The 6 Mitford Sisters, or Fates Woven into the Fabric of the Century

The most famous sisters in British history, all bearing the surname Mitford, lived in the 20th century. There were six of them, born between 1904 and 1920. The sisters led colourful lives, travelled widely and socialised with key figures of the time, from Adolf Hitler to John Kennedy. They have been called scandalous, shameless, tough and dissolute, but interest in their fates remains strong to this day.

Six famous sisters were born into the aristocratic English family of Lord Ridsdale David Bertram Ogilvy Freeman-Mitford. Although their family was noble, it could not be called rich. All the girls were educated at home and prepared for their future roles as ladies, exemplary wives and caring mothers. But fate decreed otherwise - each of the sisters lived an amazing life, full of unexpected turns.

Unity, Diana, Jessica, Nancy, Pamela and Deborah - each of the sisters became famous for their unique roles: writers, poultry farmers, fascists, communists, Nazis and duchesses. The three sisters inspired the author of Harry Potter to create the Black family. Each of them wrote more than one book. Their amazing fates became the subject of many stories, novels and scientific works. And there were also films and even a musical about them.

The oldest sister Nancy was born in 1904. As a child, she was a very restless child, not particularly drawn to knowledge. But it was she, who could not place punctuation marks and had no literary education, who was destined to become a famous writer.

Two novels by Nancy Mitford, Looking for Love and Love in a Cold Climate, first became bestsellers and were later recognized as classics of English literature. Nancy's first marriage was unsuccessful. But during World War II, she fell in love with a Free French officer, Gaston Palevsky. She participated in the Resistance with him and then lived many happy years in France.

Pamela, a quiet and kind child, loved animals and often repeated that she dreamed of "marrying a horse." As an adult, she settled down outside the city and started a poultry farm. Unlike her sisters, she was never interested in politics. But Pamela often became the heroine of gossip - her life gave many reasons for this.

Pamela went through a high-profile divorce with her husband, millionaire Derek Jackson, a bisexual known in certain circles. After failure on the family front, Pamela found happiness in same-sex love with a woman named Judith, to whom she was faithful until her death.

Diana was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time. She was a socialite and moved in high society. Her first husband was the owner of the famous Guinness brewery, Bryan Guinness. The couple had two sons, but then Diana fell madly in love with Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists.

Diana and Oswald became lovers, and she decided to leave the family. But Mosley, who was married, was in no hurry to file for divorce. He and Diana married only three years after the death of his first wife. Over time, Diana accepted the radical views of her second husband, but this did not affect her reputation. Everyone continued to consider her a kind, hospitable and generous woman.

Unity became fascinated with the Fuhrer as a child. It was jokingly said that this happened because her parents conceived her in the Canadian town of Swastika. The girl was simply obsessed with Hitler: she moved to Germany and stubbornly pursued the object of her adoration for five years. She managed to enter the Fuhrer's inner circle. According to some sources, Unity met with him at least a hundred times, even causing jealousy in Eva Braun.

When World War II broke out, 25-year-old Unity went to a Munich park and shot herself in the temple with a pistol Hitler had given her. She survived, but long-term treatments failed to restore her health. Unity’s disability became a kind of salvation – she avoided a trial that would have convicted her of associating with the Nazi leader. Nine years later, she died from complications from the wound.

Fate played an ironic joke: Jessica, although she grew up in the same room with Unity, became a passionate communist. In her youth, she ran away from home, not wanting to remain part of the aristocratic world any longer. Jessica married Esmond Romilly, Winston Churchill's nephew and her second cousin. In 1939, she moved to the United States and began a career as a journalist.

Jessica was active in the American Communist Party. In 1941, she gave birth to a daughter, but that same year, her husband died at the front. After this tragedy, she completely broke off relations with her sister Diana, who supported fascist ideas. In the 60s, Jessica wrote several books. One of them, "The Honorable and the Rebels," made such a strong impression on the writer J.K. Rowling that she named her daughter after Jessica.

The youngest of the Mitford sisters, Deborah, lived the life her parents dreamed of. She married the Duke of Devonshire and became the mistress of a magnificent 17th-century castle, Chatsworth House. Her business acumen showed itself in full: the estate quickly became one of the most profitable in Britain. Deborah installed running water, sewerage, and electricity to the castle, and also began restoring it. Thanks to her efforts, Chatsworth House became one of the most beautiful family estates in the country.

Deborah also became famous as a passionate collector. In her castle, she collected an impressive collection of items related to Elvis Presley. In addition, the Duchess often made Chatsworth House available for filming. Such films as Pride and Prejudice, The Duchess and The Wolfman were shot here. Deborah Cavendish wrote several books and was actively involved in charity work. In 1999, Queen Elizabeth II awarded her the title of Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

The Mitford sisters became symbols of their era. Their biographies are full of contradictions, scandals, successes and tragedies. They were so different that it seems incredible that they grew up under the same roof. Which of the sisters impressed you the most? Write in the comments!