Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Duchess of Devonshire
DCVO
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Deborah Mitford in 1938
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| Tenure | 26 November 1950 – 3 May 2004 |
| Born | Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford 31 March 1920 London, England |
| Died | 24 September 2014 (aged 94) Edensor, Derbyshire, England |
| Residence | Edensor House, Chatsworth Estate |
| Noble family | Mitford family |
| Spouse(s) |
Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire
(m. 1941; died 2004) |
| Issue | 7, including Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire and Lady Sophia Topley |
| Parents |
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| Signature |  |
| Occupation | Writer, memoirist, socialite |
Deborah Vivien Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (born Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford; 31 March 1920 – 24 September 2014) was a famous English writer and socialite. She was known for her work in helping to manage and promote Chatsworth House, a very large and historic home in England.
Deborah was the youngest of six sisters, known as the Mitford sisters. They were well-known in British society during the 1930s and 1940s.
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About Deborah Cavendish
Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford was born in Kensington, London, on 31 March 1920. Her family called her "Debo." Her parents were David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale and Sydney Bowles.
In 1941, she married Lord Andrew Cavendish. His older brother, William, sadly died in 1944. This meant Andrew became the next in line to become the Duke. In 1950, when Andrew's father passed away, Andrew became the 11th Duke of Devonshire. This made Deborah the Duchess of Devonshire.
Life at Chatsworth House
Deborah Cavendish became the main public face of Chatsworth House for many years. Chatsworth is a huge and beautiful historic home. She wrote several books about Chatsworth. She also played a very important part in fixing up the house and making the gardens even better.
She was very good at business. She helped develop many commercial activities for Chatsworth. For example, she started the Chatsworth Farm Shop. This shop is much bigger than most farm shops and employs many people. She also helped with other shops and restaurants at Chatsworth. She even sold luxury foods with her signature on them!
Deborah understood that running a stately home like Chatsworth needed a lot of effort and good business ideas. She was very active and sometimes even worked at the Chatsworth House ticket office herself. She also helped improve the Cavendish Hotel and the Devonshire Arms Hotel, which are near Chatsworth.
In 1999, Queen Elizabeth II gave Deborah a special honor. She was made a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (DCVO). This was for her service to the Royal Collection Trust, which looks after the Queen's art and treasures.
When her husband passed away in 2004, her son Peregrine became the 12th Duke of Devonshire. Deborah then became known as the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire. She moved into a smaller house on the Chatsworth estate.
Towards the end of her life, she became good friends with Arthur Parkinson. He is now a famous gardening writer. They bonded over their shared love for chickens!
Family Life
Deborah and her husband, the Duke, had seven children. Sadly, four of them passed away shortly after they were born.
- Mark Cavendish (born and died in 1941)
- Lady Emma Cavendish (born in 1943). She married Tobias William Tennant and has three children. One of her children is the famous model Stella Tennant.
- Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire (born in 1944). He is the current Duke.
- Lord Victor Cavendish (born and died in 1947)
- Lady Mary Cavendish (born and died in 1953)
- Lady Sophia Louise Sydney Cavendish (born in 1957). She has been married three times and has two children.
Political Views
In 1981, Deborah and her husband joined a new political group called the Social Democratic Party.
Her Passing
Deborah Cavendish passed away on 24 September 2014, at the age of 94. Her funeral was held on 2 October 2014, at St Peter's Church, Edensor. Many important people attended, including the then Prince of Wales (who is now King Charles III) and his wife, Camilla.
Her Titles Over Time
Deborah's title changed throughout her life:
- 1920–1941 – The Honourable Deborah Freeman-Mitford
- 1941–1944 – Lady Andrew Cavendish
- 1944–1950 – Marchioness of Hartington
- 1950–1999 – Her Grace The Duchess of Devonshire
- 1999–2004 – Her Grace The Duchess of Devonshire, DCVO (after receiving her honor from the Queen)
- 2004–2014 – Her Grace The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, DCVO (after her husband passed away)
Interesting Interviews
Deborah Cavendish was interviewed many times. She shared interesting stories about her life.
In 2004, she was interviewed for a BBC show called Imagine. She talked about what it was like to have her portrait painted by the famous artist Lucian Freud.
In a 2007 interview, she talked about having tea with Adolf Hitler in 1937. She was visiting Germany with her mother and sister, Unity. Only Unity spoke German, so she did all the talking with Hitler. The interviewer then asked Deborah a surprising question: who would she rather have tea with, American singer Elvis Presley or Hitler? Deborah looked very surprised and quickly answered, "Well, Elvis of course! What an extraordinary question."
In 2010, she was interviewed by BBC journalist Kirsty Wark for Newsnight. She discussed life in the 1930s and 1940s, and how she helped manage the Chatsworth estate. She was also interviewed by Charlie Rose for PBS.
She also gave a talk as part of a lecture series where she discussed her memoir and her letters with writer Patrick Leigh Fermor.
