The last surviving Mitford sister, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire was nicknamed “the housewife duchess” and made Chatsworth one of the most successful and profitable stately homes in Britain. This remarkable lady had tea with Hitler in 1937 (and “remember[s] thinking his set-up was very regular and somewhat haphazard for a head of state”), was painted by Lucian Freud and amassed a vast collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia. Known to her family as ‘Debo’ and a mother of seven, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire was a hardworking businesswoman and “extremely fond of keeping chickens”. She loathed “sloppy and sentimental modern culture”.
The Roll Call - DYNASTIES AND GRANDEES
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