Viola Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster
Encyclopedia
Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster DSO TD JP DL , was a British soldier, landowner, businessman and politician. In the 1970s he was the richest man in Britain....
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Born Viola Maud Lyttelton, she was the daughter of Sir John Cavendish Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham
John Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham
John Cavendish Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham KCB , was a British peer, soldier and Conservative politician....
and Violet Yolande Leonard and a direct descendant of William I.
She married Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, son of Captain Hugh William Grosvenor
Lord Hugh Grosvenor
Captain Lord Hugh William Grosvenor was the son of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster and his second wife, formerly The Hon...
and Lady Mabel Florence Mary Crichton, on 3 December 1946. The family had a home at Ely Lodge, just west of Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
.
As the Hon. Viola Maud Lyttelton she gained the rank of Flying Officer in the service of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force
Women's Auxiliary Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air...
, during the Second World War, where she was mentioned in despatches.
Her marriage to the Duke of Westminster produced three children:
- Lady Leonora Mary GrosvenorLeonora Anson, Countess of LichfieldLeonora Anson, Countess of Lichfield, LVO, was born as Leonora Mary Grosvenor, a daughter of the 5th Duke of Westminster....
(born 1 February 1949) - Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster (born 22 December 1951)
- Lady Jane Meriel Grosvenor (born 8 February 1953)
From 1979 until her death in 1987 she was Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of Fermanagh. She famously ordered workmen to drill holes in the ceiling of Florence Court
Florence Court
Florence Court is a large 18th century house and estate located 8 miles south-west of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is set in the foothills of Cuilcagh Mountain. The nearby village is distinguished by the one-word name Florencecourt. It is owned and managed by the National...
, the stately home in County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
, to drain water away during a serious fire which almost destroyed it in 1955.
The Duchess died in a car accident near Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
on the 3rd of May 1987, aged 74.