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Nansy MitfordEnglish writer and biographer
Date of Birth: 28.11.1904
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Nancy Mitford: English Writer and Biographer
- Literary Success
- Writer and Social Commentator
- Humor and Works
- Personal Life and Later Years
Nancy Mitford: English Writer and Biographer
Early Life and CareerNancy Freeman-Mitford was born on November 28, 1904, in Belgravia, London, as the eldest daughter of Lord Redesdale. She grew up in Asthall Manor, Oxfordshire. Nancy is best known for her novels about the upper class society in Britain and France, as well as for her sharp and often provocative wit. She also established herself as a writer of popular biographies of historical figures.
Literary Success
Nancy Mitford rose to fame with a series of novels about high society life in England and France, particularly with four books published after 1945. In addition to her novels, she gained critical acclaim for her well-researched biographies of Louis XIV, Madame de Pompadour, Voltaire, and Frederick the Great. She became known as one of the successful Mitford sisters who achieved fame, and she was the first to reveal extraordinary details about her eccentric family, which led to the creation of a "Mitford industry."
Writer and Social Commentator
Nancy Mitford's contribution to the popularization of unique terminology, including "U-class" (upper class) and "non-U" (middle class individuals trying to pass as aristocrats), came through her collaboration on the book "Noblesse Oblige" in 1956. While the work aimed to satirize social dialects, the media often portrayed Mitford as the creator of snobbery and the primary keeper of middle-class fantasies. Her novel "The Pursuit of Love" used the example of Alan Ross, the actual inventor of the "U" and "non-U" terms, as a demonstration of the language used by the upper class.
Humor and Works
Mitford's comedic talent is evident not only in her novels but also in a series of articles she wrote for the London Sunday Times. In the 1950s and 1960s, these articles established her as an English expert on various aspects of life in Europe. Her letters and essays also showcased her humor, irony, and broad cultural and social knowledge. Despite being a moderate socialist, Mitford managed to maintain good relationships with her sisters Diana, Jessica, and Unity, despite their extreme political views, likely thanks to her biting wit.
Personal Life and Later Years
In 1933, after a failed romance with Scottish aristocrat and homosexual Hamish St Clair-Erskine, Nancy married Peter Rodd, the younger son of the 1st Baron Rennell. However, the marriage was unsuccessful as Rodd cheated on Mitford and lost his job. Mitford took on a financial burden for a while and worked at G. Heywood Hill bookshop while also betraying her husband. They lived separately from 1939 but maintained a friendly relationship. Rodd occasionally used her Paris apartment, and Mitford provided him with financial assistance. They divorced in 1958, but her gravestone still bears the inscription "Wife of Peter Rodd."
In the late 1960s, Mitford moved closer to Versailles, purchasing a house and becoming somewhat isolated from the life she had established in Paris. Two factors prompted this move. Firstly, the owners of her Paris apartment wanted it back for their children. Secondly, Mitford desired her own garden. By this time, her relationship with Palewski had cooled, and some of her friends who visited her in Paris had passed away. Mitford spent her final years battling excruciating pain caused by a hidden form of cancer. Despite her suffering, she chose not to complain, but this pain led her to lose faith in God. Mitford passed away on June 30, 1973, from Hodgkin's disease. Palewski was by her side on the day of her death.
Nancy Mitford was a prominent public figure and lived an active social and literary life, hosting countless guests in her Paris residence. She had numerous friends and acquaintances from English, French, and Italian aristocracy, as well as several Parisian friends from various countries. She frequently traveled, staying in country houses in England, Ireland, and France, and made annual trips to Venice. Mitford was known for her elegant style, often choosing brands like Dior or Lanvin. She had a unique sense of humor, reflected in her novels and other works, which made her financially independent and a cult figure among the English.
In 1972, Mitford became an officer of the French Legion of Honour, a distinction funded by Palewski when she was already terminally ill. The episode "She" in the television series "Angel" mentioned a flower named "Petticoat Nancy," named after Nancy Mitford. However, such a flower does not actually exist.
