Angela Estree Lyssod D'Arcy Dowding
Encyclopedia
Angela Estree Lyssod D'Arcy Lascelles (born Angela Dowding; 20 April 1919 - 28 February 2007) was a British actress and a relative of the British Royal Family
. She was the first wife of The Honourable Gerald Lascelles
, the second son of Princess Mary, the Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
.
, London to Charles Dowding (1887 - 1969), a second lieutenant
of the Somerset Light Infantry from Dulwich
; and his wife Lilian Lawler (1887 - 1959) originally from St Marylebone. Angela studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama
before starring in Noël Coward
's Blithe Spirit
in the West End
, and the film Miss London Ltd.
, the second son of Princess Mary, the Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
. Lascelles was a grandson of George V
and a cousin of Elizabeth II. At the time of their marriage, Lascelles was twelfth in the line of succession to the British throne
. As the son of an earl, he was styled The Honourable
, and Mrs Lascelles's style (formerly Miss Angela Dowding) became The Honourable Mrs Gerald Lascelles.
The marriage took place at St. Margaret's, Westminster
, with the Royal Family in attendance. However, the Queen did not attend due to a last-minute cold. This was seen in the press to be a snub for the couple due to Mrs Lascelles's low birth. The reception took place at St James's Palace, which Queen Mary
, Mr Lascelles's grandmother, attended. Together they had one child:
, the former country home of Gerald Lascelles's uncle, Edward VIII (the Duke of Windsor)
.
, and had good relations with the Royal Family. The Queen continued to invite her to the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. Angela never remarried and died in Virginia Water
, Surrey
on 28 February 2007.
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. She was the first wife of The Honourable Gerald Lascelles
Gerald Lascelles
The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles was the younger son of the 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. He was the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was styled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles...
, the second son of Princess Mary, the Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
.
Birth and career
Dowding was born on 20 April 1919 in HanwellHanwell
Hanwell is a town situated in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, between Ealing and Southall. The motto of Hanwell Urban District Council was Nec Aspera Terrent...
, London to Charles Dowding (1887 - 1969), a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
of the Somerset Light Infantry from Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
; and his wife Lilian Lawler (1887 - 1959) originally from St Marylebone. Angela studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
before starring in Noël Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit (play)
Blithe Spirit is a comic play written by Noël Coward which takes its title from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "To a Skylark" . The play concerns socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to...
in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
, and the film Miss London Ltd.
Miss London Ltd.
Miss London Ltd. is a 1943 British, black-and-white, comedy, musical, war film, directed by Val Guest and starring Ronald Shiner as Sailor Meredith and Arthur Askey as Arthur Bowden...
Marriage and issue
On 15 July 1952, she married Gerald LascellesGerald Lascelles
The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles was the younger son of the 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. He was the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was styled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles...
, the second son of Princess Mary, the Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
. Lascelles was a grandson of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and a cousin of Elizabeth II. At the time of their marriage, Lascelles was twelfth in the line of succession to the British throne
Line of succession to the British Throne
The line of succession to the British throne is the ordered sequence of those people eligible to succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom and the other 15 Commonwealth realms. By the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, the succession is limited to the descendants of the Electress Sophia of...
. As the son of an earl, he was styled The Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
, and Mrs Lascelles's style (formerly Miss Angela Dowding) became The Honourable Mrs Gerald Lascelles.
The marriage took place at St. Margaret's, Westminster
St. Margaret's, Westminster
The Anglican church of St. Margaret, Westminster Abbey is situated in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, and is the parish church of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London...
, with the Royal Family in attendance. However, the Queen did not attend due to a last-minute cold. This was seen in the press to be a snub for the couple due to Mrs Lascelles's low birth. The reception took place at St James's Palace, which Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, Mr Lascelles's grandmother, attended. Together they had one child:
- Henry Ulick Lascelles (born 19 May 1953 in London), has married twice and has one son
Fort Belvedere
In 1955, the Lascelleses moved to Fort Belvedere, SurreyFort Belvedere, Surrey
Fort Belvedere is a country house on Shrubs Hill in Windsor Great Park, England, very near Sunningdale, Berkshire, but actually over the border in the borough of Runnymede in Surrey. It is a former royal residence - from 1750 to 1976 - and is most famous for being the home of King Edward VIII. It...
, the former country home of Gerald Lascelles's uncle, Edward VIII (the Duke of Windsor)
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
.
Divorce and later life
Angela divorced from Gerald in 1978, and Mr Lascelles later married Elizabeth Colvin (née Collingwood). Angela Lascelles continued to live in Windsor Great ParkWindsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a large deer park of , to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century...
, and had good relations with the Royal Family. The Queen continued to invite her to the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. Angela never remarried and died in Virginia Water
Virginia Water
Virginia Water is an affluent village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot, England....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
on 28 February 2007.