Irene Astor, Baroness Astor of Hever ( Irene Violet Freesia Janet Augusta Haig) (7 October 1919 – 12 August 2001) was an English philanthropist and member of the

Astor family The Astor family achieved prominence in business, society, and politics in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries. With ancestral roots in the Italian Alps region of Italy by way of Germany, the Astors settle ...

. Her philanthropic contributions included being chairman of the Sunshine Fund for Blind Children from 1947 to 1989, during which she raised over £14 million and she served as vice president of the

Royal National Institute for the Blind The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a UK charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK with sight loss. History The RNIB was founded by Thomas Rhodes Armitage, a doctor who had eye ...

from 1977 to her death in 2001.

Early life

Irene Astor was born Lady Irene Violet Freesia Janet Augusta Haig on 7 October 1919, the youngest of four children of military officer and later

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior officer of the British Army. During the First World War, he commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front from late 1915 unti ...

(1861–1928), and Dorothy Maud Vivian (1879–1939), a daughter of

Hussey Vivian, 3rd Baron Vivian Hussey Crespigny Vivian, 3rd Baron Vivian, (19 June 1834 – 21 October 1893) was a British diplomat from the Vivian family. Background Born at Connaught Place, London, Vivian was the eldest son of Charles Vivian, 2nd Baron Vivian, and was educ ...

. Her father was created

Earl Haig Earl Haig is a title in the peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1919 for Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. During the First World War, he served as commander of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France and Be ...

when she was 12 days old entitling her to the prefix Lady. Her elder siblings were Lady Alexandra Henrietta Louisa Haig (wife of Rear-Admiral Clarence Howard-Johnston and

Hugh Trevor-Roper Hugh Redwald Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton (15 January 1914 – 26 January 2003) was an English historian. He was Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford. Trevor-Roper was a polemicist and essayist on a range of ...

), Lady Victoria Doris Rachel Haig (wife of Col.

Andrew Montagu Douglas Scott Brigadier Claud Andrew Montagu Douglas Scott, DSO (13 July 1906 – 24 January 1971) was the first child and only son born to Lieutenant Colonel Lord Herbert Andrew Montagu Douglas Scott and Marie Josephine Edwards. He was a grandson of W ...

) and

George Haig, 2nd Earl Haig George Alexander Eugene Douglas Haig, 2nd Earl Haig, (15 March 1918 – 9 July 2009) was a British artist and peer who succeeded to the earldom of Haig on 29 January 1928, at the age of nine upon the death of his father, Field Marshal the 1st ...

Career

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

she worked for the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

, and was also involved in the Girls' Training Corps. Irene was chairman of the Sunshine Fund for Blind Children from 1947 to 1989. She raised over £14 million as chairman. From 1977 until her death, she served as vice president of the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

Personal life

She married

Gavin Astor Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever (1 June 1918 – 28 June 1984), was an English soldier, publisher, peer, and member of the Astor family. Biography Astor was the eldest son of John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever (1886–1971), an ...

, later the 2nd

Baron Astor of Hever Baron Astor of Hever, of Hever Castle in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1956 for John Jacob Astor, a prominent newspaper proprietor and Conservative politician. He was the fourth child of ...

, the eldest son of

John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever Lieutenant-Colonel John Jacob Astor V, 1st Baron Astor of Hever, DL (20 May 1886 – 19 July 1971) was an American-born English newspaper proprietor, politician, sportsman, military officer, and a member of the Astor family. Biography Astor wa ...

, and Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound on 4 October 1945. She became Lady Astor of Hever when her husband succeeded to the barony on the death of his father in 1971.Irene Astor
peerage.com, accessed June 2009. They had five children: *

John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever John Jacob "Johnny" Astor VIII, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, (born 16 June 1946) is an English businessman and politician from the Astor family. He sat in the House of Lords as an Conservative hereditary peer from 1986 to his retirement in 2022. ...

(b. 1946), who married twice, first to Fiona Diana Lennox Harvey in 1970; the couple had three daughters and divorced in 1990. He married, secondly, Elizabeth Constance Mackintosh, daughter of

John Mackintosh, 2nd Viscount Mackintosh of Halifax John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, in 1990; the couple have two children. * Bridget Mary Astor (1948–2017), who married twice, first to Count Arthur Tarnowski in 1980; the couple had two sons before divorcing in 1986. Her second marriage was in 1989 to Geofrey Richard Smith; the couple had one daughter. * Elizabeth ''Louise'' Astor (b. 1951), who married twice, first to David John Shelton Herring in 1979; they divorced in 1981 and she married, secondly, David Joseph Ward in 1985; the couple have two children. * Sarah Violet Astor (b. 1953), who married George Edward Lopes, son of

Massey Lopes, 2nd Baron Roborough Massey Henry Edgcumbe Lopes, 2nd Baron Roborough, JP (4 October 1903 – 30 June 1992) of Maristow in the parish of Tamerton Foliot, Devon, was a British peer and officer of the British Army. Early life Lopes was the only son of Henry Yarde ...

, in 1975 and has three children; their son, Harry Marcus George Lopes, is married to Laura Rose Parker Bowles, daughter of

Andrew Parker Bowles Brigadier Andrew Henry Parker Bowles (born 27 December 1939) is a retired British Army officer. He is the former husband of Queen Camilla. Early life and family Andrew Parker Bowles was born on 27 December 1939 as the eldest of four children to ...

and

Camilla, Queen Consort Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the acc ...

. * Philip Douglas Paul Astor (b. 1959), who married twice. His second marriage was in July 2012 to Justine H. Picardie. She died on 12 August 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Astor, Irene Baroness Astor of Hever 1919 births 2001 deaths English women philanthropists

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United Stat ...

Livingston family Daughters of British earls Astor of Hever 20th-century British philanthropists 21st-century philanthropists 20th-century English nobility 21st-century English nobility 20th-century English women 21st-century English women 20th-century women philanthropists 21st-century women philanthropists