Elizabeth Longford facts for kids
Elizabeth Longford (born Elizabeth Harman; 30 August 1906 – 23 October 2002) was a famous British historian. She was also known as the Countess of Longford. Elizabeth was a member of the Royal Society of Literature, which is a group for writers. She also helped manage the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Elizabeth Longford was best known for writing biographies. These are books about the lives of real people. She wrote about important figures from the 1800s, like Queen Victoria, Lord Byron, and the Duke of Wellington.
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About Elizabeth Longford's Life
Elizabeth was the daughter of an eye doctor named Nathaniel Bishop Harman. She went to the Francis Holland School and then studied at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. She was known for being very smart and charming.
In 1931, she married Frank Pakenham. He later became the Earl of Longford. They were married for almost 70 years and had a very happy marriage. Frank passed away in 2001, and Elizabeth died in 2002, at the age of 96.
A Family of Writers
Elizabeth and Frank were both very interested in helping society. They also became Roman Catholics. They had eight children together: four sons and four daughters. They also had 26 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren!
Many of their children grew up to be famous writers too. These include Lady Antonia Fraser, Lady Rachel Billington, Judith Kazantzis, and Thomas Pakenham. People often said that Elizabeth was the best writer in her talented family.
Elizabeth Longford's Political Efforts
Elizabeth Longford was also interested in politics. She tried several times to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Labour Party. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the House of Commons, which is part of the UK government.
In 1935, she ran for election in a place called Cheltenham. This area usually voted for the Conservative Party, so it was a difficult election for her. In 1950, she tried again in Oxford but was not elected.
During World War II, she wanted to run for a seat in Birmingham King's Norton. However, she had to stop her campaign in 1944 because she was expecting her sixth child. Even so, the Labour Party won that seat in 1945.
Elizabeth Longford's Family Connections
Elizabeth Longford had some interesting family connections. Her brother, John B. Harman, was also a doctor. His daughter is Harriet Harman, who became a well-known Labour politician.
Elizabeth was also related to other important political figures. She was the great-niece of a politician named Joseph Chamberlain. She was also a first cousin once removed of Neville Chamberlain, who was a British Prime Minister.
