Carla Thorneycroft, Baroness Thorneycroft
Encyclopedia
Carla Thorneycroft, Baroness Thorneycroft, DBE
, OM (Italy), (12 February 1914 – 7 March 2007), was the wife of Conservative Party
politician and Chancellor of the Exchequer
Peter Thorneycroft. Lady Thorneycroft helped establish the Venice in Peril Fund
and was a noted philanthropist and patroness of the arts.
to settle in Europe. She was born in Paris
, and grew up in Venice
, where her paternal grandfather Professor Carlo Malagola
of Bologna kept the archives at the Frari basilica, and then in Rome
. Her father was an interior designer and a talented photographer, leaving a wealth of family history images for the future. Alexandra and Guido lived in Venice and Rome and Carla was educated by Roman Catholic nuns, along with her siblings, Anna-Viola and Francesco. Francesco, later known as Francis Dunbar Marshall Malagola (1918-2001), was an artist whose works are conserved in a wide range of European collections and museums.
In 1930, Carla and her mother met Major Mervyn Thorneycroft while on holiday on Capri
, and later visited his home, Dunston Hall in Staffordshire
, where she first met her future second husband, the Major's son, Peter Thorneycroft
, newly commissioned in the Royal Artillery
. They were quickly engaged, but the engagement was broken off after she returned to Rome. She married Count Giorgio Roberti, a chemist, in 1934, aged 20, and had a son and a daughter.
During the Second World War, she served as a nurse with the Red Cross at the Principessa Piemonte hospital in Rome. The hospital was commandeered to treat wounded German soldiers, so she treated Italians at her apartment on the Via Panama.
fashion editors with her startling new ideas which they commissioned from her and her forthright attitude won her praise at Vogue. She worked with John Deakin
, Cecil Beaton
and Norman Parkinson
. Her interior design skills and instinctive eye were spotted and she also assisted John Colefax to renovate Chevening
and worked with Nancy Lancaster.
She met Peter Thorneycroft again at a party hosted by "Chips" Channon
. Thorneycroft had become a barrister
and been elected as a Conservative MP
in 1938. He had also been married and divorced. They married in 1949, and she left Vogue in 1951.
She was a founder member of the Italian Art and Archives Rescue Fund, which was formed in April 1966 after catastrophic floods in Florence
threatened its historic works of art. She was a member of the Fund's first committee, alongside Sir Ashley Clarke (former British ambassador in Italy), John Julius Norwich
and Natalie Brooke (wife of the secretary of the Royal Academy
). Venice was also flooded in 1966, and the fund became the Venice in Peril Fund in 1971. She became a member of the Italian Order of Merit in 1967.
Meanwhile, her husband held a succession of ministerial positions. He was President of the Board of Trade from 1951 to 1957, Chancellor of the Exchequer
from 1957 to 1958, Minister of Aviation from 1960 to 1962, Minister of Defence and then Secretary of State for Defence
from 1962 to 1964. He left the House of Commons in 1966, and became a life peer
in 1967. He was Chairman of the Conservative Party
from 1975 to 1981.
She supported his political career, and spoke on his behalf in his re-election campaigns. She was a trustee of the Conservative Winter Ball and its president from 1984 to 1994. She also supported him with his later career in business, on the boards of Trusthouse Forte, Pirelli
and Cinzano
. Her husband died in 1994. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1995, for her work for the Conservative Party.
She was also a founder of the League of Friends of the Italian Hospital in London from 1956 until it closed in 1989, a vice-president of the British-Italian Society for 50 years, a trustee of the Rosehill Arts Theatre, a trustee of the Chichester Festival Theatre Trust from 1962 to 1988, and a vice-president of the Council of Friends of Westminster Cathedral
from 1993. She was a trustee of the Royal School of Needlework
for 8 years, from 1964 to 1976.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, OM (Italy), (12 February 1914 – 7 March 2007), was the wife of Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
Peter Thorneycroft. Lady Thorneycroft helped establish the Venice in Peril Fund
Venice in Peril Fund
The Venice in Peril Fund is a British registered charity. It raises funds to restore and conserve works of art and architecture in Venice, and to investigate ways to protect them against future risks, particularly rising sea levels...
and was a noted philanthropist and patroness of the arts.
Early life
Christened Carla Maria Concetta Francesca Malagola Cappi, she was the elder daughter of the Italian Count Guido Malagola Cappi and his wife, Alexandra (née Dunbar-Marshall) who had come over with her mother from Natchez, MississippiNatchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
to settle in Europe. She was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and grew up in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, where her paternal grandfather Professor Carlo Malagola
Carlo Malagola
Carlo Malagola was a 19th century Italian historian.Among others, he studied the archives of Bologna, and the life of Antonio Urceo , called Codro , who had taught Greek to Nicolaus Copernicus...
of Bologna kept the archives at the Frari basilica, and then in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Her father was an interior designer and a talented photographer, leaving a wealth of family history images for the future. Alexandra and Guido lived in Venice and Rome and Carla was educated by Roman Catholic nuns, along with her siblings, Anna-Viola and Francesco. Francesco, later known as Francis Dunbar Marshall Malagola (1918-2001), was an artist whose works are conserved in a wide range of European collections and museums.
