Lady Iris Mountbatten
Encyclopedia
The Lady Iris Mountbatten (Iris Victoria Beatrice Grace Mountbatten) was born in Kensington Palace
, London
on 13 January 1920, the only child of Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke
, eldest of three sons and one daughter of The Princess Beatrice
and Prince Henry of Battenberg
. Her Mother, the Marchioness of Carisbrooke GBE
(1938), was a DJStJ
, Order of Queen Maria Luisa
, was born Lady Irene Francis Adza Denison (4 July 1890 - 16 July 1956) the only daughter of William Francis Henry Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough and Lady Grace Adelaide Fane (3 October 1860 - 13 June 1933), a daughter of Francis William Henry Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland
.
Lord Carisbrooke's only sister Ena was Queen consort
to King Alfonso XIII of Spain
, thus making Lady Iris a first cousin of the Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, father of the present King, Juan Carlos I of Spain
. Lady Carisbrooke had two brothers of whom only one, Hugo William Cecil Denison, 4th and last Earl of Londesborough, was married. He and his wife had one child, Iris's only maternal first cousin, Lady Zinnia Rosemary Denison (25 November 1937 - 13 July 1997) a keen equestrian and Master of the Whaddon Chase Hunt
1982-84. 'The Lady Zinnia Judd Challenge Trophy' named in memory of her, is presented in the Hunter Championship for the 'Best Hunter in Show' at the Royal Windsor Horse Show
.
On 29 November 1934, Iris was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousins Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, Duke of Kent
. On 4 September 1935, at St. Oswald's Church, Blankney
, Lincolnshire
, she was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her uncle Lord Londesborough to Marigold Rosemary Joyce Lubbock (15 May 1903 - 15 May 1976). On 12 May 1937 at their coronation
, Iris was one of the six train bearers to Queen Elizabeth
, wife and consort of her cousin King George VI
.
She attended a variety of royal and aristocratic events in her youth, being a well known and much photographed débutante
. During World War II
she worked as a nurse's aide, later moving to the United States
, socialising and becoming an actress and model, appearing as a hostess in a live variety show and children's programme 'Versatile Varieties'. She also appeared endorsing Pond's Creams
and Warrens Mint Cocktail Gum. A goddaughter was Sharon McCluskey (daughter of Ellen Lehman McCluskey of the Lehman family
), later Sharon, Countess Sondes, second wife of Henry Milles-Lade, 5th Earl Sondes
.
She married three times:
Lady Iris died on 1 September 1982 at Wellesley Hospital
, Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. Her ashes were brought to the Isle of Wight
for internment in the Battenberg
Chapel at St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham
.
She had only one child, a son by her second marriage: Robin Alexander Bryan (born in New York City
, New York
, on 20 December 1957) He has three children:
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 13 January 1920, the only child of Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke
Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke
Alexander Albert Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke, GCB, GCVO, GJStJ was a member of the Hessian princely Battenberg family and the extended British Royal Family, a grandson of Queen Victoria...
, eldest of three sons and one daughter of The Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom
The Princess Beatrice was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Juan Carlos, King of Spain, is her great-grandson...
and Prince Henry of Battenberg
Prince Henry of Battenberg
Colonel Prince Henry of Battenberg was a morganatic descendant of the Grand Ducal House of Hesse, later becoming a member of the British Royal Family, through his marriage to Princess Beatrice.-Early life:...
. Her Mother, the Marchioness of Carisbrooke GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1938), was a DJStJ
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
, Order of Queen Maria Luisa
Order of Queen Maria Luisa
The Royal Order of Queen María Luisa is an Order created by Charles IV of Spain by royal decree in April 21 1792 at the request of his wife Queen Maria Luisa, to have a way to reward noble women who distinguished themselves for their services and talents, so it was established as a distinction...
, was born Lady Irene Francis Adza Denison (4 July 1890 - 16 July 1956) the only daughter of William Francis Henry Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough and Lady Grace Adelaide Fane (3 October 1860 - 13 June 1933), a daughter of Francis William Henry Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland
Francis Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland
Colonel Francis William Henry Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland CB, DL , styled Lord Burghersh between 1851 and 1859, was a British soldier and racehorse owner.-Background and education:...
.
Lord Carisbrooke's only sister Ena was Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
to King Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
, thus making Lady Iris a first cousin of the Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, father of the present King, Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
. Lady Carisbrooke had two brothers of whom only one, Hugo William Cecil Denison, 4th and last Earl of Londesborough, was married. He and his wife had one child, Iris's only maternal first cousin, Lady Zinnia Rosemary Denison (25 November 1937 - 13 July 1997) a keen equestrian and Master of the Whaddon Chase Hunt
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
1982-84. 'The Lady Zinnia Judd Challenge Trophy' named in memory of her, is presented in the Hunter Championship for the 'Best Hunter in Show' at the Royal Windsor Horse Show
Royal Windsor Horse Show
The Royal Windsor Horse Show is a horse show held annually since 1943 for five days in May or June in Windsor Home Park....
.
On 29 November 1934, Iris was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousins Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
. On 4 September 1935, at St. Oswald's Church, Blankney
Blankney
Blankney is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 239 according to the 2001 census. The village is about south of Lincoln and north of Sleaford...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, she was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her uncle Lord Londesborough to Marigold Rosemary Joyce Lubbock (15 May 1903 - 15 May 1976). On 12 May 1937 at their coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
, Iris was one of the six train bearers to Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
, wife and consort of her cousin King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
.
She attended a variety of royal and aristocratic events in her youth, being a well known and much photographed débutante
Debutante
A débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
she worked as a nurse's aide, later moving to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, socialising and becoming an actress and model, appearing as a hostess in a live variety show and children's programme 'Versatile Varieties'. She also appeared endorsing Pond's Creams
Pond's Creams
Pond's Cream is a brand of beauty and health care products that is produced by the Ponds Institute which is owned by the multinational company Unilever.-History:...
and Warrens Mint Cocktail Gum. A goddaughter was Sharon McCluskey (daughter of Ellen Lehman McCluskey of the Lehman family
Lehman family
The Lehman family was a prominent family of Jewish-German-American businesspeople who founded the financial firm Lehman Brothers. This family was related to Otto Liman von Sanders, who was a German general who served as adviser and military commander for the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Some...
), later Sharon, Countess Sondes, second wife of Henry Milles-Lade, 5th Earl Sondes
Henry Milles-Lade, 5th Earl Sondes
Henry George Herbert Milles-Lade, 5th Earl Sondes , styled Viscount Throwley between 1941 and 1970, was a British peer. He inherited the title upon the death of his father in 1970 and the peerage became extinct when he died without an heir.The fifth earl was considered a colourful character...
.
She married three times:
- on 15 February 1941 (after an engagement formally announced in The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
January 18 1941) at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, Hayward's Heath, SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
to Captain (later MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
) Hamilton Joseph Keyes O'Malley (19 October 1910, FarnboroughFarnborough, Hampshire-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
, HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
- 31 March 1989) Chief of his name, of the Irish GuardsIrish GuardsThe Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
, educated DownsideDownside SchoolDownside School is a co-educational Catholic independent school for children aged 11 to 18, located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, between Norton Radstock and Shepton Mallet in Somerset, south west England. It is attached to Downside Abbey...
, eldest son of Lt ColLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Middleton Joseph O'Malley-Keyes and Jane Byrnes MalleyThe Edw. Malley Co.The Edw. Malley Co., often abbreviated Malley's, was a prestigious department store in Downtown New Haven, Connecticut, from 1852 to 1982. Company produced postcards promoted the establishment as "The Metropolitan Store of Connecticut"...
(married 18 October 1909), of Ross House, WestportWestport-Canada:*Westport, Nova Scotia*Westport, Ontario**Westport Rideaus, local junior "B" ice hockey team**Westport/Rideau Lakes Airport*Westport, Newfoundland and Labrador-Republic of Ireland:*Westport, County Mayo**Westport House**Westport railway station...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Attendees were Lord and Lady Carisbrooke, Elizabeth Baltiel and Giles VandeleurGiles VandeleurLieutenant-Colonel Giles Alexander Meysey Vandeleur, DSO was a British Army officer during the Second World War.He was commissioned into the Irish Guards as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1931...
. They divorced in 1946 and she reverted to her maiden name of Mountbatten by Deed pollDeed pollA deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an active intention...
dated 7 January 1949. - on 5 May 1957 at Pound Ridge, New YorkPound Ridge, New YorkPound Ridge is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,104 at the 2010 census.The town is located in the eastern corner of the county, bordered by New Canaan, Connecticut, to the east, Stamford, Connecticut, to the south, Bedford, New York, to the west and...
to Michael Neely BryanMike Bryan (musician)Michael Neely Bryan was an American jazz guitarist.-Biography:Mike Bryan was a self-taught guitarist born in Byhalia, Mississippi on August 9, 1916...
(9 August 1916, ByhaliaByhalia, MississippiByhalia is a town in Marshall County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 706 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.-History:...
, Missisippi - 20 August 1972, GlendaleGlendale, CaliforniaGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) son of James R Bryan and Laura A Neely, an American jazz musician. They divorced months later in 1957. - on 11 December 1965 to William Alexander Kemp (10 July 1921 - 12 December 1991) son of Clarence Arthur Kemp and Helen Janet Ballantyne, an Canadian actor and announcer.
Lady Iris died on 1 September 1982 at Wellesley Hospital
Wellesley Hospital
The Wellesley Hospital was a teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada affiliated with the University of Toronto. It was founded by Dr. Herbert Bruce as a private hospital, but became publicly operated in 1942....
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Her ashes were brought to the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
for internment in the Battenberg
Battenberg
-Places:* Battenberg, Hesse, a town in Hesse, Germany* Battenberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany* Battenberg Mausoleum, mausoleum of Prince Alexander of Battenberg in Sofia, Bulgaria...
Chapel at St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham
St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham
St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham is a parish church in the Church of England located in Whippingham, Isle of Wight.-History:The chancel of the church was built in 1854 and 1855 by the architect Albert Jenkins Humbert although Prince Albert is thought to have had a guiding hand.The remainder of the...
.
She had only one child, a son by her second marriage: Robin Alexander Bryan (born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on 20 December 1957) He has three children:
- by Louise Houle: Edward Curtis Houle, born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1979
- by Arizona N?: Faith Bryan, born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1979
- by Pamela Jean Foster: Elijha Alexander Bryan, born in Toronto, Ontario, on 14 May 1995.