Society's Queen

The Life of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry

By: Anne de Courcy

Narrated by: Charlotte Strevens

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 21, 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 all congregated in her salon, known as "The Ark". Other members included artists and writers such as John Buchan and Sean O'Casey. Britain's first Labour prime minister, Ramsey MacDonald, became romantically obsessed by her.

©1992 Anne de Courcy (P)2021 Tantor

Disappointing

1st of all I did not expect that this would be a book about politics and military history, I expected it would be about social history and "society" so I was disappointed in that. 2nd of all I was disappointed that the last chapter of the book breezed over all of the things I wish they had actually talked about in more detail. The contradiction between the author's assertions that Edith was independent, forward thinking and a proto-feminist and her putting up with a philandering husband in the name of believing in Christian ideals of marriage is just a bridge to far for this reader.

Interesting and at times drawn out.

I was not expecting so much of this book to be about politics but by the end I understood that it had to be that way. The title made me think it was about glitz and glamour and I was at times disappointed. I kept listening and by the end the story came full circle and I saw that it could be written no other way. That was her life and the recap at the end is really awe inspiring. The narration was perfect.