Margot Irene Rufus Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading (n̩e Duke; 11 January 1919 Р19 April 2015) was a British aristocrat and campaigner.
Early life
Margot was one of three daughters of Percival Augustus Duke and Violet Mappin, and was the half-sister of
Sir Charles Mappin, Violet's son by her first marriage into the
Mappin & Webb
Mappin & Webb (M&W) is an international jewellery company headquartered in England. Mappin & Webb traces its origins to a silver workshop founded in Sheffield . It now has retail stores throughout the UK.
Mappin & Webb has held Royal Warrants ...
family.
Margot attended
Benenden
Benenden is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The parish is located on the Weald, to the west of Tenterden. In addition to the main village, Iden Green, East End, Dingleden and Standen Street settlem ...
school and became a society beauty, and the face of
Pond's
Pond's is an American brand of beauty and health care products, currently owned by Unilever.
History
Pond's Cream was invented in the United States as a patent medicine by pharmacist Theron T. Pond (1800–1852) of Utica, New York, in 1846. M ...
face cream.
Marriage and family
In 1940, Margot married
Michael, Viscount Erleigh, later the 3rd Marquess of Reading.
They had four children:
*
Simon Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading
Simon Rufus Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading (born 18 May 1942), is a British peer, banker and philanthropist.
Biography
Early life
Simon Rufus Isaacs was born on 18 May 1942.
His father was Michael Isaacs, 3rd Marquess of Reading (1916†...
* Lady Jacqueline Rufus Isaacs
* Lord Antony Rufus Isaacs, a film producer
* Lord Alexander Rufus Isaacs, a lawyer.
The family lived at Staplefield Grange, Staplefield Green, near
Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath is a town in West Sussex, England, south of London, north of Brighton, south of Gatwick Airport and northeast of the county town, Chichester. Nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the southwest, Horsham to the northwest, Crawl ...
, Sussex.
Personal interests
Margot was one of the first women to hold a pilot's licence, and also competed in the 1952 Round Britain car rally.
She wrote an historical novel ''Anne of the Sealed Knot'' about her civil war ancestor Anne Duke.
She took an outspoken position on social issues, writing to the Spectator in support of English football hooligans, and considered a political career as a Conservative. She was a keen member of the Mid Surrey Drag Hunt and later a campaigner for animal rights, particularly camels (through the Wild Camel Protection Foundation) and bears.
Later life
The Marchioness retired to Glebe Farm House, Cornwell, near
Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold Hills in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, about south-west of Banbury and north-west of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the civil parish population as ...
in Oxfordshire. She died on 19 April 2015, and her funeral was held at St Mary's Church, Chipping Norton.
Footnotes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reading, Margot Duke, Marchioness of
1919 births
2015 deaths
People educated at Benenden School
British marchionesses
British aviators
British women aviators