Marion Stein

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Maria Donata Nanetta Paulina Gustava Erwina Wilhelmine Stein, CBE (born 18 October 1926), known as Marion Stein, is an Austrian-born British former concert pianist.

Career

Born in Vienna, Stein was the daughter of Jewish musician Erwin Stein and came to the UK just before the Second World War.[1][2] She was joint founder in 1961 (along with Fanny Waterman) of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition.[3] In 1973, she was the celebrity guest on Desert Island Discs[4] and she was an occasional panellist on the BBC music quiz Face the Music.

Personal life

Stein has married twice, both times to prominent public figures.

Her first husband was George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood[1] (married 29 September 1949). Lord Harewood, son of Mary, Princess Royal, was the grandson of King George V, the nephew of kings Edward VIII and George VI, and the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. As a result of this marriage, Marion gained the title Countess of Harewood. They had three sons:

By 1959, there were serious problems in the marriage.[5] Harewood began a relationship with violinist Patricia Tuckwell, but Marion rejected the idea of divorce until 1967, by which time he had a son by Tuckwell. His adultery and remarriage made him a social outcast for several years, and it was ten years before he was invited to any events by the royal family.

Her second husband was Jeremy Thorpe (married 1973). Thorpe was then a Member of Parliament and Leader of the Liberal Party. His first wife, Caroline, had been killed in a car accident in 1970. Stein stood by Thorpe throughout the "Rinkagate" scandal of the late 1970s.[6] Thorpe now suffers from Parkinson's Disease, and Marion also has mobility problems.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Reed, Philip; Cooke, Mervyn (2010). Letters from a Life: the Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, 1913–1976; Vol 5. Boydell Press. p. xlv. ISBN 1-84383-591-6. 
  2. ↑ Obituary: The Earl of Harewood. The Telegraph, 11 July 2011. Accessed 16 February 2013
  3. ↑ Cummings, David (2000). International who's who in music and musicians' directory Vol. 1. Routledge. p. 640. ISBN 0-948875-53-4. 
  4. ↑ BBC - Desert Island Discs
  5. ↑ Royal Musings: "Adultery, a child, divorce, remarriage = estrangement from the Royal Family ", 12 July 2011. Accessed 16 February 2013
  6. ↑ "The downfall of Jeremy Thorpe", Express, 8 May 2009. Accessed 16 February 2013

External links

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