Raine de Chambrun
Encyclopedia
Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer (née
McCorquodale; born 9 September 1929) is a British
socialite
and local politician
. She is the daughter of novelist Barbara Cartland
and Alexander McCorquodale. However her mother later alleged that she was fathered by Prince George, Duke of Kent
. At aged 23, she became the youngest member of Westminster City Council
. As Countess of Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years.
Widely considered a "larger-than-life" figure with a reputation for being immaculately dressed and coiffured
at any public function, her actions frequently cause mention in the British and foreign press. Her taste has frequently been questioned and her relationship with her stepchildren much discussed. As Countess Spencer, Raine was unpopular with her stepdaughter, Lady Diana Spencer
, later the Princess of Wales
. Her three marriages have, at varying times, accorded her five titles: the Honourable Mrs Gerald Legge, Viscountess Lewisham, Countess of Dartmouth, Countess Spencer and Comtesse Jean-François de Chambrun.
Raine McCorquodale is the only child of novelist Dame Barbara Cartland
and Alexander McCorquodale, an Army officer who was heir to a printing
fortune. Her parents divorced in 1936, and her mother promptly married Alexander McCorquodale's cousin, Hugh McCorquodale, by whom she had two sons, Ian and Glen McCorquodale.
into London high society. She had a successful season, not only being named as "Deb of the Year," but becoming engaged to be married to the heir to an earldom, the Hon. Gerald Humphry Legge
. She and Legge married that same year. He succeeded to the courtesy title
Viscount Lewisham in 1958 and became the 9th Earl of Dartmouth
in 1962. The couple had four children:
Following her marriage, Lady Dartmouth began to take a strong interest in politics. A Conservative
at 23, she became the youngest member of Westminster City Council
. As Lady Lewisham, and later Lady Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years. She sat on Westminster's town planning, parks and personnel committees, and was later elected to represent Richmond on the Greater London Council
. In this capacity she took a special interest in environmental planning and ancient buildings. She also chaired the Covent Garden Development Committee, and the government working party for the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
in Stockholm.
In 1973, she began a relationship with Lord Althorp, who was a colleague on an architectural heritage committee. The Dartmouths were consequently divorced in 1976.
Lord Spencer and Lady Dartmouth were married at Caxton Hall, London, on 14 July 1976. Lord Althorp had succeeded his father
as the 8th Earl Spencer
on 9 June 1975. As Countess Spencer, Raine was unpopular with her stepdaughter Lady Diana Spencer
. Even going as far as to use the nick name Acid Raine when referring to her step-mother. However, media reports have suggested that at the time of her death
, Diana was reconciled with her stepmother, while her relationship with her mother Frances Shand Kydd
, had been strained.
In 1978, Lord Spencer suffered a brain haemorrhage; his wife nursed him, and it is to her care and devotion coupled with the use of an untested drug, that his recovery is credited. Following her husband's illness, Lady Spencer was widely criticised, by the press and conservationists, for her redecoration of Althorp
, the Spencer family seat; it was felt that the heavy use of new gilding and wallpapers failed to compensate for the missing treasures, which included besides properties and land, works by Van Dyck and Gainsborough, furniture, china, porcelain, silver, gold and family documents sold to fund the project and necessary restoration of the house. The Earl fully endorsed and assisted in his wife's alteration to Althorp and fund-raising activities. However, this was not enough to stop Earl Spencer's son and heir describing his stepmother's taste in decoration as having "the wedding cake vulgarity of a five-star hotel in Monaco."
Lord and Lady Spencer led an opulent lifestyle entertaining frequently and generously, and travelling greatly. In February 1981, they became globally known following the marriage of Lady Spencer's stepdaughter, Diana to Charles, Prince of Wales
. Lord Spencer died on 29 March 1992. Raine's relationship with her stepson
being poor, the dowager Countess immediately left Althorp. The abrupt move from Althorp was, however, cushioned by a £4 million inheritance and a townhouse
in London's Mayfair
from her husband.
, after a courtship of 33 days. The Count, a younger son of Jean-Pierre Pineton de Chambrun, Marquis de Chambrun (a deaf biochemist-artist), was previously married to American Josalee Douglas. The Countess again attracted charges of vulgarity, in Britain, when it was discovered that pictures of the wedding had been sold to Hello magazine for a reputed £70,000.
It was at this time, that while none of her Spencer stepchildren attended her remarriage, it was claimed that there was a rapprochement between her and the Princess of Wales.
