The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family (80 page)

Hoare, Sir Samuel and Lady 115

Holloway Prison 326–7, 328–9, 330, 336, 349, 363–5, 501, 505

Honourable Rebel, The
(TV documentary) 507

Hons, Society of 51–2, 88, 89, 104, 118, 428

Hons and Rebels
(Jessica Mitford) 449, 463–70, 497, 513; depicts unhappy childhood 103, 181; on Fascism 177, 243, 264, 271; reaction of relatives to 467–70, 473, 499; snake incident 89–90, 499

Hooper (groom) 45, 47, 48, 91, 476

Horne, Anne see Farrer, Anne

Houghton Mifflin 464

House, The (Duchess of Devonshire) 515

House of Lords 57, 88, 246

House of Mitford, The (Jonathan and Catherine Guinness) 510–11

Howard, Brian 68, 73, 108, 109

Howard, Christian 258

Hozier, Bill 61

Hozier, Blanche, née Ogilvy (‘Aunt Natty’) 25–6, 42, 61

Hozier, Clementine see Churchill, Clementine

Hozier, Henry 25

Hozier, Nellie see Romilly, Nellie

Hungary 444–5, 448

Hussey, Miss 56, 89, 120, 167

Hutchinson, Barbara 141

Huxley family 127

Imperial Fascist League 265

Inch Kenneth 287, 300, 304, 311, 312, 386–7, 389, 393; ownership passed to sisters and dispute over Decca’s share 400–3, 456; Sydney’s life tenancy and family visits 403, 418, 435, 437–8, 474; Unity taken ill there 410, 411–12; ghosts 439, 465; Nancy gives Decca her share 462; Decca buys 462, 466, 472; closed in winter 473–4; sold 483–4

International Brigade 218–19, 220

International Sportsman’s Club 114

Irish Georgian Society 525

Ivanhoe (Walter Scott) 23

Jackson, Sir Charles 214

Jackson, Derek Ainslie 261, 269, 453; background and engagement to Pam 214–15; and riding 215, 403; marriage and loss of twin brother 216; trip to New York 291–2; war service 301, 327, 342, 382; pressure from government over Mosleys 379, 380–1; move to Ireland 419–20; affair and divorce 420; subsequent marriages, career and character 420–1, 427; continues friendship with Mitfords 482, 500

Jackson, Pamela see Mitford, Pamela

Jackson, Rose 420

Jackson, Vivian Ainslie 214, 216, 217

James, Edward and Ottilie 141

Jebb, Julian 507

Jew Süss
(Leon Feuchtwanger) 121–2, 495

Jockey Club 525

John, Augustus 127, 131, 214

John, Poppet 214

Johnson, Lyndon and Lady Bird 337

Kearsey family 24

Kee, Janetta 420

Keenan, Brigid 484

Kellgren, Dr 31

Kennedy, Joe 340, 387

Kennedy, John 340, 384, 410, 471, 477, 480

Kennedy, Joseph 334, 387

Kennedy, Kathleen (‘Kick’) 334–5, 340, 383–4, 387–8, 410–11

Kennedy, Robert 471, 480

Kennedy, Rose 384, 387, 388, 411

Kenny, Elizabeth 31

Keppel, Mrs 163

Kersey, Lily (‘Ninny’) 22

Khrushchev report 447–8

Kind and Usual Punishment (Jessica Mitford) 481

King, Martin Luther 471

‘King Alfred’s jewel’ 96

Koch family 297–8

Kristallnacht 263

Kruger, Paul 13

Ku Klux Klan 429, 471

Labour Party 133, 134, 255, 264, 421

Lady 16–17, 19, 62, 113–14, 240, 246

Lamb, Henry 142

Lappe, Pele de 449, 465–6, 487, 494

Laroche, Baroness 167, 171

Lawrence, T.E. 115–16

Lees-Milne, James 71–2, 84, 216, 394, 491, 502, 512, 516, 529; on callous streak in Mitfords 354; love for Diana 81, 80, 94; on Mosley 136–7, 503–4; on Nancy 353, 354, 356; relationship with Tom 390–3, 509

Letitia, SS 202

Liberté, SS 437

Life 282, 470–1, 506

Life of Contrasts, A (Diana Mosley) 501–2

Lindemann, Frederick, later Lord Cherwell 91–2, 93, 108, 127, 174, 214, 327, 420

Lismore Castle 419, 459, 494

Little Hut, The (trans. Nancy Mitford) 453

Lloyd George, David 323

Lockers Park Preparatory School 42

London: Connaught Hotel 357; Gay Hussar 460; Heywood Hill’s bookshop 353, 394, 465–6; Mitford residences 33,102–3, 109, 126, 146, 150, 199, 200, 213, 273, 323, 330; Rotherhithe 254–5, 258, 264, 278; Speaker’s Corner 165, 190–1; wartime 288–9, 300, 301–2, 330–1, 389–90; see also Rutland Gate

Longford, Lord see Pakenham, Frank

Lothian, Lord 320

Love in a Cold Climate
(Nancy Mitford) 57–8, 185, 399, 424, 450; BBC production 507; see also ‘Matthew, Uncle’

Loved One, The (Evelyn Waugh) 407

Loved Ones
(Diana Mosley) 506

Ludwig I, king 175

Lutyens, Mary see Sewell, Mary

Lyons Corner House 220

McCarthy, Joseph 408, 430

MacDonald, Dr Flora 474–5

MacDonald, Ramsay 135

McGee, Willie and Rosalie 429–30

McGibbon, James 463–4, 465, 478

McGillvray, Mr and Mrs 473, 474

MacKinnon family 327

Macmillan, Harold 472

Madame de Pompadour (Nancy Mitford) 450

Malcolm House 37

Marais, Le (château) 485

Marlborough, Gladys, Duchess of 104

‘Matthew, Uncle’ (fictional character) 16, 27–8, 29, 57–9, 424

Maugham, Somerset 218

Meade, Edward (‘Jimmy’) 13, 15

Mercer-Nairne, Margaret 108

Metcalfe, Alexandra (‘Baba’) 146, 156, 157, 197, 198, 199, 200, 274–5, 320, 321, 363

Metcalfe, Major ‘Fruity’ 146, 156

Meyer, Eugene 281, 315–16, 337

Middleton, George (‘Bay’) 25

Mirams, Miss 41, 42, 89

Mississippi 429

Mitford, Algernon Bertram (‘Bertie’), 1st Lord Redesdale (grandfather) 9, 11, 24, 25–6, 33, 37, 40, 42, 44, 45; illness and death 37–8; Memories 40

Mitford, Clement (uncle) 11, 14, 35, 38

Mitford, Clementine, née Ogilvy, Lady Redesdale (grandmother) 24–5, 39, 40

Mitford, Clementine, later Lady Beit (cousin) 36, 47–8, 94, 119, 246, 247, 498

Mitford, David Freeman, 2nd Lord Redesdale (father): appearance 15, 114; character 11, 15, 19, 20, 27–8, 58–9, 69–74, 104, 245, 436; childhood, education and meeting with Sydney 9, 11–12, 13–15, 126; early career 12, 13–14, 16; military career and injuries 13–14, 33, 34–8; early marriage 15–16; depicted as ‘Uncle Matthew’ 16, 27–8, 29, 57–9, 424; attitude to books 16, 45; births of children 17–18, 20, 22, 33, 41, 47, 110; and animals 27, 28–9, 109; gold-mining venture 31–3, 97–8; death of brother 35, 36; relationship with children 36–7, 87; death of father and inheritance 38, 39–40; attitude to girls’ education 41, 52–3, 57, 105, 116–17; relationship with wife 41–2; and mealtimes 43; buys Asthall Manor 44; riding accident 47; and hare-coursing 48; and church-going 49–50; and House of Lords 57, 88, 246; local duties 57; and chubb fuddling 57–8; distrust of outsiders 69; behaviour with Nancy’s friends 69–73; rows with Nancy 73–4; replaces Asthall with Swinbrook House and townhouse 78–9, 82, 86–7; shooting trips to Scotland 88; reaction to daughters’ engagements 95, 96, 97, 102; dislike of Bright Young People 111; financial difficulties 113, 201; love of skating 114, 192–3; children’s nicknames for 124; reaction to Diana’s relationship with Mosley 145, 150, 157, 198–9, 212, 260, 413; attitude to sons-in-law 152, 269; reaction to daughters’ links with Nazis 162, 189, 192, 193; visits Germany 181, 192–3, 243, 253; reaction to Decca’s elopement 227, 230–1, 234, 237, 243–4; meets Hitler 269; and press publicity 274, 313–14; buys Inch Kenneth 287; and Unity 291; attitude to Germany 293, 300; split with Sydney over her Fascism 310–12, 332, 399–400; poor health 311–12, 332, 333–4, 340, 376–7, 386; stays with Nancy in London 331; re-opens contact with Decca 386; and Tom’s death 393, 394–5; reconciliation with Mosleys 394, 413, 400, 459; helps Nancy open bookshop 396; and Redesdale Cottage 399–400, 410, 436; still sees Sydney 436; death 454–6; will 456, 462; depicted in
Hons and Rebels
467, 468

