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
Children Robin Alexander Bryan
Parent(s) 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, grandfather of the present King, Felipe VI 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:

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 had only one child, a son by her second marriage: Robin Alexander Bryan [1] (born in New York City, New York, on 20 December 1957) He has three children:

Ancestry

References

  1. ↑ 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.