WELLINGTON, The Duchess of MBE (Diana Ruth nee McCONNEL)

[Richard R]

From the Telegraph and Times of 1 Novembe 2010:

WELLINGTON
The Duchess of, Diana Ruth McConnel on 1st November at home. Wife,
mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Funeral arrangements to be
announced.

She was the dau of Maj-Gen Douglas Fitzgerald McCONNEL of Knockdolian
CB CBE DSO (1893-1961) of Ayrshire and Ruth (dau of Maj Walter Dutton
GARNETT-BOTFIELD of Beamish, Albrighton, Wolverhampton). She m 8th
Duke of Wellington in 1944. He succ to the title in 1972. They were
the longest married ducal couple (if we time the length in years from
their actual marriage, not when he succ to the dukedom), a place now
taken by The Duke and Duchess of Grafton, who m in 1946. The Earl and
Countess of Lisburne (m 1943) are the longest married couple among the
higher degrees of the peerage. The Countess of Dysart has the earliest
marriage date (1941), although her husband died in 1987, before she
succ to the earldom in 2003.

[Richard R]

The funeral arrangements for Her Grace's interment in the family
church on the estate:

WELLINGTON
The Duchess of, died November 1st. Funeral 11.30 a.m. Monday November
8th at St Mary's, Stratfield Saye. Family, friends and the Estate.
Flowers or donations to the Skye Wellesley Foundation for Rett
Syndrome Research c/o the Estate Office, Stratfield Saye, Hampshire
RG7 2BT..—Telephone: 01256 882694.

[Richard R]

Obit in the Telegraph of 19 November 2010:

The Duchess of Wellington, who died on November 1 aged 88, served in
military intelligence during the Second World War and became the wife
of the heir to one of England's most famous dukedoms when he was a
serving soldier – despite her resolution never to marry a military
man.
She was born Diana Ruth McConnel on January 14 1922 at Woolwich, where
her father, Major-General Douglas McConnel, CB, CBE, DSO, was an
instructor at the Military Academy. The McConnels had been farmers in
south-west Scotland, and in 1788 a James McConnel made his way from
Dumfries to Manchester, where he established himself in the cotton
industry. By 1802 he owned his own mills, employing 312 people.
... She met her future husband, Valerian Wellesley (who had become
Marquess of Douro on the death of his cousin in September 1943), when
the First Household Cavalry Regiment was stationed at the Allenby
Barracks in Jerusalem and deputed to guard the King David.
... despite some reservations from the groom's father and the bride's
mother about wartime unions – they married at St George's church on
January 28 1944.
The wedding was not without drama. In the course of her work Diana had
discovered that the Stern Gang was hatching a plot which included
detonating a bomb at the church on the very day of her wedding. The
device was found concealed in the arch of the cathedral's courtyard.
Trained to be discreet, and by nature reserved, Diana did not tell her
fiancé about the plot and he simply assumed that the outriders and
police escort that attended them after the service were par for the
course if you married the general's daughter.
... When Stratfield Saye was open to the public, the Duchess was
amused to find that she was often mistaken for a gardener as she went
about potting, weeding or picking up litter. ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/8144150/The-Duchess-of-Wellington.html

On Nov 5, 8:23 am, Richard R <r_rut...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> The funeral arrangements for Her Grace's interment in the family
> church on the estate:
>
> WELLINGTON

> TheDuchessof, died November 1st. Funeral 11.30 a.m. Monday November

> 8th at St Mary's, Stratfield Saye. Family, friends and the Estate.
> Flowers or donations to the Skye Wellesley Foundation for Rett
> Syndrome Research c/o the Estate Office, Stratfield Saye, Hampshire
> RG7 2BT..—Telephone: 01256 882694.
>
> On Nov 2, 7:53 am, Richard R <r_rut...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > From the Telegraph and Times of 1 Novembe 2010:
>
> >WELLINGTON

> > TheDuchessof, Diana Ruth McConnel on 1st November at home. Wife,

> > mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Funeral arrangements to be
> > announced.
>
> > She was the dau of Maj-Gen Douglas Fitzgerald McCONNEL of Knockdolian
> > CB CBE DSO (1893-1961) of Ayrshire and Ruth (dau of Maj Walter Dutton
> > GARNETT-BOTFIELD of Beamish, Albrighton, Wolverhampton). She m 8th

> > Duke ofWellingtonin 1944. He succ to the title in 1972. They were

> > the longest married ducal couple (if we time the length in years from
> > their actual marriage, not when he succ to the dukedom), a place now

> > taken by The Duke andDuchessof Grafton, who m in 1946. The Earl and

> > Countess of Lisburne (m 1943) are the longest married couple among the
> > higher degrees of the peerage. The Countess of Dysart has the earliest
> > marriage date (1941), although her husband died in 1987, before she

> > succ to the earldom in 2003.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -