Daisy Fellowes
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Daisy Fellowes (née Marguerite Séverine Philippine Decazes de Glücksberg, (April 29, 1890 – December 13, 1962), was a celebrated 20th-century society figure, acclaimed beauty, minor novelist and poet, Paris Editor of American Harper's Bazaar
, fashion
icon
, and an heiress to the Singer
sewing machine
fortune.
(1864-1912), the 3rd Duke Decazes and Glücksberg. Her maternal grandfather was Isaac Merritt Singer, the American sewing-machine pioneer. After her mother's death, she and her siblings were largely raised by their aunt Winnaretta Singer
, Princess Edmond de Polignac, a noted patron of the arts, particularly music.
in Mascara, Algeria, though malicious observers gossiped that he actually committed suicide as a result of his homosexuality having been exposed
.
They had three daughters:
Of her Broglie children, the notoriously caustic Daisy once said, "The eldest is like her father, only more masculine. The second is like me, only without the guts. And the last is by some horrible little man called Lischmann."
. They had one child, Rosamond Daisy Fellowes (1921-1998).
s of the 20th century, arguably the most important patron of the surrealist couturier Elsa Schiaparelli
.
She died in Paris.
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
, and an heiress to the Singer
Singer Corporation
Singer Corporation is a manufacturer of sewing machines, first established as I.M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac Merritt Singer with New York lawyer Edward Clark. Best known for its sewing machines, it was renamed Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865, then The Singer Company in 1963. It is...
sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
fortune.
Parents and childhood
She was born in Paris the only daughter of Isabelle-Blanche Singer (1869-1896), who committed suicide, and Jean Élie Octave Louis Sévère Amanieu DecazesJean, duc Decazes
Jean-Élie-Octave-Louis-Sévère-Amanien Decazes de Glücksburg, 3rd Duc Decazes and 3rd Hertig af Glücksberg was a French aristocrat and sportsman.-Biography:...
(1864-1912), the 3rd Duke Decazes and Glücksberg. Her maternal grandfather was Isaac Merritt Singer, the American sewing-machine pioneer. After her mother's death, she and her siblings were largely raised by their aunt Winnaretta Singer
Winnaretta Singer
Winnaretta Singer, Princesse Edmond de Polignac was an American musical patron and heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune.-Early Life and Family:...
, Princess Edmond de Polignac, a noted patron of the arts, particularly music.
First marriage
Her first husband, whom she married 10 May 1910 in Paris, was Jean Amédée Marie Anatole, Prince of Broglie (born in Paris on 27 January 1886), whom she reportedly caught in bed with the family's chauffeur. He died of influenza on 20 February 1918 while serving with the French ArmyFrench Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
in Mascara, Algeria, though malicious observers gossiped that he actually committed suicide as a result of his homosexuality having been exposed
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
.
They had three daughters:
- Princess Ermeline Isabelle Edmée Séverine (NeuillyNeuillyNeuilly is a common place name in France, deriving from the male given name Nobilis or Novellius:...
, 16 Feb 1911 - Onez, Switzerland, 10 Sep 1986). Married to Marie Alexandre William Alvar Biaudos Comte de Castéja (Paris, 6 Apr 1907 - Paris, 6 July 1983) in Neuilly, 8 Nov 1932.
- Princess Isabelle Marguerite Jeanne Pauline (LamorlayeLamorlayeLamorlaye is a town in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.-References:*...
, 27 Jul 1912 - GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, 18 Jul 1960). Married to Olivier Charles Humbert Marie, Marquis de La Moussaye (La Poterie, 26 Mars 1908 - Paris, 20 October 1988) in Neuilly, 3 Jun 1931. Divorced in Paris, 13 April 1945.
- Princess Jacqueline Marguerite (Paris, 5 January 1918 - Crans-MontanaCrans-MontanaCrans-Montana is a ski resort in western Switzerland, in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais. It is located on a plateau above Sierre at an elevation of about 1500 m above sea level, allowing good view over the Valais Alps and Weisshorn in particular...
, ValaisValaisThe Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
26 February 1965). Married to Alfred Ignaz Maria Kraus (SarajevoSarajevoSarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, 28 November 1908-) in Neuilly 6 October 1941. Divorced in MünsterMünsterMünster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
3 February 1958.
Of her Broglie children, the notoriously caustic Daisy once said, "The eldest is like her father, only more masculine. The second is like me, only without the guts. And the last is by some horrible little man called Lischmann."
Second marriage
Her second husband, whom she married on August 9, 1919 in London, was the Hon. Reginald Ailwyn Fellowes (1884-1953), a banker cousin of Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. They had one child, Rosamond Daisy Fellowes (1921-1998).
Literary works
Fellowes wrote several novels and at least one epic poem. Her best-known work is Les dimanches de la comtesse de Narbonne (1931, published in English as "Sundays"). She also wrote the novel Cats in the Isle of Man.Status as fashion icon
She also was known as one of the most daring fashion plateFashion plate
A fashion plate is an illustration demonstrating the highlights of fashionable styles of clothing. Fashion plates are not depictions of specific people, but are instead generalized portraits, meant only to dictate the style of clothes that a tailor, dressmaker, or store could make or sell, or to...
s of the 20th century, arguably the most important patron of the surrealist couturier Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer. Along with Coco Chanel, her greatest rival, she is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in fashion between the two World Wars. Starting with knitwear, Schiaparelli's designs were heavily influenced by Surrealists like her collaborators...
.
She died in Paris.
External links
For images of Daisy Fellowes, see \this photo and \these photos, mostly by Beaton.- An article about Daisy's favorite designer, Schiaparelli, who claimed two favorite clients, the Duchess of Windsor and Daisy herself.