Dame Henriette Alice, Lady Abel Smith, ( Cadogan; 6 June 1914 – 3 May 2005) was a

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

from 1949 to 1987.

Early life

Henriette was born at Hatherop Castle in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, the daughter of

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

Francis Charles Cadogan, a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

officer of Quenington Old Rectory, Cirencester, (a grandson of Henry Charles Cadogan, 4th Earl Cadogan) by his wife Ruth Evelyn Howard, a daughter of Sir Edward Stafford Howard, a great-nephew of

Bernard Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk Bernard Edward Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk (21 November 1765 – 16 March 1842), was a British peer. Early life Howard was the son of Henry Howard (1713–1787) by his wife Juliana Molyneux, daughter of Sir William Molyneux, 6th Baronet (die ...

Career

She held the office of a Lady-in-Waiting to

from 1949 to 1987. In 1987 she became an Extra Lady-in-Waiting. She served as a Justice of the Peace (JP) for Tunbridge Wells in 1955, and for Gloucestershire in 1971. She was invested as a

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...

in the

1964 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1964 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1964 to celebra ...

, and was elevated to

Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

in 1977.

Marriages and issue

Henriette married twice. Firstly on 4 September 1939, she married Major Sir Anthony Frederick Mark Palmer, 4th Baronet. They had a son and a daughter: * Antonia Mary Palmer (born 2 August 1940), wife of Lord Christopher John Thynne, younger brother of

Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath Alexander George Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath (6 May 1932 – 4 April 2020), styled Viscount Weymouth between 1946 and 1992, was an English peer and landowner, owner of the Longleat estate, who sat in the House of Lords from 1992 until 1999, an ...

. *

Sir Mark Palmer, 5th Baronet Sir Charles Mark Palmer, 5th Baronet (born 21 November 1941) is a British modelling agency manager who formed one of the first modelling agencies devoted to the male image, and later adopted an alternative lifestyle, travelling around Britain i ...

(born 1941), First

Page of Honour A Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page. The only ...

to the Queen 1956–1959. In 1941, her husband was killed in the Second World War. Secondly on 17 February 1953, she married Brigadier Sir Alexander Abel Smith (1904–1980), the younger brother of Sir Henry Abel Smith (who in 1931 had married into the Royal Family). They also had a son and a daughter: * Christopher Abel Smith (born 28 June 1954), a godson of Queen Elizabeth II and First Page of Honour to the Queen 1967–1970. * Juliet Sarah Abel Smith (born 26 August 1955) Abel Smith died on 3 May 2005 at The Garden House, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, aged 90.

Awards

References

Sources

* Charles Mosley, editor, ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage'', 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 2 and 637. * Michael Rhodes, "re: Ernest Fawbert Collection" e-mail message to Darryl Roger Lundy, 8 February. * Notices, ''The Daily Telegraph'', London, 6 June 2005. {{DEFAULTSORT:Abel Smith, Henriette 1914 births 2005 deaths People from Royal Tunbridge Wells People from Cirencester Dames Commander of the Royal Victorian Order English justices of the peace Wives of baronets