Lady Astor, by John Singer Sargent, 1909.

Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor, CH, (May 19, 1879 – May 2, 1964) was the first woman to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the British House of Commons. She was the wife of Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 379 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (510 × 807 pixel, file size: 22 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Lady Astor, by John Singer Sargent, 1909. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 379 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (510 × 807 pixel, file size: 22 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Lady Astor, by John Singer Sargent, 1909. ... Self Portrait, oil painting, 1907 John Singer Sargent (January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was the most successful portrait painter of his era, as well as a gifted landscape painter and watercolorist. ... The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order (decoration). ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor (May 19, 1879–September 30, 1952) was a businessman and politician and a member of the prominent Astor family. ...

Virginia

Nancy Astor was born Nancy Witcher Langhorne on May 19, 1879 in Danville, Virginia. is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: River City, City of Churches Motto: A World Class Organization Country United States State Virginia County Independent City  - Mayor R. Wayne Williams, Jr. ...

Her father, Chiswell Dabney Langhorne, had been a small time slave owner. Astor's early years were spent near poverty. However, shortly after her birth her father regained the family wealth first as auctioneer and later through his involvement with the railroad. Astor had four sisters and three brothers. Her sister Irene was for a time a model for the Gibson Girl. Slave redirects here. ... An auctioneer and her assistants scan the crowd for bidders An auction is the process of buying and selling things by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... A USPS stamp depicting a Gibson girl. ...

New York

Nancy Langhorne and her sister Irene both went to a finishing school in New York City. In New York, Astor met and married her first husband, Robert Gould Shaw. Nancy married Bob Shaw on 27 October 1897; she was 18. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Langhorne's first marriage was a disaster. Shaw's friends accused Langhorne of being puritanical and rigid once married. Langhorne's friends contended that Shaw was an alcoholic adulterer. Langhorne and Shaw were married for four years and had one son, Bobbie. Nancy left Shaw numerous times during their brief marriage, the first time during their honeymoon. A honeymoon is the traditional trip taken by newlyweds to celebrate their marriage. ...

In 1903, Nancy's mother died and Nancy tried unsuccessfully to run the family's home in Virginia, "Mirador".

Nancy moved to Britain on her father's advice but after initial reluctance. Nancy's father suggested that the move was her mother’s wish and would also be good for Nancy's younger sister Phyllis.

England

This trip to England launched her reputation as an interesting and witty American. Her tendency to be lively and saucy, yet religiously devout and prudish confused many of the English men, but pleased some of the older socialites. They liked the idea of mixing with an exciting American who at the same time mostly conformed to decency and restraint. She also began to show her skill at winning over critics. When asked "Have you come to get our husbands", her response of "If you knew the trouble I had getting rid of mine..." helped win her a fast friend.

A contemporary view of Cliveden, Nancy Astor's country house that served as a hospital in the World Wars

Despite such protestations she married again. Her second husband, Waldorf Astor, was American born but his father had moved the family to England when Waldorf was twelve and raised his children as English aristocrats. Born, curiously, on the same day as she was, his temperament complemented hers. He shared some of her moral attitudes, and his heart condition may have encouraged him toward a restraint she found comforting. The marriage therefore had been assured. Through it she gained Cliveden, a lavish estate, and began her life as a prominent hostess for the social elite. Nancy and Waldorf also owned a grand London house, No. 4 St. James's Square, which is now the premises of the Naval & Military Club. Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1185 KB) Cliveden, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. ... Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1185 KB) Cliveden, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. ... View looking north from the Ring in the Parterre showing Terrace Pavilion and Clock Tower to the left with Lower Terrace and Borghese Balustrade below Cliveden should not be confused with Clevedon in Somerset Cliveden as seen from its lawn. ... A country house is a large dwelling, such as a mansion, located on a country estate. ... View looking north from the Ring in the Parterre showing Terrace Pavilion and Clock Tower to the left with Lower Terrace and Borghese Balustrade below Cliveden should not be confused with Clevedon in Somerset Cliveden as seen from its lawn. ... St Jamess Square in 1750, looking north St. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Through these gatherings she even got involved in a kind of political circle, the Milner's Kindergarten. Considered “liberal” in their age, the group leaned toward united equality among English speaking people, and a continuance or expansion of British imperialism. Milners Kindergarten is an informal reference to a group of Britons who served in the South African Civil Service under High Commissioner Alfred, Lord Milner, between the Second Boer War and the founding of the Union of South Africa. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