Mitford, Deborah Freeman (‘Debo’), later Mrs Andrew Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire: birth (youngest child) 47; appearance 273, 419; character 54–5, 126, 242, 477, 479; childhood 28, 34–5, 47–52, 59, 69–70, 72, 73, 88–91, 95–6, 99–100, 103, 152–3; and outdoor pursuits 47, 106, 335; founder member of Society of Hons 51–2; relationship with sisters 52, 54–5; education 56, 76, 81, 86, 117, 167; relationship with mother 59, 60; trips abroad 81, 202–4, 242–3, 244, 419, 423; pets 81, 109; love of Swinbrook House 86, 91, 118, 232; first-class skater 114; infatuation with Derek Jackson 215; sues
Daily Express
230; effect of Decca’s elopment and other family traumas 232, 238, 241–2, 293, 333–4, 499–500; meets Hitler 244; coming out 244, 245–6, 266; humour 245–6; secretly visits Decca 260–1; secretly visits the Mosleys with Andrew Cavendish 272–3; social life and work during war 301, 303, 335; engagement to Andrew 303–4, 335, 336; helps to fetch Unity from Switzerland 305–7; wedding 338–40; first child stillborn 342, 352–3; births of Emma and Peregrine 377, 382, 385; Andrew becomes heir to dukedom 388–9; depicted in
The Pursuit of Love
395; miscarriages 406, 454; move to Edensor 421–2, 423; and Chatsworth 422–3, 424, 515, 526–8; reunions with Decca 428, 437–8, 440, 494; birth of Sophia 454; visits Kennedy 471; opposition to biography of Unity and dispute with Decca 495–500, 509; protective of family 495–6, 499–500; publishes books on Chatsworth 515; golden wedding 515; and Pam’s death 518–19; as entrepreneur 527

Mitford, Diana, later Guinness, then Mosley: birth 22 (fourth child); appearance 22, 65, 66, 80, 93–4, 130; character 65–6, 477; childhood 23–5, 27–31, 33–5, 37, 41, 43, 44–5, 47–52; education 41, 42, 43, 56; sensitivity to ghosts 44, 126–7; and riding 47; and dancing lessons 53–4; horrified at thought of school or Guides 54; unhappiness and boredom 59, 60, 65, 86, 92; admirers 71, 80, 111; attendance at finishing school in Paris ends in disgrace 79–82, 83–6; visits to Chartwell 83, 91–2; nicknames 85; pet snake incident 90; prevented from learning German 92; coming out 93–4; engagement to Bryan Guinness 94–5, 97, 98; wedding and honeymoon 99–101; London homes 102–3, 126; early visits to Germany and first contact with Nazis 106–7, 159–62; social life 108–9, 110–12, 127, 130–1; births of Jonathan and Desmond 110, 127; affair with Mosley 131–2, 141–6, 153–7, 164–5, 197–200; growing interest in social conditions 132–3; leaves Bryan 144–6; rift with family over Mosley 145, 150, 157, 198–9, 212, 260, 413; divorce 150, 153–4, 156; and Cimmie Mosley’s death 155–7; visits Lord Berners in Rome 162–3; joins Unity in Munich to learn German 174–6; alleged remark on Streicher 191; reaction to
Wigs on the Green
193–4, 196–7, 212; attends 1935 Nuremberg rally and meets Hitler and Streicher 197; car accident 198, 199; abortion 199–200; secretly marries Mosley in Germany and moves to Wootton Lodge 200–1, 211–12, 213–14, 216; increasing contact with Nazis and meetings with Hitler 204–5, 206–8, 210, 248, 250, 252, 253, 268, 287–9, 321–2, 501; discusses Hitler with Churchill 205; acts as intermediary for BUF’s Air Time project 208–10, 253–4, 273, 321–2; supports Decca after elopement 231; stays friends with Bryan 256; dispute with Decca 264; births of Alexander and Max 272–3, 289, 303, 320; marriage made public 273–5; and Unity 286, 309; and photograph of Hitler 289–90; on concept of Mosley becoming Fascist overlord of Britain 322–3; arrest and imprisonment 324–7, 328–30, 335–6, 349, 353, 359–60, 362–5, 501, 505, 516; relationship with Nancy 325, 353, 453; appeal against imprisonment 360–2; release triggers protests 374–5, 376–81; temporary move to Shipton-under-Wychwood 381; new home at Crux Eaton 381–2, 413–14; and Tom’s death 393–4; reconciliation with father 394, 400, 413, 459; move to Crowood House 414–15; Mediterranean trip 418–19; move to Ireland and loss of Clonfert 419–20, 457–9; move to France 427, 459; and father’s death 454–6; success of marriage 459; as editor and reviewer 460; dislikes isolation of Inch Kenneth 474; and Nancy’s illness 486–8, 489; hostile to biography of Unity 496, 498; autobiography 501–2; subsequent books 502–3, 506; becomes ill after Mosley’s death 504–5; appears in documentary on Nancy 507–8; tries to stop stepson’s book on Mosley 510; holidays with Pam 515–16; controversy over
Desert Island Discs
appearance 516–17; on Hitler 516; 90th birthday and life in Paris 525–6