Penelope Aitken

Lady Penelope Aitken , OBE, (December 2nd, 1910 - February 7th, 2005), called “Pempe”, one was personnalitée English.

Biography

Born Penelope Loader Maffey , it is the girl of John Maffey, then first baron de Rugby, who was general governor of the Sudan, permanent secretary of the Colonial Office and in time of war ambassador with Dublin. Previously, he was the private secretary of the viceroy of the Indies and governor of the Province of the Border-of-North-West, thus Penelope was born has Peshawar and it spent its first years in India, where three of these half-brothers died children.

To 7 years, it turns over to the elementary school to England, then it is between in a school for girl, the Sherborne School for Girls . His/her parents had a house, Anmer Hall, in the surroundings of King' S Sandringham, which contributed to its friendship with the royal family. Indeed, it became favorite king George V. Maffey was submitted to the Court and was named beginner of the year. Very beautiful, it had romantic connections with many men, of which the prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Esmond Harmsworth and the artist society man Simon Elwes (1902-1975), which caused a light scandal, because he was married and catholic. Maintaining a friendship platonic, it accompanied prince Bernhard with his honeymoon and became friendly with his new wife, Juliana.

In 1938, it meets the Canadian William Traven Aitken, nephew of the large tycoon max Aitken, first baron de Beaverbrook and journalist with the Evening Standard . They marry a little later this same year with St Peter' S, Eaton Square. Their Jonathan son is born with Dublin in 1942 and their Maria daughter in 1945. William joined the Royal Air Force and Penelope, the WRVS (Women' S Royal Voluntary Service), which helped has to evacuate the German children in Ireland. In 1944, her husband is seriously wounded in an accident of Spitfire. It spends two years to look after it, at the same time as Jonathan, is reached of Tuberculose and than their family home is bombarded in London.

Her husband is elected appointed preserving of Bury St Edmunds to the Parlement in 1950. He is adoubé, which made of Penelope Lady Aitken. She devotes herself in Community work to support the political career of her husband, becomes magistrate and takes part in the Clothing Exchange , which plays an important role in the assistance of the victims of the innondation of the east coast in 1953. Thereafter, it receives the Ordre of the British Empire. Her husband dies suddenly in 1964.

She lives with her children with Halesworth to be more close to her father, who dies in 1969 at the 91 years age. Family fortune is dispersed by the death taxes and the crash landing of the market. She takes again then her adventure with Simon Elwes, then has a long relation with Sir John Davis, president of RANK XEROX.

Lady Aitken became a partner devoted for her son, Jonathan, supporting it in her journalistic, political career and of business. She remained near him when Jonathan lost its lawsuit for slandering, divorced and was condemned to the prison for perjury. She employed even one of these friends of the Prison of Belmarsh, Spider Aguda, as driver, introducing it near people while saying “To meet my marvellous friend robber of ingots. ”.

Continuous Aitken lady to be seen has many evenings and with much of men. The satirical organizer No5el Picarda falls instantaneously in love with it, and became his/her companion until his death in 2003. Its house and its evenings were often the scene of political machinations in the preserving circles and she was often seen holding the court among the politicians or her family, with London, in a local Pub or in the Gironde.

She dies of one cancer at the 94 years age the night of the first of the new part of her daughter.

Anecdotes

Jardiner is another of its passions. It created a known park with Playford, in its Tudor house beside Ipswitch. Later, it creates an English garden in its house close to Santa Eulalia, on the Spanish island of Ibiza, passing in smuggling of the ground and the rare plants under the nose of the customs officers.
It is the grandmother of the actor Jack Davenport, whose mother was Maria.

External bond

Times Obituary

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