Yet the group’s political significance had been limited; indeed her friendship with Philip Kerr would be its main legacy for her. This had been one of her most significant friendships and it came at a critical juncture for both of them. At that point he suffered from a spiritual crisis regarding his once devout Catholicism. This led them both toward Christian Science and this relationship would lead to perhaps the most consistent elements of her life. Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian (1882–1940) was a British politician and diplomat. ... Christian Science is a religious teaching regarding the efficacy of spiritual healing according to the interpretation of the Bible by Mary Baker Eddy, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (First published in 1875). ...

At Cliveden overlooking 42 inscribed stones to the dead of The Great War Sir Bertram MacKennal's figure represents Canada with the head reputedly modelled by Lady Astor

Her conversion came from an unexpected source. Her sister Phyllis had given her Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy because she thought she might find it interesting. At first Nancy had only marginal interest and Phyllis herself never became a Christian Scientist. However after a period of illness and surgery, she decided that that those events had not been what God wanted. As she had been the type of person whose illness had largely been psychosomatic, this belief worked for her. Philip Kerr also converted, after experimenting with Eastern Religion, and became a spiritual advisor for her. Her spiritual mentor, Archdeacon Neve, disapproved of her conversion, and their relationship soured. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (469x750, 126 KB) Overlooking 42 inscribed stones to the dead of The Great War Sir Bertram MacKennals figure represents Canada with the head reputedly modelled by Lady Astor Source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (469x750, 126 KB) Overlooking 42 inscribed stones to the dead of The Great War Sir Bertram MacKennals figure represents Canada with the head reputedly modelled by Lady Astor Source: http://www. ... Mary Baker Eddy Mary Baker Eddy (born Mary Morse Baker July 16, 1821 - December 3, 1910) founded the Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879 and was the author of its fundamental doctrinal textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. ...

Nevertheless her devotion to Christian Science would be more intense than orthodox, and she sent practitioners away for disagreeing with her. However the interpretation of the faith she came up with she stuck to intensely. Many of her letters from then on mentioned Christian Science, and letters to her joked about her efforts to convert peers to it. The influence of Philip Kerr had been there too, especially in her growing hatred of Catholics.

The bitter rejection of Catholicism by Philip Kerr, a fellow convert to Christian Science, intensified her opinions which some view to be latent Anti-Catholicism. Also a former friend of hers, Hillaire Belloc, had been Catholic. The souring of that friendship, due to his disdain for the rich and her efforts to convert his daughters to Christian Science, further alienated her against Roman Catholicism. Anti-Catholicism is discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed at Catholics or the Catholic Church, which can range in expression from individual hatred to institutionalized, violent persecution. ... Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (July 27, 1870 - July 16, 1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. ...

During World War I Cliveden had been turned into a hospital for Canadian soldiers. Although she did not believe in medicine, she got along well with doctors, especially a surgeon named Colonel Mewburn. She justified her role by helping those who needed non-medical help. Her image as the friend of soldiers proved useful when she ran for office. At the same time, the gas attacks and death of friends turned her against war itself. “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Parliament

The elements of Nancy Astor's life to this point influenced her first campaign, but the reason she became a candidate was mainly her husband's situation. He had had a promising career for several years in the House of Commons by World War I, but then he succeeded to his father's peerage as the 2nd Viscount Astor. This meant that he became a member of the House of Lords, and his seat in the House of Commons was automatically forfeited, so she decided to contest the vacant House of Commons seat, and won. A by-election was held on 28 November 1919, and she took up her seat in the House on 1 December as a Unionist Member of Parliament. The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as the Lords. The Sovereign, the House of Commons (which is the lower house of Parliament and referred to as the Commons), and the Lords together comprise the Parliament. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and is the second oldest extant political party in the world. ...

