Lady Iris Mountbatten
| Lady Iris Mountbatten | |
|---|---|
 Lady Iris Mountbatten in 1952 | |
| Born |
Iris Victoria Beatrice Grace 13 January 1920 London, England |
| Died |
1 September 1982 (aged 62) Toronto, Ontario |
| Spouse(s) | Hamilton Joseph Keyes O'Malley (divorced); Michael Neely Bryan (divorced); William Alexander Kemp |
| Parents | Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke and Lady Irene Denison |
The Lady Iris Mountbatten (Iris Victoria Beatrice Grace Mountbatten) was born in Kensington Palace, London on 13 January 1920, the only child of Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke, eldest of three sons and one daughter of Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry of Battenberg. Her Mother, the Marchioness of Carisbrooke GBE (1938), DJStJ, Order of Queen Maria Luisa, was born Lady Irene Francis Adza Denison (4 July 1890 – 16 July 1956) the only daughter of William Francis Henry Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough and Lady Grace Adelaide Fane (3 October 1860 – 13 June 1933), a daughter of Francis William Henry Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland.
Lord Carisbrooke's only sister Ena was Queen consort to King Alfonso XIII of Spain, thus making Lady Iris a first cousin of the Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, father of the present King, Juan Carlos I of Spain. Lady Carisbrooke had two brothers of whom only one, Hugo William Cecil Denison, 4th and last Earl of Londesborough, was married. He and his wife had one child, Iris's only maternal first cousin, Lady Zinnia Rosemary Denison (25 November 1937 – 13 July 1997) a keen equestrian and Master of the Whaddon Chase Hunt 1982-84. 'The Lady Zinnia Judd Challenge Trophy' named in memory of her, is presented in the Hunter Championship for the 'Best Hunter in Show' at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
On 29 November 1934, Iris was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousins Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, Duke of Kent. On 4 September 1935, at St. Oswald's Church, Blankney, Lincolnshire, she was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her uncle Lord Londesborough to Marigold Rosemary Joyce Lubbock (15 May 1903 – 15 May 1976). On 12 May 1937 at their coronation, Iris was one of the six train bearers to Queen Elizabeth, wife and consort of her cousin King George VI.
She attended a variety of royal and aristocratic events in her youth, being a well known and much photographed débutante. During World War II she worked as a nurse's aide, later moving to the United States. She becoming an actress and model, appearing as a hostess for a live TV children's programme Versatile Varieties (CBS Television, 1951). She also appeared endorsing Pond's Creams and Warrens Mint Cocktail Gum. A goddaughter was Sharon McCluskey (daughter of Ellen Lehman McCluskey of the Lehman family), later Sharon, Countess Sondes, second wife of Henry Milles-Lade, 5th Earl Sondes.
She married three times:
- On 29 January 1941 Lady Iris received Royal License by King George VI to marry Captain (later Major) Hamilton Joseph Keyes O'Malley (after an engagement formally announced in The Times 18 January 1941). They married in St. Mary's CE Parish in Balcombe in Sussex. This said marriage is entered in the Royal Marriage Register in HM Chapel Royal in London. Captain Hamilton was born 18 October 1910, in Farnborough House (Army Barracks) in Aldershot, Farnborough, Hampshire, he is ancestor to Sir Samuel O'Malley Bt, 'Chief of the Name' of the Irish Guards, educated Downside and abroad, eldest son of Lt Col Middleton Joseph O'Malley (later O'Malley-Keyes, son of Middleton Joseph Moore O'Malley, Justice of the Peace) and of Jane Byrnes O'Malley, formerly Malley, only daughter of Businessman Edward Malley of New Haven in Connecticut (married 19 October 1909 in New York), of Ross House, Westport, in Connaught and of Castille Meretmont in Biarritz in France. Commanding Officer Giles Vandeleur attended the wedding (as best-man and Army comrade of Hamilton O'Malley). They divorced on 24 September 1946. Lady Iris formerly reverted to her maiden name of Mountbatten by Deed poll dated 7 January 1949.
- On 5 May 1957 at Pound Ridge, New York to Michael Neely Bryan (9 August 1916, Byhalia, Mississippi - 20 August 1972, Glendale, California) son of James R. Bryan and Laura A. Neely, an American jazz musician. They divorced months later in 1957.
- On 11 December 1965 to William Alexander Kemp (10 July 1921 – 12 December 1991) son of Clarence Arthur Kemp and Helen Janet Ballantyne, a Canadian actor and announcer.
Lady Iris died on 1 September 1982 at Wellesley Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The cause of death was a brain tumour. Her ashes were brought to the Isle of Wight for interment in the Battenberg Chapel at St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham.
Lady Iris Mountbatten had one child by her marriage to Captain Hamilton O'Malley, Lady Grania Mountbatten born 31 July 1946, a spinster, she had four sons three sons living:-
- Thomas Mountbatten born 13 August 1969. Died 7 September 1969.
- Eritrea Joseph Mountbatten born 7 May 1974.
- Malachi Mountbatten born 15 June 1978.
- Joshua Mountbatten born 27 July 1983.
[1] LADY GRANIA'S MEMOIRS
Lady Iris also had a son by her second marriage: Robin Alexander Bryan [2] (born in New York City, New York, on 20 December 1957) He has three children:
- by Louise Houle: Edward Curtis Houle, born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1979
- by Arizona N?: Faith Bryan, born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1979
- by Pamela Jean Foster: Elijha Alexander Bryan, born in Toronto, Ontario, on 14 May 1995.
Ancestry
References
- ↑ http://ladygraniasmemoirs.blogspot.com/
- ↑ Pendlebury, Richard (7 July 2008). "The West Country travel agent's wife 612th in line for the throne and the other unlikely Britons in our list of royal succession". Daily Mail.
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