Asthall, Oxfordshire. It was built in about 1620 and altered and enlarged in about 1916The house was the childhood home of the Mitford sisters.-History:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Life
Known to her family as "Debo", Deborah Mitford married Lord Andrew CavendishAndrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire
Andrew Robert Buxton Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire KG, MC, PC , styled Lord Andrew Cavendish until 1944 and Marquess of Hartington from 1944 to 1950, was a British Conservative politician...
, younger son of the 10th Duke of Devonshire
Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire
Edward William Spencer Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire, KG, MBE, TD , known as Marquess of Hartington , was the head of the Devonshire branch of the Cavendish family...
, in 1941. When Cavendish's older brother, William, Marquess of Hartington
William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington
William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington was the eldest son of Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire and Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. He was the husband of Kathleen Agnes Kennedy, sister of future U.S. President John F. Kennedy.-Politics:Lord Hartington was a member of...
, was killed in combat in 1944, Cavendish became heir to the dukedom and Marquess of Hartington; in 1950, upon the death of his father, he became the 11th Duke of Devonshire.
With her husband, the Duchess was the main public face of Chatsworth
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
for many decades. Upon the death of her husband in 2004, her son Peregrine Cavendish became the 12th Duke of Devonshire
Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire
Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, KCVO, CBE , is a British peer. He is the only surviving son of the 11th Duke of Devonshire and his wife, the former Deborah Mitford. He succeeded to the dukedom following the death of his father on 3 May 2004...
.
The Duchess has written several books about Chatsworth, and has played a key role in the restoration of the house, the enhancement of the garden and the development of commercial activities such as Chatsworth Farm Shop (which is on a quite different scale from most farm shops as it employs a hundred people); Chatsworth's other retail and catering operations; and assorted offshoots such as Chatsworth Food, which sells luxury foodstuffs which carry her signature and Chatsworth Design which sells image rights to items and designs from the Chatsworth collections. Recognising the commercial imperatives of running a stately home, she takes a very active role and has been known to run the ticket office for Chatsworth House herself. She also supervised the development of the Cavendish Hotel at Baslow
Baslow
Baslow is a village in Derbyshire, England, in the Peak District, lying between Sheffield and Bakewell. It is situated on the River Derwent just north of Chatsworth House. A seventeenth century bridge spans the river in the village, alongside which is a contemporary toll house...
near Chatsworth and the Devonshire Arms Hotel at Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey is the estate within which is located the ruined 12th-century Augustinian Bolton Priory in North Yorkshire, England. It gives its name to the parish of Bolton Abbey.-Bolton Priory:...
.
In 1999 the Duchess was appointed a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(DCVO) by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, for her service to the Royal Collection Trust
Royal Collection Trust
The Royal Collection Trust is a British charitable body established in 1993 by the Queen under the Chairmanship of Prince Charles to manage the Royal Collection of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom....
. She became the Dowager
Dowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
Duchess of Devonshire in 2004, when her son inherited the dukedom upon the death of her husband.
She and the duke had seven children, three of whom died shortly after birth:
- Mark Cavendish (born and died 14 November 1941)
- Emma Cavendish (born 26 March 1943, styled Lady Emma Cavendish from 1944)
- Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of DevonshirePeregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of DevonshirePeregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, KCVO, CBE , is a British peer. He is the only surviving son of the 11th Duke of Devonshire and his wife, the former Deborah Mitford. He succeeded to the dukedom following the death of his father on 3 May 2004...
(born 27 April 1944) - An unnamed child (miscarried December 1946; he or she was a twin of Victor Cavendish, born in 1947)
- Lord Victor Cavendish (born and died 22 May 1947)
- Lady Mary Cavendish (born and died 5 April 1953)
- Lady Sophia Louise Sydney Cavendish (born 18 March 1957)
The Duchess is the maternal grandmother of the fashion model Stella Tennant
Stella Tennant
Stella Tennant is a British model. The granddaughter of the late Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire and Deborah Mitford, who is the last of the noted Mitford sisters, Tennant was born in Scotland and attended St Leonards School in St Andrews. Her parents are The Hon...
and a maternal aunt of Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...
, former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
(FIA).