While Nancy Astor was the first female member of the House of Commons who actually took up her seat, she was not the first woman to be elected to the House. That honour belongs to Constance Markievicz, who was elected Member for St Patricks (Ireland) on 14 December 1918 (the first year women had been allowed to vote in Britain). But as a Sinn Féin member of parliament, she refused to take her seat in the British parliament, and instead helped establish the first independent Irish parliament of the modern period, Dáil Éireann, in Dublin. Constance, Countess Markiewicz (4 February 1868 – 15 July 1927), was an Irish politician, nationalist and revolutionary. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn Féin (19th century). ... This article is about the current Irish body. ...

In the campaign, Nancy Astor had several disadvantages. One of them was her lack of connection with the suffrage movement. The first woman elected to the British Parliament, Constance Markievicz, said Lady Astor was “of the upper classes, out of touch”. Constance had been in prison for Sinn Féin activities during her election, and other suffragettes had been imprisoned for arson. More damaging to Nancy Astor's chance of election was her well-known hostility to alcohol and her lack of knowledge of current political issues. These did not endear her to the people of Plymouth, the district where she ran as a Tory. Perhaps worst of all, her tendency to say odd or outlandish things, even early on, sometimes made her look rather unstable.

However, Nancy Astor also had some positive attributes in her campaign, such as her work for charities during the war, her vast financial resources for the campaign and, most of all, her ability to improvise. Her ability to turn the tables on the hecklers was particularly useful. Once a man asked her what the Astors had done for them and she responded with, "Why Charlie, you know", and later had a picture taken with him. This informal style baffled yet amused the British public. She rallied the supporters of the current government, was pragmatic enough to moderate her Prohibitionist views, and used women’s meetings to gain the support of female voters. However, when she won, her male opponents were kind to her.

Her parliamentary career was the most public stage of her life, where she was an object of both love and hatred. Her presence almost immediately gained attention, both as a woman and as someone who did not follow the rules. Winston Churchill told her a woman being in the Parliament was like one intruding on him in the bathroom, to which she retorted, "You’re not handsome enough to have such fears". This was one in a series of repartee between the two, such as, "Lady Astor was giving a costume ball and Winston Churchill asked her what disguise she would recommend for him. She replied, 'Why don't you come sober, Mr Prime Minister?'" The most famous such anecdote, however, was: Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician, soldier in the British Army, orator, and strategist, and is studied as part of the modern British and world history. ...

Lady Astor to Churchill: "If you were my husband, I'd put arsenic in your coffee."

Churchill: "Madam, if I were your husband, I'd drink it!"

Years later, she used the "arsenic in your coffee" line on Senator Joseph McCarthy to somewhat less successful effect. Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin between 1947 and 1957. ...

On her first day in the House of Commons, she got called to order for chatting with a fellow House member, without realising she had been the person who caused the commotion. She did try in some ways to minimize disruption by dressing more sedately than usual and by avoiding the bars and smoking rooms frequented by the men, although that may have just been because she lacked interest in such things.

At an early point in her career, a fellow Member named Horatio Bottomley, who felt she rivalled him in his desire to dominate the “soldier’s friend” issue, sought to ruin her by capitalising on the first substantial controversies she caused, namely her opposition to divorce reform and her efforts to maintain wartime alcohol restrictions. He used these issues to depict her as a hypocrite in his newspaper, saying that the divorce reform bill she opposed allowed women to have the kind of divorce she had had in America. However, a budget crisis and his bitter tone caused this effort to backfire. Later, he ended up in prison for fraud, which made the incident a plus for her in later campaigns. Horatio Bottomley (1860-1933) was a British financier, swindler, journalist, newspaper proprietor, populist politician and member of parliament. ...

Among her early political friendships had been the first female candidates to follow her. These friendships began when she had been in office for two years and Ellen Wintringham had been elected. These friendships often involved members of the other parties. The most surprising might have been her friendship with "Red Ellen" Wilkinson, a former Communist representative in the Labour Party. Nancy Astor later proposed creating a "Women’s Party", which the female Labour MPs thought a ridiculous idea as at that point their party had power and promised them positions. She conceded this, but her closeness with women members did dissipate and by 1931 she even became hostile to female Labour members like Susan Lawrence. Ellen Cicely Wilkinson (8 October 1891, Manchester-6 February 1947) was the Labour Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough and later for Jarrow on Tyneside. ... Arabella Susan Lawrence (12 August 1871 - 25 October 1947) was a British Labour politician, one of the first female Labour MPs. ...

