Ethel Locke-King
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dame Ethel Locke-King (née Gore-Browne), DBE, (1864–1956) was a motor-racing promoter and hospital patron.
Her wealthy husband, Sir Hugh F. Locke-King, created and solely financed Brooklands House, Weybridge, Surrey, the first permanent race-track in the world. On 16 June 1907, she led the inaugural procession of cars on to the track in her open Itala minutes after the track had been opened by her husband.
Ethel Locke-King ran a Red Cross hospital at her estate, Brooklands House, during World War I from 1915 until 1919.
[edit] Mena House/Mena Palace Oberoi
Mena House (also known as the Mena Palace Oberoi) in Egypt was purchased by Hugh and Ethel Locke-King; once they had settled into the former Khedivial Hunting Lodge, Ethel decided to turn it into a luxurious hotel.
"It was to be an hotel to end all hotels", wrote Nina Nelson "... With plenty of money at their disposal, it was enlarged yet again and the Locke-Kings set about turning it into the quintessence of comfort [including fire-places to warm up the cold winter nights], but with fittings, architecture and decoration remaining oriental in design" ([1]).
Ethel Locke-King was a paternal aunt of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Stewart Gore-Browne.
