Nicholas Mosley facts for kids

Nicholas Mosley, 3rd Baron Ravensdale, 7th Baronet (born 25 June 1923 – died 28 February 2017), was an English writer. He wrote many novels and biographies. One of his most notable books was about his father, Sir Oswald Mosley, who founded the British Union of Fascists. Nicholas Mosley was also awarded the Military Cross for his bravery.

Nicholas Mosley: A Life of Stories

Early Life and Family

Nicholas Mosley was born in London in 1923. His father was Oswald Mosley, a well-known British politician. His mother was Lady Cynthia Mosley. Her father, Nicholas's grandfather, was George Curzon, who held important government roles in India and Britain.

In 1932, Nicholas's father, Sir Oswald Mosley, started a political group called the British Union of Fascists. This group had strong, sometimes extreme, ideas. The next year, when Nicholas was only nine, his mother, Lady Cynthia, passed away. In 1936, Diana Mitford, who was already his father's partner, became his stepmother. She was one of the famous Mitford sisters.

As a young boy, Nicholas started to stammer (have trouble speaking smoothly). He went to weekly sessions with a speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Nicholas later said his father didn't really notice his stammer. But maybe because of it, his father was less strict with him than with other people.

War Hero and Writer

Nicholas Mosley went to school at Eton College and then studied at Balliol College, Oxford. In 1940, during World War II, his father was held in prison because he was against the war with Germany.

Nicholas soon joined the Rifle Brigade, a part of the British Army. He fought in Italy and showed great bravery. In 1945, he won the Military Cross, a special award for courage in battle.

After the war, he studied philosophy at Oxford for a short time. Then he got married and tried farming in north Wales. Eventually, he focused on his writing. He wrote many novels and also several biographies, which are books about other people's lives.

A Seat in Parliament and a Famous Book

In 1966, Nicholas Mosley became the Baron Ravensdale. He inherited this special title from his aunt, Irene Curzon. This title gave him a seat in the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament where important decisions are made. However, he didn't use the title much.

When his father died in 1980, Nicholas also inherited the title of Mosley baronetcy. In 1983, two years after his father's death, Nicholas Mosley published a book called Beyond the Pale: Sir Oswald Mosley and Family 1933–1980. In this book, he was quite critical of his father. He questioned his father's reasons and understanding of politics. This book helped create the Channel 4 TV show Mosley (1998), which was about his father's life.

Nicholas Mosley was the half-brother of Max Mosley. Max was the former President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), a big organization that runs car races around the world.

Nicholas Mosley passed away on 28 February 2017. He is buried in the western part of Highgate Cemetery in London.

Grave of Nicholas Mosley, Lord Ravensdale, in Highgate Cemetery

Family Life

Nicholas Mosley was married twice and had five children. He first married Rosemary Laura Salmond in 1947. They had four children together. After they divorced in 1974, he married Verity Elizabeth Raymond. They had one son.