|
Douglas Fitzgerald McConnel F/Mc Married Ruth Mary Garnett-Botfield Fc | |||||||||||
| Diana Ruth McConnel [CFT #14579] Born: 1922-Jan-14 Died: 2010-Nov-1 |
| ||||||||||
| b Woolwich, London d Apsley House, London The Duchess of Wellington, who died on November 1 aged 88, served in military intelligence during the Second World War and became the wife of the heir to one of England's most famous dukedoms when he was a serving soldier – despite her resolution never to marry a military man. She was born Diana Ruth McConnel on January 14 1922 at Woolwich, where her father, Major-General Douglas McConnel, CB, CBE, DSO, was an instructor at the Military Academy. The McConnels had been farmers in south-west Scotland, and in 1788 a James McConnel made his way from Dumfries to Manchester, where he established himself in the cotton industry. By 1802 he owned his own mills, employing 312 people. Diana was effectively an only child, a younger brother dying soon after birth, and her earliest days were disrupted by her father's succession of military postings. When he was sent to the Quetta Military Academy in India, she was left behind in England with her maternal grandparents and sent to a boarding school, which she hated. At any early age she resolved never to marry a soldier. Later she spent two happier years with her parents in India, and on her return to Britain was educated at Benenden, where she enjoyed painting and music and proved proficient at maths. Her decision to learn typing instead of cooking would serve her well in the war, which broke out shortly before she left school. Joining her parents in Jerusalem, where her father was by now GOC Palestine and Transjordan, she quickly secured a position in military intelligence. Her office was on the fourth floor of the King David Hotel, where she typed up sensitive documents including, in 1941, the top secret plans for the invasion of Iraq. Her father frequently used her as his ADC. She met her future husband, Valerian Wellesley (who had become Marquess of Douro on the death of his cousin in September 1943), when the First Household Cavalry Regiment was stationed at the Allenby Barracks in Jerusalem and deputed to guard the King David. By this time Diana was "a lustrous beauty, five foot six, with a mass of dark hair, huge green eyes, a fantastic figure and a warm, dimply smile". After a whirlwind romance – and despite some reservations from the groom's father and the bride's mother about wartime unions – they married at St George's church on January 28 1944. The wedding was not without drama. In the course of her work Diana had discovered that the Stern Gang was hatching a plot which included detonating a bomb at the church on the very day of her wedding. The device was found concealed in the arch of the cathedral's courtyard. Trained to be discreet, and by nature reserved, Diana did not tell her fiancé about the plot and he simply assumed that the outriders and police escort that attended them after the service were par for the course if you married the general's daughter. After a brief honeymoon, the new Marchioness of Douro returned to her desk at the King David. In the early days of their marriage the couple were frequently apart, Douro once resorting to hitching a ride (against regulations) in a friend's plane to be reunited with her. In April his regiment was sent to Italy. Later, as they headed home via the Suez Canal, the Douros discovered that they were on neighbouring ships and, each evening at 6pm, exchanged loving messages by Morse code. After the war Douro continued to serve in the Army, rising to the rank of brigadier. Diana joined him on his overseas posting to Cyprus in the 1950s and when he was sent to Madrid as defence attaché in 1964. When he retired from the Army in 1967, they settled at Stratfield Saye as he took over the running of the family estates. In January 1972 he succeeded his father as the 8th Duke, and the couple moved from Park Corner, their much-loved home on the 7,500-acre estate, into the house which had been a gift from the nation to the 1st Duke in 1817. In Spain they inherited a 2,500-acre hunting estate near Granada, where they entertained regularly; the Prince of Wales (a one-time suitor of their daughter, Lady Jane Wellesley) was a guest in the 1970s. When Stratfield Saye was open to the public, the Duchess was amused to find that she was often mistaken for a gardener as she went about potting, weeding or picking up litter. Every open day she personally arranged the flowers around the house. In 1974 the Game Fair was held there and attended by the Queen. The Wellingtons stayed on at the house until 2001, when they handed it over to their eldest son and returned to Park Corner. The Duchess became involved with the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) in 1944, joining its council in 1972 and remaining an active participant. She served as one of its vice-presidents, and last July accepted a cheque for £250,000 on behalf of the charity at Stratfield Saye. In 2007 the Duchess was appointed MBE. Copyright Telegraph Media Group Limited 2020 |
1: 1945 Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesleyc H 2: 1949 Richard Wellesleyc W 3: 1951 (Caroline) Jane Wellesleyc 4: 1954 John Wellesleyc W 5: 1956 James Wellesleyc W | ||||||||||
| 5 Children | |||||||||||
To notify corrections or updates to this page, please contact the Webmaster
or return to the Index2 Index1
Thanks