Selected interviews
In an interview with John Preston of the Daily Telegraph, published in September 2007, she recounted having tea with Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
during a visit to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in June 1937, when she was visiting Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with her mother and her sister Unity
Unity Mitford
Unity Valkyrie Mitford was a member of the aristocratic Mitford family, tracing its origins in Northumberland back to the 11th century Norman settlement of England. Unity Mitford's sister Diana was married to Oswald Mosley, leader of British Union of Fascists...
, the latter being the only one of the three who spoke German and, therefore the one who carried on the entire conversation with Hitler. Shortly before ending the interview, she was asked to choose with whom she would have preferred to have tea: American singer Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
or Hitler. Looking at the interviewer with astonishment, she answered: "Well, Elvis of course! What an extraordinary question."
In 2010, the BBC journalist Kirsty Wark
Kirsty Wark
Kirsteen Anne Wark is a British journalist and television presenter best known for fronting the BBC Two's news and current affairs programme Newsnight since 1993, and its weekly arts annexe Newsnight Review which is now relaunched as "The Review Show".-Biography:Wark was born in Dumfries to Jimmy...
interviewed the Duchess for Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
. In it, the Duchess talked about life in the 1930s and 1940s, Hitler, the Chatsworth estate, and the marginalisation of the upper classes. She was also interviewed on December 23 by Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
for PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. She spoke of her memoir and other interesting aspects of her life.
Titles from birth
- The Honourable Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford (1920 – 1941)
- Lady Andrew Cavendish (1941 – 1944)
- Marchioness of Hartington (1944 – 1950)
- Her Grace The Duchess of Devonshire (1950 – 2004)
- Her Grace The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire (2004 – present)
The Mitford siblings
Nancy MitfordNancy Mitford
Nancy Freeman-Mitford, CBE , styled The Hon. Nancy Mitford before her marriage and The Hon. Mrs Peter Rodd thereafter, was an English novelist and biographer, one of the Bright Young People on the London social scene in the inter-war years...
(28 November 1904 - 30 June 1973)
Pamela Mitford (25 November 1907 – 12 April 1994)
Thomas Mitford (2 January 1909 – 30 March 1945)
Diana Mitford
Diana Mitford
Diana Mitford, Lady Mosley , was one of Britain's noted Mitford sisters. She was married first to Bryan Walter Guinness, heir to the barony of Moyne, and secondly to Sir Oswald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, leader of the British Union of Fascists; her second marriage, in 1936, took place at the...
(17 June 1910 – 11 August 2003)
Unity Mitford
Unity Mitford
Unity Valkyrie Mitford was a member of the aristocratic Mitford family, tracing its origins in Northumberland back to the 11th century Norman settlement of England. Unity Mitford's sister Diana was married to Oswald Mosley, leader of British Union of Fascists...
(8 August 1914 – 28 May 1948)
Jessica Mitford
Jessica Mitford
Jessica Lucy Freeman-Mitford was an English author, journalist and political campaigner, who was one of the Mitford sisters...
(11 September 1917 – 22 July 1996)
Deborah Mitford (born 31 March 1920)
Books
- Chatsworth: The House (1980; revised edition 2002)
- The Estate: A View from Chatsworth (1990)
- The Farmyard at Chatsworth (1991) — for children
- Treasures of Chatsworth: A Private View (1991)
- The Garden at Chatsworth (1999)
- Counting My Chickens and Other Home Thoughts (2002) — essays.
- The Chatsworth Cookery Book (2003)
- Round and About Chatsworth (2005)
- Memories of Andrew Devonshire (2007)
- In Tearing Haste: Letters Between Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor (2008), edited by Charlotte Mosley
- Home to Roost . . . and Other Peckings (2009)
- Wait for Me!... Memoirs of the Youngest Mitford Sister (2010)
- Mitford, DianaDiana MitfordDiana Mitford, Lady Mosley , was one of Britain's noted Mitford sisters. She was married first to Bryan Walter Guinness, heir to the barony of Moyne, and secondly to Sir Oswald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, leader of the British Union of Fascists; her second marriage, in 1936, took place at the...
, The Pursuit of LaughterThe Pursuit of LaughterThe Pursuit of Laughter is a 2008 collection of diaries, articles, reviews and portraits by Diana Mitford. The book was published by Gibson Square and edited by Martin Rynja. Mitford's sister, Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire provides the introduction...
(2008) — introduction