Diana Mosley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diana Mosley
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| Born |
Diana Freeman Mitford
17 June 1910 London, England
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| Died | 11 August 2003 (aged 93) Paris, France
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| Occupation | Author, reviewer |
| Known for | Mitford sister who married Sir Oswald Mosley, 6th Baronet, leader of the British Union of Fascists, association with Adolf Hitler, and literary critic and author |
| Spouse(s) |
The Hon. Bryan Guinness
(m. 1929; div. 1932) |
| Children | Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne The Hon. Desmond Guinness Alexander Mosley Max Mosley |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | See Mitford family |
Diana, Lady Mosley (born Diana Mitford; 17 June 1910 – 11 August 2003) was a British writer and editor. She was also known as one of the famous Mitford sisters. Diana became the wife of Oswald Mosley, who led the British Union of Fascists.
She first married Bryan Guinness, who was from a wealthy family. Their marriage ended because Diana began a relationship with Oswald Mosley. In 1936, she married Mosley in Germany. Adolf Hitler was a special guest at their wedding. Because of her strong support for fascist ideas, she was held in prison for three years during World War II. This was when Britain was fighting against Nazi Germany. After the war, she moved to Paris and became a successful writer. She wrote her life story, A Life of Contrasts, in 1977. She also wrote two other biographies.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Diana Mitford was born on 17 June 1910. She was the fourth child of David Freeman-Mitford and Sydney Bowles. Her father was the 2nd Baron Redesdale. She grew up in large country homes in England. These included Batsford Park and Asthall Manor.
Diana was taught at home by private teachers. She spent six months at a school in Paris in 1926. Her younger sisters, Jessica and Deborah, were very close to her. When she was 18, she secretly got engaged to Bryan Walter Guinness.
Marriages and Relationships
First Marriage to Bryan Guinness
Bryan Guinness was an Irish writer from a rich family. Diana's parents were not happy about their engagement at first. But they later agreed. Diana and Bryan married on 30 January 1929. They had a lot of money and several homes. They were known for hosting many parties for young, fashionable people in London.
The writer Evelyn Waugh admired her beauty. He even dedicated his novel Vile Bodies to her. Famous artists painted her picture. Diana and Bryan had two sons: Jonathan (born 1930) and Desmond (1931–2020).
Meeting Oswald Mosley
In February 1932, Diana met Sir Oswald Mosley at a party. Mosley soon became the leader of the new British Union of Fascists. Diana became his girlfriend. At that time, Mosley was still married to his first wife, Lady Cynthia Mosley.
Diana left her husband, Bryan Guinness, to be with Mosley. She moved to a house near his flat in London. Sadly, Cynthia Mosley died in 1933. Mosley was very sad, but he later started a relationship with Cynthia's younger sister.
Family Reactions to Diana's Choices
Diana's parents did not approve of her leaving Guinness for Mosley. This caused problems with most of her family. Her relationship and marriage to Mosley also made things difficult with her sisters.
Her sisters Jessica and Deborah were not allowed to see Diana at first. Jessica strongly disagreed with Mosley's political ideas. She became permanently distant from Diana after the late 1930s. Nancy, another sister, also disliked Mosley's beliefs. She wrote a novel, Wigs on the Green, which made fun of Mosley. This made their relationship difficult for a while.
Connections to Nazi Germany
In 1934, Diana visited Germany with her sister Unity. They went to the first Nuremberg rally, a big Nazi meeting. Unity was friends with Hitler and introduced Diana to him in March 1935. They were guests of Hitler at another rally in 1935. In 1936, Hitler even gave Diana a car to take her to the Berlin Olympic games.
Diana and Oswald Mosley secretly married on 6 October 1936. Their wedding took place at the home of Joseph Goebbels, a top Nazi official. Adolf Hitler was one of the guests. Their marriage was kept secret until their first child was born in 1938. In August 1939, Hitler told Diana that war was going to happen.
Diana and Oswald had two sons: Alexander (born 1938) and Max (born 1940). Max later became president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Hitler gave the couple a silver-framed picture of himself as a gift.
Internment During World War II
During World War II, the Mosleys were held in prison. This happened because Britain was at war with Nazi Germany. On 29 June 1940, Diana was arrested. She tried to hide Hitler's photograph under her baby son Max's cot mattress. She was taken to Holloway Prison in London.
Diana and her husband were held without being charged or having a trial. This was allowed under a special wartime rule. In December 1941, Mosley was allowed to join Diana in prison. After more than three years, they were both released in November 1943. This was because Mosley was ill. They were kept under house arrest until the war ended. They were not allowed to have passports until 1949.
Life After the War
After the war, Diana and Oswald Mosley lived in Ireland and later settled in France. They lived in a beautiful house near Paris. They were neighbors and friends with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Diana continued to support the British Union of Fascists and its later groups. She sometimes spoke about her beliefs. In her autobiography, she wrote about her experiences. She said she found her time with Hitler "interesting."
Controversy and Later Life
In 1989, Diana appeared on a BBC radio show called Desert Island Discs. Her comments on the show caused a lot of debate. She said she did not believe in the extermination of Jews until "years" after the war. She also thought the number of Jewish victims was too high. This episode caused many complaints to the BBC.
Diana and her sister Jessica saw each other only once after their early twenties. This was when their elder sister Nancy was dying. Diana later said she did not care what Jessica thought of her.
In 1998, Diana moved to an apartment in Paris due to her age. She had suffered from migraines for much of her life. In 1981, she had surgery for a brain tumor. She was also treated for skin cancer in the 1990s and later became deaf.
Writing Career
After the war, Diana and her husband started their own publishing company. It was called Euphorion Books. This allowed Mosley to publish his writings. Diana also helped choose other books to publish.
Diana edited a cultural magazine called The European for six years. She wrote articles, book reviews, and diary entries for it. Many of her writings were later published in a book called The Pursuit of Laughter. She also wrote a regular column for Tatler magazine.
In her eighties, Diana became a main book reviewer for the London Evening Standard newspaper. However, the new editor later stopped her reviews.
Diana wrote two books about her own life: A Life of Contrasts (1977) and Loved Ones (1985). Loved Ones was a collection of short descriptions of her family and friends. In 1980, she wrote a biography about The Duchess of Windsor.
In 2007, letters between the Mitford sisters were published in a book. This book included letters from Diana. Another collection of her letters, articles, and reviews was released in 2008.
Death and Legacy
Diana died in Paris in August 2003, at the age of 93. She died from problems after a stroke. She was buried in Swinbrook, Oxfordshire, next to her sisters.
She was survived by her four sons. Her stepson, Nicholas Mosley, wrote a book about his father that Diana did not like. Some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren became models.
After her death, some historians wrote about her. They said she remained "unrepentant" about her past political views.
Images for kids
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The Mitford family in 1928. From left to right: Sydney Bowles (mother), Unity, Jessica, Deborah, David Freeman-Mitford (father). In the second row: Diana and Pamela. In the back row: Nancy and Tom.
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Diana Mitford and Bryan Guinness on their honeymoon in Taormina, Italy, 1929.
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Diana on 27 January 1932.
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Nancy, Diana, Unity and Jessica Mitford.
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Rear view of Asthall Manor, the Mitford family home in Oxfordshire.
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Oswald Mosley, Diana's second husband.
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Diana's grave at far right, next to those of her sisters, Unity and Nancy, at St Mary's Church, Swinbrook in Oxfordshire.
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Temple de la Gloire, Orsay, Paris: Diana's long-term home after the war.
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See also
In Spanish: Diana Mitford para niños