Unlike most of those women, Nancy Astor's accomplishments in the House of Commons had been relatively minor. She never really held a position of note. Indeed, the Duchess of Atholl rose in the Tory Party before she did, and this had largely been as she wished it. If she had a position in the party, she would be less free to criticise her party’s government, which had been something she enjoyed. Her main achievement in the House might be the passage of a bill she sponsored to increase the alcohol age to eighteen unless the minor has parental approval. Dame Katharine Stewart-Murray, Duchess of Atholl, DBE (6 November 1874 – 21 October 1960) was a Scottish noblewoman and Unionist politician. ... The legal drinking age is a limit assigned by governments to restrict the access of children and youth to alcohol. ...

Some of Nancy Astor's most significant work remained outside the political sphere, although her new position added some weight to these activities. The most famous was her support for nursery schools. This was a slightly surprising involvement, as the woman who got her involved had been a Socialist named Margaret McMillan who believed that her dead sister still had a role in guiding her. Lady Astor had been initially sceptical, but after that they became close and she used her wealth to aid her efforts. Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ...

These positive traits do not belie the fact her political life showed some cruelty and callousness. On hearing of the death of a political enemy, she openly expressed her pleasure. When people complained about this, she did not apologize but said, “I’m a Virginian; we shoot to kill”. She told her friend from Virginia, Angus McDonnell, on his maiden speech that he “really must do better than that”. As she had previously criticized him for marrying without her permission, admittedly after he had agreed to get her permission first, this turned him into something of an enemy. She alienated several others with her sharp tongue even in the early days.

The 1920s as a whole had been her most positive period in Parliament. During it she made several effective speeches and introduced a Bill which passed. Although she had not been the ideal first woman in Parliament, her wealth and striking persona added some attention to women in the House. She worked on bringing more women into the civil service and police force as well as reforming education and the House of Lords. In addition, she remained popular in the district and well liked in the U.S. This period of success would not last. The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as the Lords. The Sovereign, the House of Commons (which is the lower house of Parliament and referred to as the Commons), and the Lords together comprise the Parliament. ...

Depression and World War II

The 1930s, unlike the previous decade, would be one of personal and professional difficulty for her. An early sign of future problems came in 1928 when she barely defeated the Labour candidate. In 1931 her problems became more acute when her son from her first marriage, Bobbie, was arrested for homosexuality. As he had previously shown tendencies toward alcoholism and instability her friend Philip Kerr, now Marquess of Lothian, told her the arrest might be positive for him. This would turn out to be incorrect. Further she made a disastrous speech stating that the British cricket team lost to Australians because of alcohol. Both the British and Australian teams turned against this. She remained oblivious to her growing unpopularity almost to the end.

A mixed element in this was her friendship with George Bernard Shaw. He helped her through some of these problems, but in some ways also made things worse. A peculiarity of their friendship was that they held very different political views and personal temperaments. However he liked her as a fellow non-conformist, and she had a fondness for writers in general. Nevertheless his tendency to make controversial statements or put her into unusual situations proved a drawback for. After her son Bobbie was arrested he invited her with him on his trip to the Soviet Union. This trip turned out to be a net-negative for her politically, although it did show some of her better qualities. During the trip Shaw said many flattering statements about Stalinist Russia, while Nancy often disparaged it. She even asked Stalin point blank why he slaughtered so many Russians. This related to her general anti-Communism, but many of her criticisms would be translated into innocuous statements instead. This led many of her conservative supporters to fear she had "gone soft" on Communism. Even her question to Stalin may have been likewise translated if he had not insisted that he be told what she had actually said. Further Shaw's rather glowing praise of the USSR made the trip seem like a coup for Soviet propaganda, which had been the motive, and made her presence in it disturbing for the Tories. George Bernard Shaw (born 26 July 1856, Dublin, Ireland died November 2, 1950, Hertfordshire, England) was an Irish writer. ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314...

