Mabell Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Countess of Airlie
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Portrait by Philip de László, 1933
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| Born |
Hon. Mabell Frances Elizabeth Gore
10 March 1866 |
| Died | 7 April 1956 (aged 90) Paddington, London, England
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| Occupation | Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Lady Kitty Ogilvy Lady Helen Ogilvy Lady Mabell Ogilvy David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie Hon. Bruce Ogilvy Hon. Patrick Ogilvy |
| Parent(s) | Arthur Gore, 5th Earl of Arran Hon. Edith Jocelyn |
Mabell Frances Elizabeth Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie (born Gore; 10 March 1866 – 7 April 1956) was an important British courtier and author. She was a close friend and trusted assistant to Queen Mary, the wife of King George V.
Contents
Early Life and Friendship with Royalty
Mabell Gore was born in London in 1866. She was the oldest daughter of Arthur Gore, Viscount Sudley. Her mother passed away when Mabell was young, so she and her sisters were raised by their grandmother, Lady Jocelyn.
Mabell and her sisters were taught by private teachers. They often visited the Duchess of Teck at White Lodge. It was there that Mabell met and became good friends with the Duchess's daughter, Princess May. Princess May later became Queen Mary. When Mabell's grandfather died in 1884, her father became an Earl. This meant Mabell and her sisters were then known as 'Lady'.
Marriage and Family
On 19 January 1886, Mabell married David Ogilvy, 11th Earl of Airlie, an army officer. She then became the Countess of Airlie. They were married at St George's, Hanover Square in London.
Mabell and David had six children:
- Lady Kitty Edith Blanche Ogilvy (1887–1969)
- Lady Helen Alice Wyllington Ogilvy (1890–1973); she later became involved in campaigning for women's rights and economic fairness.
- Lady Mabell Griselda Esther Sudley Ogilvy (1892–1918)
- David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie (1893–1968)
- The Honourable Bruce Arthur Ashley Ogilvy (1895–1976)
- The Honourable Patrick Julian Harry Stanley Ogilvy (1896–1917)
Life as Countess of Airlie
In 1899, the Second Boer War began. Mabell's husband, Lord Airlie, went to South Africa with his army group. Sadly, he was killed in battle in 1900 during the Battle of Diamond Hill. After the war ended in 1902, Lady Airlie visited South Africa.
After her husband's death, Lady Airlie took charge of Cortachy Castle in Angus. She managed it for her oldest son, David, who was only six years old and had become the new Earl. She also helped open the Dundee Sanatorium, a hospital for people with tuberculosis. This hospital was built on land her husband had given before he died. For her efforts, she was given the Freedom of the City of Dundee in 1902.
In 1901, Mabell became a Lady of the Bedchamber to her old friend, Princess May, who was now the Princess of Wales. A Lady of the Bedchamber is a senior lady-in-waiting who helps the Queen or Princess with her daily life and duties. When King George V became King in 1910, Lady Airlie continued her role as Lady of the Bedchamber to the new Queen Mary.
World War I and Family Losses
During World War I, Mabell supported the Red Cross, an organization that helps people in need. She was given a special award, the Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE), in 1920. This was to recognize her important work as president of Queen Alexandra's Army Nursing Board.
The war was a difficult time for Lady Airlie and her family. She suffered several sad losses:
- Her son-in-law, Clement, died in battle in 1915.
- Her youngest son, Patrick, also died in battle in 1917.
- Her daughter, Mabell, died in 1918 while exercising army horses.
Becoming an Author
When her oldest son got married in 1917, Lady Airlie moved from Cortachy Castle to Airlie Castle. She then started a new career as an author. She published books based on old family letters. These included In Whig Society, 1775–1818 (1921) and Lady Palmerston and her Times (1922). These books were about her great-grandmother, Emily Lamb, who was a well-known person in society.
Later, she wrote With the Guards We Shall Go (1933). This book told the story of her great-uncle, John Jocelyn, 5th Earl of Roden, during the Crimean War.
Later Life and Memoirs
In 1953, Queen Mary, Mabell's employer and lifelong friend, passed away. Queen Elizabeth II then gave Mabell another high honor, the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). This was to thank her for her many years of service to the Royal Family.
Lady Airlie moved from Airlie Castle to London in 1955. She died there in 1956, a few weeks after her ninetieth birthday.
Because she was a trusted friend to Queen Mary, Lady Airlie knew a lot about the British Royal Family. She wrote down her memories and thoughts about them in a book. This unfinished book was found after she died and was published in 1962 as Thatched with Gold: The Memoirs of Mabell, Countess of Airlie.
Styles
- The Honourable Mabell Frances Elizabeth Gore (1866–1884)
- The Lady Mabell Frances Elizabeth Gore (1884–1886)
- The Right Honourable The Countess of Airlie (1886–1917)
- The Right Honourable The Dowager Countess of Airlie (1917–1956)
Sources
- Zeepvat, Charlotte - Ogilvy (née Gore), Mabell Frances Elizabeth, countess of Airlie (1866–1956), courtier and literary editor, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; accessed 23 June 2017.(subscription needed)