The de Chambruns' marriage was to be short-lived and the couple were divorced in 1995. Styled since the marriage as Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, the Comtesse chose to revert to her previous surname and style of Raine, Countess Spencer. Despite adverse comment, this was something she was quite entitled to do.
Today, Raine Spencer is a member of the board of directors of Harrods
, and occasionally works in the store, although as she told the inquest "Ironically, I never went shopping in Harrods. It was my husband [Earl Spencer] who practically lived there." Her principal home is in Mayfair, London, where she remains a regular face on the London social scene.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
McCorquodale; born 9 September 1929) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and local politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. She is the daughter of novelist Barbara Cartland
Barbara Cartland
Dame Barbara Hamilton Cartland, DBE, CStJ , was an English author, one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century...
and Alexander McCorquodale. However her mother later alleged that she was fathered by Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
. At aged 23, she became the youngest member of Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
. As Countess of Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years.
Widely considered a "larger-than-life" figure with a reputation for being immaculately dressed and coiffured
Cosmetology
Cosmetology is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty including hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, and electrology....
at any public function, her actions frequently cause mention in the British and foreign press. Her taste has frequently been questioned and her relationship with her stepchildren much discussed. As Countess Spencer, Raine was unpopular with her stepdaughter, Lady Diana Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, later the Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
. Her three marriages have, at varying times, accorded her five titles: the Honourable Mrs Gerald Legge, Viscountess Lewisham, Countess of Dartmouth, Countess Spencer and Comtesse Jean-François de Chambrun.
Early years
Barbara Cartland
Dame Barbara Hamilton Cartland, DBE, CStJ , was an English author, one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century...
and Alexander McCorquodale, an Army officer who was heir to a printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
fortune. Her parents divorced in 1936, and her mother promptly married Alexander McCorquodale's cousin, Hugh McCorquodale, by whom she had two sons, Ian and Glen McCorquodale.
Countess of Dartmouth
In 1947, aged eighteen, Raine McCorquodale was launched as a debutanteDebutante
A débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs...
into London high society. She had a successful season, not only being named as "Deb of the Year," but becoming engaged to be married to the heir to an earldom, the Hon. Gerald Humphry Legge
Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth
Gerald Humphry Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth FCA was a British peer and businessman.Legge was the only son of the 8th Earl of Dartmouth...
. She and Legge married that same year. He succeeded to the courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
Viscount Lewisham in 1958 and became the 9th Earl of Dartmouth
Earl of Dartmouth
Earl of Dartmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth. The Legge family descended from Edward Legge, Vice-President of Munster. His eldest son William Legge was a Royalist army officer and close associate of Prince Rupert of the...
in 1962. The couple had four children:
- William Legge, 10th Earl of DartmouthWilliam Legge, 10th Earl of DartmouthWilliam Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth is a British peer and politician. He is a Member of the European Parliament for South West England representing the United Kingdom Independence Party.-Early life:...
, born on 23 September 1949 - Hon. Rupert Legge, born on 1 January 1953
- Lady Charlotte, born on 16 July 1963. She married Don Alessandro Paternò Castello, 13th Duke of CarcaciDukes of CarcaciThe Duke of Carcaci is the Head of one branch of the Paternó Castello family, a ancient Italian noble family among whose ancestors were also the Princes of Biscari...
. - Hon. Henry Legge, born on 28 December 1968. He married Cressida Hogg, the youngest daughter of Sir Christopher Hogg.
Following her marriage, Lady Dartmouth began to take a strong interest in politics. A Conservative
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...
at 23, she became the youngest member of Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
. As Lady Lewisham, and later Lady Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years. She sat on Westminster's town planning, parks and personnel committees, and was later elected to represent Richmond on the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
. In this capacity she took a special interest in environmental planning and ancient buildings. She also chaired the Covent Garden Development Committee, and the government working party for the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was an international conference convened under United Nations auspices held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 5–16, 1972...
in Stockholm.
In 1973, she began a relationship with Lord Althorp, who was a colleague on an architectural heritage committee. The Dartmouths were consequently divorced in 1976.
