Lavinia Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of Norfolk
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Lavinia Mary Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of Norfolk (''née'' Strutt; 22 March 1916 – 10 December 1995) was a British noblewoman.


Life

Born Lavinia Mary Strutt, she was the only daughter of Algernon Strutt, 3rd Baron Belper, and his wife,
Eva Eva or EVA may refer to: * Eva (name), a feminine given name Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment * Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in t ...
. She was educated at Abbot's Hill School. On 27 January 1937, she married
Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk (30 May 1908 – 31 January 1975), styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was a British peer and politician. He was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of ...
at the
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. She did not convert to Roman Catholicism, her husband's religion. They had four daughters, only one (the youngest) of whom has children: * Lady Anne Fitzalan-Howard, later 14th Lady Herries of Terregles (1938–2014); married Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge * Lady Mary Fitzalan-Howard, later 15th Lady Herries of Terregles (1940–2017); married Anthony Mumford * Lady Sarah Fitzalan-Howard (1941–2015); married Nigel Clutton * Lady Jane Fitzalan-Howard, later 16th Lady Herries of Terregles (b. 1945); married Michael Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian At the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937, the Duchess of Norfolk was one of four duchesses who held the canopy above Queen Elizabeth during the latter's
anointing Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or ot ...
. In 1953, she took the part of Queen Elizabeth II during dress rehearsals for the
coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
at
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...
. The Duke of Norfolk was hereditary
Earl Marshal Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the U ...
, and organised both coronations as well as important state events in later years.


Charities

The Duchess was involved with many charities and was appointed a
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1971 for her work. Among firsts for women, she was the first woman Lord Lieutenant as Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex from 1975 (a post she took over from her husband after his death that year), first woman steward of Goodwood from 1975 and the first non-royal Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter. The Duchess was
Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...
's predecessor in the presidency of the
Riding for the Disabled Association The Riding for the Disabled Association, also known as the RDA is a United Kingdom based charity founded in 1969 focused on providing therapeutic horse-riding, equestrian vaulting and carriage driving lessons to people with developmental and phys ...
. The presidency passed from the Duchess to the Princess in 1986.


Sport

For many years, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English international
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
season was a match between Lavinia, Duchess of Norfolk's XI and the visitors, played at Arundel Castle. It played on in the Duchess' name after the Duke's death in 1975, reverting to its original name after her own death in 1995. The Duchess was an owner of racehorses: her best winners included Moon Madness, Sheriff's Star and Lucky Moon ( Goodwood Cup).


References


External links


Entry at ThePeerage.com
1916 births 1995 deaths Lavinia Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Daughters of barons Ladies Companion of the Garter Lord-Lieutenants of West Sussex Wives of knights {{England-duke-stub