In 1930, Carla and her mother met Major Mervyn Thorneycroft while on holiday on Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
, and later visited his home, Dunston Hall in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, where she first met her future second husband, the Major's son, Peter Thorneycroft
Peter Thorneycroft
George Edward Peter Thorneycroft, Baron Thorneycroft CH, PC , was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1957 and 1958.-Biography:...
, newly commissioned in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
. They were quickly engaged, but the engagement was broken off after she returned to Rome. She married Count Giorgio Roberti, a chemist, in 1934, aged 20, and had a son and a daughter.
During the Second World War, she served as a nurse with the Red Cross at the Principessa Piemonte hospital in Rome. The hospital was commandeered to treat wounded German soldiers, so she treated Italians at her apartment on the Via Panama.
Life in England
Her marriage was annulled in 1946, and she then took her young children to England. She impressed the VogueVogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
fashion editors with her startling new ideas which they commissioned from her and her forthright attitude won her praise at Vogue. She worked with John Deakin
John Deakin
John Deakin was an English photographer, best known for his work centered around members of Francis Bacon's Soho inner circle. Deakin had wanted to be a painter, and doubting the validity and status of photography as an art form, he did not hold his photographic work in high esteem; many of his...
, Cecil Beaton
Cecil Beaton
Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, CBE was an English fashion and portrait photographer, diarist, painter, interior designer and an Academy Award-winning stage and costume designer for films and the theatre...
and Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson, CBE was a celebrated English portrait and fashion photographer.-Biography:Parkinson was born in London, and educated at Westminster School. He began his career in 1931 as an apprentice to the court photographers Speaight and Sons Ltd...
. Her interior design skills and instinctive eye were spotted and she also assisted John Colefax to renovate Chevening
Chevening
Chevening, also known as Chevening House, is a country house at Chevening in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in England. It is an official residence of the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom...
and worked with Nancy Lancaster.
She met Peter Thorneycroft again at a party hosted by "Chips" Channon
Henry Channon
Sir Henry "Chips" Channon was an American-born British Conservative politician, author and diarist. Channon moved to England in 1920 and became strongly anti-American, feeling that American cultural and economic views threatened traditional European and British civilisation. He wrote extensively...
. Thorneycroft had become a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and been elected as a Conservative MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in 1938. He had also been married and divorced. They married in 1949, and she left Vogue in 1951.
She was a founder member of the Italian Art and Archives Rescue Fund, which was formed in April 1966 after catastrophic floods in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
threatened its historic works of art. She was a member of the Fund's first committee, alongside Sir Ashley Clarke (former British ambassador in Italy), John Julius Norwich
John Julius Norwich
John Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO — known as John Julius Norwich — is an English historian, travel writer and television personality.-Early life:...
and Natalie Brooke (wife of the secretary of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
). Venice was also flooded in 1966, and the fund became the Venice in Peril Fund in 1971. She became a member of the Italian Order of Merit in 1967.
Meanwhile, her husband held a succession of ministerial positions. He was President of the Board of Trade from 1951 to 1957, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
from 1957 to 1958, Minister of Aviation from 1960 to 1962, Minister of Defence and then Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
from 1962 to 1964. He left the House of Commons in 1966, and became a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in 1967. He was Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
from 1975 to 1981.
She supported his political career, and spoke on his behalf in his re-election campaigns. She was a trustee of the Conservative Winter Ball and its president from 1984 to 1994. She also supported him with his later career in business, on the boards of Trusthouse Forte, Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
and Cinzano
Cinzano
Cinzano is an Italian brand of vermouth, a brand owned since 1999 by Gruppo Campari. It comes in four versions:*Cinzano Rosso, which is amber-coloured;*Cinzano Bianco, which is white and drier than Rosso, yet still considered a sweet vermouth;...
. Her husband died in 1994. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1995, for her work for the Conservative Party.
She was also a founder of the League of Friends of the Italian Hospital in London from 1956 until it closed in 1989, a vice-president of the British-Italian Society for 50 years, a trustee of the Rosehill Arts Theatre, a trustee of the Chichester Festival Theatre Trust from 1962 to 1988, and a vice-president of the Council of Friends of Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
from 1993. She was a trustee of the Royal School of Needlework
Royal School of Needlework
The Royal School of Needlework is a hand embroidery school in the United Kingdom, founded in 1872.It has an archive of over 30,000 images covering every period of British history...
for 8 years, from 1964 to 1976.