Henriette, Lady Abel Smith
Lady Abel Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Henriette Alice Cadogan 6 June 1914 Hatherop, Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | 3 May 2005 (aged 90) Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England |
| Occupations | Lady-in-Waiting, Justice of the Peace |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4; including Sir Mark Palmer, 5th Baronet |
| Relatives | Henry Cadogan, 4th Earl Cadogan (great-grandfather) Stafford Howard (grandfather) |
Dame Henriette Alice, Lady Abel Smith, DCVO, JP (née Cadogan; 6 June 1914 – 3 May 2005) was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II from 1949 to 1987.
Early life
Henriette was born at Hatherop Castle in Gloucestershire,[1] the daughter of Commander Francis Charles Cadogan, a Royal Navy officer of Quenington Old Rectory, Cirencester,[2] (a grandson of Henry Charles Cadogan, 4th Earl Cadogan) by his wife Ruth Evelyn Howard, a daughter of Sir Edward Stafford Howard, a great-nephew of Bernard Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk.[3]
Career
She held the office of a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II from 1949 to 1987. In 1987 she became an Extra Lady-in-Waiting.[4] She served as a Justice of the Peace (JP) for Tunbridge Wells in 1955, and for Gloucestershire in 1971.[5] She was invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1964 New Year Honours, and was elevated to Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1977.[5]
Marriages and issue
Henriette married twice. Firstly on 4 September 1939, she married Major Sir Anthony Frederick Mark Palmer, 4th Baronet. They had a son and a daughter:
- Antonia Mary Palmer (born 2 August 1940), wife of Lord Christopher John Thynne, younger brother of Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath.[6]
- Sir Mark Palmer, 5th Baronet (born 1941), First Page of Honour to the Queen 1956–1959.[7]
In 1941, her husband was killed in the Second World War.[8]
Secondly on 17 February 1953, she married Brigadier Sir Alexander Abel Smith (1904–1980),[9] the younger brother of Sir Henry Abel Smith (who in 1931 had married into the Royal Family). They also had a son and a daughter:
- Christopher Abel Smith (born 28 June 1954), a godson of Queen Elizabeth II[10] and First Page of Honour to the Queen 1967–1970.[11]
- Juliet Sarah Abel Smith (born 26 August 1955)
Abel Smith died on 3 May 2005 at The Garden House, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, aged 90.
Awards
| Country | Date | Appointment | Ribbon | Post-nominal letters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 31 December 1963 | Commander of the Royal Victorian Order |  |
CVO | Promoted to DCVO in 1977 |
| United Kingdom | 1977 | Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order | DCVO | ||
| United Kingdom | 2 June 1953 | Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal |  |
||
| United Kingdom | 6 February 1977 | Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal |  |
||
| United Kingdom | 6 February 2002 | Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal |  |
References
- ↑ "Births". The Times. 9 June 1914. p. 1.
- ↑ Kelly's Directory, 1969, p.114
- ↑ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.204
- ↑ "Abel Smith, Henriette Alice (Lady Abel Smith)". Who's who 1998 : an annual biographical dictionary. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1998. p. 2. ISBN 978-0312175917.
- 1 2 "Abel Smith, Henriette Alice, (Lady Abel Smith), (6 June 1914–3 May 2005), an Extra Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen (formerly as HRH Princess Elizabeth), since 1987 (a Lady-in-Waiting, 1949–87)". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U4909. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Debrett's Peerage, 2015, p.B616, Palmer; P90, Bath
- ↑ "No. 40936". The London Gazette. 27 November 1956. p. 6727.
- ↑ "Obituary: Sir Alexander Abel Smith". The Times. 19 April 1980. p. 14.
- ↑ "Page 2835 | Supplement 44542, 8 March 1968 | London Gazette | The Gazette". Archived from the original on 16 April 2016.
- ↑ "Christening". The Times. 5 August 1954. p. 8.
- ↑ "No. 44362". The London Gazette. 11 July 1967. p. 7641.
Sources
- Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 2 and 637.
- Michael Rhodes, "re: Ernest Fawbert Collection" e-mail message to Darryl Roger Lundy, 8 February.
- Notices, The Daily Telegraph, London, 6 June 2005.