Viola Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster (10 June 1912 – 3 May 1987) was a British aristocrat who was the wife of

Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster Lieutenant-Colonel Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, (24 April 1910 – 19 February 1979) was a British soldier, landowner, businessman and politician. In the 1970s he was the richest man in Britain. Background and early life ...

, the mother of

Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster Major General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, (22 December 1951 – 9 August 2016), was a British landowner, businessman, philanthropist, Territorial Army general, and peer. He was the son of Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of W ...

and the grandmother of Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, Charles Innes-Ker, 11th Duke of Roxburghe and

Thomas Anson, 6th Earl of Lichfield Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England (1645 and 1674) and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1831). The third creation is extant and is held by a member of the Anson family. ...

Early life

Born Viola Maud Lyttelton in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its nam ...

, London, she was the daughter of

John Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham John Cavendish Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham, (23 October 1881 – 31 July 1949), was a British peer, soldier, and Conservative politician from the Lyttelton family. Biography Cobham was the eldest son of Charles Lyttelton, 8th Viscount Cobha ...

, and Violet Yolande Leonard. Her brother,

Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham Charles John Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, (8 August 1909 – 20 March 1977) was the ninth Governor-General of New Zealand and an English cricketer from the Lyttelton family. Background and education Lyttelton was born in Kensington, London ...

, played cricket for

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

in the 1930s and was

Governor-General of New Zealand The governor-general of New Zealand ( mi, te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the Viceroy, viceregal representative of the Monarchy of New Zealand, monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 ...

from 1957 to 1962. Their cousin was the jazz musician and broadcaster

Humphrey Lyttelton Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton (23 May 1921 – 25 April 2008), also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster from the Lyttelton family. Having taught himself the trumpet at school, Lyttelton became a professional ...

. Her nephew was Major Hugh Lindsay, an

equerry An equerry (; from French 'stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

, who was killed on 10 March 1988, aged 34, in a ski accident after being caught up in an

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and ea ...

on Gotschnagrat Mountain while accompanying

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

, on a holiday in

Klosters Klosters is a Swiss village in the Prättigau, politically part of the municipality of Klosters-Serneus, which belongs to the political district Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden. In 2021, the municipality shortened its name to Kl ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. As

the Hon ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

Viola Lyttelton she gained the rank of Flying Officer in the

Women's Auxiliary Air Force The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as WAAFs (), was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Established in 1939, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000 at its peak strength in 1943, with over 2 ...

, 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, where she was

mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

Marriage and children

Lyttleton married Robert Grosvenor, a son of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Lord Hugh Grosvenor Captain Lord Hugh William Grosvenor (6 April 1884 – 30 October 1914) was a son of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster and his second wife, formerly Katherine Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster, The Hon. Katherine Cavendish. WWI service ...

and Lady Mabel Florence Mary Crichton, on 3 December 1946. Robert Grosvenor was granted the style Lord Robert Grosvenor in 1963 and became the 5th Duke of Westminster on the death of his elder brother, the 4th Duke, in 1967. The family had a home at Ely Lodge, just west of

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,823 a ...

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 ...

. The Duke and Duchess had three children: * Lady Leonora Mary Grosvenor (born 1 February 1949); formerly married to Patrick Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield (3 children, including

), has not remarried. * Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster (22 December 1951 – 9 August 2016) * Lady Jane Meriel Grosvenor (born 8 February 1953); married firstly to

Guy Innes-Ker, 10th Duke of Roxburghe Guy David Innes-Ker, 10th Duke of Roxburghe (18 November 1954 – 29 August 2019), was a British aristocrat. Early life Guy David Innes Ker was born on 18 November 1954, the eldest son of the 9th Duke by his second wife (Margaret) Elisabeth McC ...

(3 children, including Charles Innes-Ker, 11th Duke of Roxburghe), and then to Edward William Dawnay, who is a great-grandson of the

1st Duke of Westminster Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster, (13 October 1825 – 22 December 1899), styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845, Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869, and known as The Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an ...

The 5th Duke of Westminster died in 1979.

Later life

From 1979 until her death in 1987 she was

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibilit ...

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of a ...

. and was a strong supporter of the

Royal Ulster Constabulary The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)Richard Doherty, ''The Thin Green Line – The History of the Roya ...

and

Ulster Defence Regiment The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army established in 1970, with a comparatively short existence ending in 1992. Raised through public appeal, newspaper and television advertisements,Potter p25 their offi ...

. In September 1979, Viola represented

at the funeral of Paul Maxwell, a young crew member from

, who was killed in the same explosion which killed Louis Mountbatten, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, former

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

and uncle of

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

. Viola was an accomplished pianist and music lover and was on the governing body of the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke ...

. She worked tirelessly for charities and voluntary organisations including the

Girl Guides Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...

NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity. History Victorian era On a trip to New York in 1881, Liverpudlian businessman Thomas Agnew was inspired by a visit to the New Yor ...

and the

Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ...

. She famously ordered workmen to drill holes in the ceiling of

Florence Court Florence Court is a large 18th-century house and estate located 8 miles south-west of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is set in the foothills of Cuilcagh Mountain. The nearby village is distinguished by the one-word name F ...

, the stately home in

, to drain water away during a serious fire which almost destroyed it in 1955.

Death

The Dowager Duchess died in a car accident near

Dungannon Dungannon () is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 14,340 at the 2011 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council had its headquarters in t ...

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retai ...

, on 3 May 1987, aged 74. She was returning to Ely Lodge, on the shore of

Lough Erne Lough Erne ( , ) is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne, ...

. Her funeral was held at

St Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen St Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen, is one of two cathedral churches in the Diocese of Clogher (the other is St Macartan's Cathedral, Clogher) in the Church of Ireland. It stands on high ground overlooking the town of Enniskillen, County Fe ...

amid high security during

The Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

due to her Royal and family connections - her son Gerald also being at the time the UK's richest man. She was interred at Monea Parish Church, following a private family service. A memorial service was subsequently held in June 1987 at St. Michael's Church, Chester Square, which was attended by

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as well ...

and

Sir Edward Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath ...

, and included a performance by Julian Lloyd Webber.

Titles

* 1912-22 - Miss Viola Lyttelton * 1922-46 -

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' ( American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certa ...

Viola Lyttelton * 1946-63 - The Honourable Mrs Robert Grosvenor * 1963-67 - Lady Robert Grosvenor * 1967-79 - Her Grace the Duchess of Westminster * 1979-87 - Her Grace Viola, Duchess of Westminster

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Westminster, Viola Grosvenor, Duchess of 1912 births 1987 deaths

Viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

Lord-Lieutenants of Fermanagh People from Enniskillen Road incident deaths in Northern Ireland