June Flewett
Encyclopedia
June Beatrice Flewett is a British actress and theatre director who was married to Clement Freud
. As a war-time teenager, she was evacuated to C.S. Lewis's house in Oxford
and she is said to have been the inspiration for Lucy Pevensie
in the Chronicles of Narnia.
June Flewett's family lived in Barnes
, south-west London, where her father was the senior classics
master at St Paul's school. She was educated at Sacred Heart High School
. She and her two sisters were evacuated from London to escape The Blitz
. In the summer of 1943, at the age of 16, she moved in with the Lewises at their home The Kilns, as a house keeper. She was a devout Catholic
and an aspiring actress. Her favourite writer was C.S.Lewis and initially she had no idea she was living with the same man. She developed what she later called a "tremendous crush" on Lewis. She was highly regarded in the household and Lewis referred to her in a letter as "without exception the most selfless person I have ever known."
After two years, she left the Lewises to take up a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
(Rada), her fees being paid by Lewis. Following her graduation, she embarked upon a successful career in the West End
under the stage name
Jill Raymond. She married Clement Freud in 1950 and performed in occasional radio plays. In the 1970s, when her husband became a Liberal
MP
for the Isle of Ely
, she helped him canvass. In 1980, she formed her own theatre company in Suffolk
. In 2001 she received an Honorary
Doctorate in Civil Law
from the University of East Anglia
"for services to the theatre." She has five children (one adopted) and 15 grandchildren.
Clement Freud
Sir Clement Raphael Freud was an English broadcaster, writer, politician and chef.-Early life:Freud was born in Berlin, the son of Jewish parents Ernst Ludwig Freud and Lucie née Brasch. He was the grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and the brother of artist Lucian Freud...
. As a war-time teenager, she was evacuated to C.S. Lewis's house in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and she is said to have been the inspiration for Lucy Pevensie
Lucy Pevensie
Lucy Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. She is the youngest of the four Pevensie children, and the first to find the Wardrobe entrance to Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Of all the Pevensie children, Lucy is the closest to Aslan...
in the Chronicles of Narnia.
June Flewett's family lived in Barnes
Barnes
Barnes is a riverside London suburb in southwest London and in terms of local governance falls under the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is located around west south-west of Charing Cross in a loop of the River Thames, with Hammersmith Bridge at the north end...
, south-west London, where her father was the senior classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
master at St Paul's school. She was educated at Sacred Heart High School
Sacred Heart High School (London)
Sacred Heart High School is a Catholic voluntary aided comprehensive secondary school for girls, in Hammersmith, London.-Admissions:It is a girls' school for ages 11-16 and a popular school. The former convent only accepts girls of the Catholic faith, a uniform is obligatory for all girls during...
. She and her two sisters were evacuated from London to escape The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
. In the summer of 1943, at the age of 16, she moved in with the Lewises at their home The Kilns, as a house keeper. She was a devout Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and an aspiring actress. Her favourite writer was C.S.Lewis and initially she had no idea she was living with the same man. She developed what she later called a "tremendous crush" on Lewis. She was highly regarded in the household and Lewis referred to her in a letter as "without exception the most selfless person I have ever known."
After two years, she left the Lewises to take up a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
(Rada), her fees being paid by Lewis. Following her graduation, she embarked upon a successful career in the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
under the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Jill Raymond. She married Clement Freud in 1950 and performed in occasional radio plays. In the 1970s, when her husband became a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
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,...
for the Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...
, she helped him canvass. In 1980, she formed her own theatre company in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. In 2001 she received an Honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctorate in Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
from the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
"for services to the theatre." She has five children (one adopted) and 15 grandchildren.