Countess Spencer
Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer
Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer , styled The Honourable Albert Spencer until 1910 and as Viscount Althorp from 1910 to 1922, and known less formally as "Jack" Spencer, was a British peer...
as the 8th Earl Spencer
Earl Spencer
Earl Spencer is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created on 1 November 1765, along with the title Viscount Althorp, of Althorp in the County of Northamptonshire, for John Spencer, 1st Viscount Spencer, a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough...
on 9 June 1975. As Countess Spencer, Raine was unpopular with her stepdaughter Lady Diana Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
. Even going as far as to use the nick name Acid Raine when referring to her step-mother. However, media reports have suggested that at the time of her death
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
, Diana was reconciled with her stepmother, while her relationship with her mother Frances Shand Kydd
Frances Shand Kydd
Frances Ruth Shand Kydd was the first wife of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales...
, had been strained.
In 1978, Lord Spencer suffered a brain haemorrhage; his wife nursed him, and it is to her care and devotion coupled with the use of an untested drug, that his recovery is credited. Following her husband's illness, Lady Spencer was widely criticised, by the press and conservationists, for her redecoration of Althorp
Althorp
Althorp is a country estate of about and a stately home in Northamptonshire, England. It is about north-west of the county town of Northampton. The late Diana, Princess of Wales is buried in the estate.-History:...
, the Spencer family seat; it was felt that the heavy use of new gilding and wallpapers failed to compensate for the missing treasures, which included besides properties and land, works by Van Dyck and Gainsborough, furniture, china, porcelain, silver, gold and family documents sold to fund the project and necessary restoration of the house. The Earl fully endorsed and assisted in his wife's alteration to Althorp and fund-raising activities. However, this was not enough to stop Earl Spencer's son and heir describing his stepmother's taste in decoration as having "the wedding cake vulgarity of a five-star hotel in Monaco."
Lord and Lady Spencer led an opulent lifestyle entertaining frequently and generously, and travelling greatly. In February 1981, they became globally known following the marriage of Lady Spencer's stepdaughter, Diana to Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. Lord Spencer died on 29 March 1992. Raine's relationship with her stepson
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer
Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, DL , styled Viscount Althorp between 1975 and 1992, is a British peer and brother of Diana, Princess of Wales...
being poor, the dowager Countess immediately left Althorp. The abrupt move from Althorp was, however, cushioned by a £4 million inheritance and a townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
in London's Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
from her husband.
Comtesse de Chambrun
Raine Spencer married thirdly, in 1993, Count Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, a descendant of the Marquis de La Fayette, a member of a prominent French family related to the American Roosevelt familyRoosevelt family
In heraldry, canting arms are a visual or pictorial play on a surname, and were and still are a popular practice. It would be common to find roses, then, in arms of many Roosevelt families, even unrelated ones...
, after a courtship of 33 days. The Count, a younger son of Jean-Pierre Pineton de Chambrun, Marquis de Chambrun (a deaf biochemist-artist), was previously married to American Josalee Douglas. The Countess again attracted charges of vulgarity, in Britain, when it was discovered that pictures of the wedding had been sold to Hello magazine for a reputed £70,000.
It was at this time, that while none of her Spencer stepchildren attended her remarriage, it was claimed that there was a rapprochement between her and the Princess of Wales.
The de Chambruns' marriage was to be short-lived and the couple were divorced in 1995. Styled since the marriage as Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, the Comtesse chose to revert to her previous surname and style of Raine, Countess Spencer. Despite adverse comment, this was something she was quite entitled to do.
Later life
In December 2007, Raine Spencer again featured in the news, giving evidence at the London inquest into the death of the Princess of Wales. Making a rare public comment on her relationship with her stepdaughter, she said: "[Diana] always said I had no hidden agenda. So many people, because she was so popular and so world famous, wanted something out of her. It was a very draining life." Later she told the court "Well, we all want the dark handsome gentleman to walk through the door."Today, Raine Spencer is a member of the board of directors of Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
, and occasionally works in the store, although as she told the inquest "Ironically, I never went shopping in Harrods. It was my husband [Earl Spencer] who practically lived there." Her principal home is in Mayfair, London, where she remains a regular face on the London social scene.
Titles and styles
- Miss Raine McCorquodale (1929–1948)
- Mrs Gerald Legge (1948–1958)
- Viscountess Lewisham (1958–1962)
- The Rt Hon. The Countess of Dartmouth (1962–1976)
- Raine, Countess of Dartmouth (1976)
- The Rt Hon. The Countess Spencer (1976–1992)
- Raine, The Rt Hon. The Dowager Countess Spencer (1992–1993)
- Comtesse Jean-François de Chambrun (1993–1995)
- Raine, The Rt Hon. The Dowager Countess Spencer (Since 1995)