Rosemary Pratt, Marchioness Camden
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Pratt, Marchioness Camden (born Cecil Rosemary Pawle on 9 May 1921–27 February 2004) was a British
socialite
and artist, best known as the first wife of Peter Townsend
, the man who later hoped to marry the late Princess Margaret
of the United Kingdom
.
Rosemary was the daughter of Brigadier-General Hanbury Pawle CBE
DL
(1886-1972), a Deputy Lieutenant
for Hertfordshire
, by his marriage to Mary Cecil Hughes-Hallett (d. 1971), both of whom were from families of the landed gentry
. On 17 July 1941 at Much Hadham
, Hertfordshire
, she married Peter Townsend
(1914-1995). Townsend was a decorated Royal Air Force
pilot, who early in the Second World War had brought down the first German bomber to crash in England since 1918. In 1941, he was recovering from injuries incurred in a dogfight. The young Rosemary met the glamorous young ace
, and married him after a whirlwind two-week courtship. Townsend later joined the Royal Household
in 1944 under an "equerries of honour scheme". With Townsend, she had two sons, Giles (born 1942) and Hugo (born 1945). King George VI
acted as godfather
to Hugo, who was briefly a monk and later married a Belgian noblewoman, Yolande Princesse de Ligne.
in 1952 for his wife's adultery. Since Townsend was a divorced man, and divorce was then anathema to the British Establishment and the Royal Household, Princess Margaret
was later forbidden to marry Townsend, or rather, told that she would lose her Royal status and privileges if she did so.
The accounts of this period are somewhat in conflict, and some obituaries for Rosemary and her former husband have suggested a different story behind the official one. Princess Margaret and Townsend became close at some point before Townsend sued for divorce in November 1952; most obituaries state that the Princess turned to Townsend for comfort after the sudden death of her father in February 1952.
obituary, she had previously refused large sums from newspapers which wanted exclusives. She never spoke publicly about her first marriage or her divorce.
She was divorced from her second husband in 1977; and on 12 January 1978, at Kensington
registry office, she became the third wife of the 5th Marquess Camden
. He died in 1983, and she in London
on 27 February, 2004, aged 82, having outlived all three of her husbands: Townsend died in 1995 and de László in 1990. She was survived by three sons and one daughter: Giles Townsend (b. 1942), Hugo Townsend (b. 1945), Charlotte Watkins, née
de László, and Piers de László. and several grandchildren.
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 artist, best known as the first wife of Peter Townsend
Peter Townsend (Group Captain)
Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend, CVO, DSO, DFC and Bar, RAF was Equerry to King George VI 1944–1952 and held the same position for Queen Elizabeth II 1952–1953.-RAF career:...
, the man who later hoped to marry the late Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
of the United Kingdom
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...
.
Rosemary was the daughter of Brigadier-General Hanbury Pawle CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(1886-1972), a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, by his marriage to Mary Cecil Hughes-Hallett (d. 1971), both of whom were from families of the landed gentry
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
. On 17 July 1941 at Much Hadham
Much Hadham
Much Hadham is a village and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, England, formerly known as Great Hadham. It is situated on the B1004 road, midway between Ware and Bishop's Stortford...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, she married Peter Townsend
Peter Townsend (Group Captain)
Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend, CVO, DSO, DFC and Bar, RAF was Equerry to King George VI 1944–1952 and held the same position for Queen Elizabeth II 1952–1953.-RAF career:...
(1914-1995). Townsend was a decorated Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilot, who early in the Second World War had brought down the first German bomber to crash in England since 1918. In 1941, he was recovering from injuries incurred in a dogfight. The young Rosemary met the glamorous young ace
Ace
An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades...
, and married him after a whirlwind two-week courtship. Townsend later joined the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
in 1944 under an "equerries of honour scheme". With Townsend, she had two sons, Giles (born 1942) and Hugo (born 1945). King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
acted as godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
to Hugo, who was briefly a monk and later married a Belgian noblewoman, Yolande Princesse de Ligne.
Divorce
Their marriage began to collapse due to Townsend's prolonged absences from home. According to news reports, he later discovered Rosemary's affair with John de László, the youngest son of the painter Philip de László, and was granted a decree nisiDecree nisi
A decree nisi is a court order that does not have any force until such time that a particular condition is met, such as a subsequent petition to the court or the passage of a specified period of time....
in 1952 for his wife's adultery. Since Townsend was a divorced man, and divorce was then anathema to the British Establishment and the Royal Household, Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
was later forbidden to marry Townsend, or rather, told that she would lose her Royal status and privileges if she did so.
The accounts of this period are somewhat in conflict, and some obituaries for Rosemary and her former husband have suggested a different story behind the official one. Princess Margaret and Townsend became close at some point before Townsend sued for divorce in November 1952; most obituaries state that the Princess turned to Townsend for comfort after the sudden death of her father in February 1952.
Later life
Rosemary married de László a year later and they had two children, Piers and Charlotte. John de László worked first in export and later as a stockbroker. Meanwhile, his wife became a painter, from which she made an income. According to The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
obituary, she had previously refused large sums from newspapers which wanted exclusives. She never spoke publicly about her first marriage or her divorce.
She was divorced from her second husband in 1977; and on 12 January 1978, at Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
registry office, she became the third wife of the 5th Marquess Camden
Marquess Camden
Marquess Camden is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1812 for the politician John Pratt, 2nd Earl Camden. The Pratt family descends from Sir John Pratt, Lord Chief Justice from 1718 to 1725. His third son from his second marriage, Sir Charles Pratt, was also a...
. He died in 1983, and she in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 27 February, 2004, aged 82, having outlived all three of her husbands: Townsend died in 1995 and de László in 1990. She was survived by three sons and one daughter: Giles Townsend (b. 1942), Hugo Townsend (b. 1945), Charlotte Watkins, née
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...
de László, and Piers de László. and several grandchildren.