Margaret Howard, Countess of Suffolk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Countess of Suffolk
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Portrait of Daisy Leiter, by John Singer Sargent, 1898.
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| Born |
Margaret Hyde Leiter
1879 |
| Died | 24 May 1961 (aged 84) Lancaster, California, U.S.
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| Spouse(s) |
Henry Howard, 19th Earl of Suffolk
(m. 1904; |
| Children | Charles Howard, 20th Earl of Suffolk Cecil John Arthur Howard Greville Reginald Howard |
| Parent(s) | Mary Theresa Carver Levi Ziegler Leiter |
| Relatives | Mary Curzon, Baroness Curzon (sister) Michael Howard, 21st Earl of Suffolk (grandson) |
Margaret Howard, Countess of Suffolk (born Margaret Hyde Leiter) was an American heiress. She was born in 1879 and passed away in 1968. She became part of the British aristocracy by marriage and was known as one of the "Dollar Princesses." This was a nickname for wealthy American women who married into noble European families.
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Early Life of Margaret Leiter
Margaret Hyde "Daisy" Leiter was born in Chicago in 1879. She was the youngest of four children. Her parents were Mary Theresa Carver and Levi Ziegler Leiter. Her father was a very successful businessman. He helped start a large dry goods (like a department store) business called Field and Leiter. Later, he was a partner in the famous Marshall Fields retail company.
In 1881, Daisy's family moved to Washington, D.C.. They became part of the city's high society. They spent their summers in Bar Harbor, Maine. Daisy and her two sisters went to a special finishing school in England. These schools taught young women social skills and etiquette.
In 1898, a famous American artist named John Singer Sargent painted Daisy's portrait. This painting was later given to English Heritage, Kenwood, in 1994.
Margaret's Personal Life
In 1903, Daisy visited her sister Mary in India. There, she met Henry Howard, 19th Earl of Suffolk. He was an aide to her brother-in-law, who was the Governor-General of India. Henry was a British nobleman, but he didn't have much money.
Daisy and Henry became engaged. The New York Times newspaper reported their engagement in December 1904. They noted that Henry's family estate, Charlton Park, Wiltshire, would be made grand again. Daisy and Lord Suffolk married on December 26, 1904. The wedding took place at the Leiter family home in Washington, D.C. Daisy wore a special diamond crown from the Suffolk family jewels.
Margaret and Henry had three sons:
- Charles Henry George Howard (1906–1941). He married an American ballet dancer named Mimi Forde-Piggott.
- Cecil John Arthur Howard (1908–1985).
- Greville Reginald Howard (1909–1987).
Henry, the 19th Earl of Suffolk, died in 1917 during World War I. He was commanding his army unit when he was hit by shrapnel. He was buried in Iraq. Margaret's eldest son, Charles, became the 20th Earl of Suffolk. Sadly, he was killed in 1941 while trying to defuse a bomb. His young son, Michael Howard, 21st Earl of Suffolk, then became the Earl.
Later Years and Homes
Margaret had a few accidents in her later life. In 1922, she broke her leg after falling from her horse. Two years later, she fell again and broke several ribs.
When her father died in 1904, he left her millions of dollars. His will said she had to live in the United States for four months each year. In 1930, she sold a famous painting called the "Pelican Portrait" of Queen Elizabeth I. It had been at Charlton House.
In 1934, she bought land in Oro Valley, Arizona. She hired an architect to design a house for her. It was called "Forest Lodge." The house had five master bedrooms and air-conditioning. It even had a bomb shelter! She sold this property in 1957. She felt the nearby city of Tucson was getting too close. She then bought a large ranch in Oracle, Arizona. Today, part of this ranch is where Biosphere 2 is located.
In her very later years, Margaret learned to fly a helicopter. She was known to fly from her home in Cornwall, England, to The Ritz Hotel in London. She passed away in Lancaster, California, on March 5, 1968. She had a heart attack while flying to visit her son Cecil.
Margaret in Popular Culture
From 2014 to 2015, the National Portrait Gallery in London had an exhibition. Margaret was featured in it. The exhibition showed famous American heiresses who married into British noble families. Other women included were Jennie Churchill, Mary Curzon, and Consuelo Vanderbilt.
