Patricia, Dowager Countess of Harewood 1926-2018
LoopyCrown3
Richard R
[EXTRACT]
The Dowager Countess of Harewood, who has died aged 91, was an Australian violinist and fashion model who became embroiled in the biggest royal scandal since the Abdication when she gave birth to the Earl of Harewood’s son in 1964 while he was married to his first wife Marion (later Thorpe).
In today’s more tolerant era, it is hard to explain the shock that this caused. Lord Harewood, grandson of George V and a first cousin of the Queen, was effectively banned from court for several years; the couple were forced to marry abroad (on account of the Royal Marriages Act); and only gradually was the new Lady Harewood accepted into the Royal family.
…Patricia Elizabeth Tuckwell was born in Prahran, a suburb of Melbourne, on November 24 1926. Her father, Charles Tuckwell, was a theatre organist who was forever on the move and the family lived in 30 locations in 20 years.
…Patricia’s mother was Elizabeth (née Norton) [and] in 1931 Patricia acquired a brother, Barry Tuckwell, who became a leading horn player.
She was … considered too delicate for school [had] a series of governesses until the family moved to New Zealand. Aged 16, she gained a place as a violinist in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, where she was given the nickname Bambi….
[As a model] She was a favourite of the Melbourne photographer Athol Shmith (later one of Australia’s most celebrated photographers) …. They were married in 1948 … and their son, Michael, was born [in 1949].
… Patricia gave up her musical career and opened the Bambi Smith Modelling School. She also appeared in a number of television programmes [in] … co-hosting Beauty is My Business with Mary Parker.
The Smiths divorced in 1958 and for some years Patricia was kept away from her son.
Her life was changed by a chance meeting with Harewood in the Air France terminal at Milan Airport in 1959 when both were flying to Paris….
Harewood offered to carry her violin, but she would only let him carry her bag. As she related: “We got talking on the plane, and we’ve never stopped talking since.”
Difficult years followed. Harewood was still married and had young children. … he was riddled with guilt and despaired at finding an outcome. … his mother, the Princess Royal, being aware of the affair and quietly disapproving.
Marion Harewood was reluctant to grant her husband a divorce. … Harewood and Patricia had a child out of wedlock, Mark Lascelles, born in July 1964.
Eventually their divorce was set for January 1967 …
At a Privy Council meeting on July 28 the Queen gave her cousin permission to remarry, with a carefully worded statement being issued to preserve her position as head of the Church: “The Cabinet have advised the Queen to give her consent and Her Majesty has signified her intention to do so.”
The couple were married in New Canaan, Connecticut, three days later
Patricia had not been to Harewood before her marriage. It was a daunting experience and it took her two days to look around the house and its estate….
… excluded from royal occasions [Harewood was not] allowed to attend the funeral of his uncle, the Duke of Windsor, in 1972. Nor was he invited to Princess Anne’s wedding, despite giving her a beautiful ruby and diamond stock pin.
By the time of the Duke of Gloucester’s funeral in 1974 the Harewoods were gradually being re-integrated into the Royal family. In 1977 Patricia was given a Silver Jubilee medal and met the Queen publicly in Leeds.
In July 2002, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lunched at Harewood House during their Golden Jubilee tour.
The Harewoods last went out together in June 2011 for the Duke of Edinburgh’s 90th birthday service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor….
Their son Mark was due to get married on July 16, but Lord Harewood died five days before the wedding was scheduled to take place. The service went ahead …
She is survived by her two sons and by her three stepsons.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2018/05/06/dowager-countess-harewood-obituary/
Richard R
Jelena JS
18th May 2018
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were represented by Dame Ingrid Roscoe (Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire) at the funeral of Patricia, Countess of Harewood, which was held at All Saints Church, Harewood, West Yorkshire, this morning.
The Prince of Wales was represented by the Earl of Halifax.
The Duke of York was represented by Professor Robert Cryan.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex were represented by Mr Richard Jackson.
The Princess Royal was represented by the Lord Crathorne.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were represented by Dr Richard Mantle.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent were represented by Earl of St Andrews.
Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy was represented by Prince Michael of Kent