Victoria Sackville-West, Baroness Sackville
Encyclopedia
Victoria Josefa Dolores Catalina Sackville-West, Baroness Sackville (1862–1936) was the wife of her cousin
Lionel Edward Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville and the mother of writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West
. The family lived mainly at Knole House
, an estate that had been theirs for centuries. Victoria embodied this heritage.
and the Spanish dancer Josefa de la Oliva (née Durán y Ortega, known as Pepita). Her life is mostly overshadowed by the high-profile and controversial bisexual life of her daughter, Vita Sackville-West
, who had an open marriage
with diplomat Harold Nicolson
and affairs with Violet Trefusis
and Virginia Woolf
.
design a house for her at Roedean
, another for her guests at Worthing
, and yet another in London
. Edwin Lutyens had ‘two ladies’, Gertrude Jekyll
and Victoria, who were each ‘closer than friends’.
Cousin marriage
Cousin marriage is marriage between two cousins. In various jurisdictions and cultures, such marriages range from being considered ideal and actively encouraged, to being uncommon but still legal, to being seen as incest and legally prohibited....
Lionel Edward Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville and the mother of writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West
Vita Sackville-West
The Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH , best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author, poet and gardener. She won the Hawthornden Prize in 1927 and 1933...
. The family lived mainly at Knole House
Knole House
Knole is an English country house in the town of Sevenoaks in west Kent, surrounded by a deer park. One of England's largest houses, it is reputed to be a calendar house, having 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards...
, an estate that had been theirs for centuries. Victoria embodied this heritage.
Early life, daughter's notoriety
She was the illegitimate daughter of the English diplomat Lionel Sackville-West, 2nd Baron SackvilleLionel Sackville-West, 2nd Baron Sackville
Lionel Sackville-West, 2nd Baron Sackville GCMG , was a British diplomat.-Background:Sackville-West was the fourth son of George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr, by Lady Elizabeth, daughter of John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset...
and the Spanish dancer Josefa de la Oliva (née Durán y Ortega, known as Pepita). Her life is mostly overshadowed by the high-profile and controversial bisexual life of her daughter, Vita Sackville-West
Vita Sackville-West
The Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH , best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author, poet and gardener. She won the Hawthornden Prize in 1927 and 1933...
, who had an open marriage
Open marriage
Open marriage typically refers to a marriage in which the partners agree that each may engage in extramarital sexual relationships, without this being regarded as infidelity. There are many different styles of open marriage, with the partners having varying levels of input on their spouse's...
with diplomat Harold Nicolson
Harold Nicolson
Sir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was an English diplomat, author, diarist and politician. He was the husband of writer Vita Sackville-West, their unusual relationship being described in their son's book, Portrait of a Marriage.-Early life:Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the younger son of...
and affairs with Violet Trefusis
Violet Trefusis
Violet Trefusis née Keppel was an English writer and socialite. She is most notable for her lesbian affair with Vita Sackville-West, which was featured under disguise in Virginia Woolf's Orlando: A Biography....
and Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
.
Houses
She had Edwin LutyensEdwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
design a house for her at Roedean
Roedean, Sussex
Roedean is immediately to the east of the seaside resort of Brighton, England. It is administratively part of the city of Brighton and Hove.-Physical features and history:...
, another for her guests at Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, and yet another in 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...
. Edwin Lutyens had ‘two ladies’, Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll was an influential British garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the USA and contributed over 1,000 articles to Country Life, The Garden and other magazines.-Early life:...
and Victoria, who were each ‘closer than friends’.