The Soviet trip did not compare to what would follow. Although she had criticized the Nazis for devaluing the position of women, she had been adamant against another World War. Her friends, especially Lord Lothian (Philip Kerr), became heavily involved in the appeasement policy.

Her group of friends and associates who supported appeasement became known as the "Cliveden set." The term started in the newspaper run by reformist Claud Cockburn. However after he created the term the excitement over it grew and the allegations grew more elaborate. “Cliveden” was seen as the prime mover for appeasement, or a society that secretly ran the nation, or even as a beach head of Nazism. Nancy had even been viewed as being Hitler’s woman in Britain, or even having hypnotic powers. The Cliveden Set were a British 1930s group of prominent individuals, the circle of Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor. ... Francis Claud Cockburn (pronounced ) (1904-1981) was a renowned radical British journalist, who was controversial for his communist and stalinist sympathies. ...

Evidence of these allegations is weak, but she did occasionally meet Nazi officials in keeping with Neville Chamberlain's ideals. She told one such Nazi official, who later turned out to be trying to ruin the Nazis from within, that she supported their rearmament. However she did so because Germany was "surrounded by Catholics" in her opinion. Her other statement to German Ambassador and later foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop had been that Hitler looked too much like Charlie Chaplin to be taken seriously. That appears to be the extent of her Nazi connections, although she distrusted and disliked Anthony Eden, stating that the more she saw of him the "more certain" she was that he would "never be a Disraeli". Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940), known as Neville Chamberlain, was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1940. ... Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop (born Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim Ribbentrop) (April 30, 1893 – October 16, 1946) was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. ... Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr. ... Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who was Foreign Secretary for three periods between 1935 and 1955, including World War II and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 to 1957. ...

Despite that her increasingly puzzling public statements caused difficulties. She became harsher in her Anti-Catholicism and Anti-Communism. After the Munich Agreement she said that if the Czech refugees fleeing Nazi oppression were Communists they should seek asylum with the Soviets instead of the British. Even supporters of appeasement felt this insult of them to be out of line. Her friend Lothian, at this point, went even further and encouraged her attitudes. He railed against the Pope for not supporting Hitler's annexation of Austria and generally influenced her attitudes. Anti-Catholicism is discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed at Catholics or the Catholic Church, which can range in expression from individual hatred to institutionalized, violent persecution. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... For the annual global security meeting held in Munich, see Munich Conference on Security Policy Chamberlain holds the paper containing the resolution to commit to peaceful methods signed by both Hitler and himself on his return from Germany in September 1938. ... National Socialism redirects here. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin...

When war did come she admitted she had made a mistake, and even voted against Chamberlain, but hostility remained. Her ability to be taken seriously had greatly declined with some calling her "The Right Honorable Member from Berlin." Her own abilities as an MP had declined with age. Her increasing fear of Catholics led her to make a speech about how a Catholic conspiracy was subverting the foreign office. Her traditional hatred remained against Communists and she insulted Stalin's role as an ally during the war. Her speeches became rambling and incomprehensible. Even her enemies lamented that debating her had become "like playing squash with a dish of scrambled eggs". ^[1] She had become more humorous than hateful to her enemies.

The period from 1937 to the end of the war also saw some severe personal traumas develop. In the period of 1937-8 her sister Phyllis and only surviving brother had died. In 1940 her close friend and spiritual advisor Lord Lothian (Philip Kerr) died. Although his influence had a strong negative side, he had been her closest friend in the faith even after her husband converted. George Bernard Shaw’s wife also died about two years later. During the war she got into a fight with her husband Waldorf about chocolate and soon after he had a heart attack. The pettiness of the argument and her subsequent discomfort with his health problems likely contributed to their marriage growing cold. As in World War I she ran a hospital for Canadians, but openly expressed a preference for the vets of the previous World War. 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

On a lighter note it is generally believed that it was Nancy Astor who, during a World War II speech, first referred to the men of the 8th Army fighting the Italian campaign as the D-Day Dodgers. Her implication was that they had it easy because they were avoiding the real war in France and the future invasion. The allied soldiers in Italy were so incensed, they composed a bitingly sarcastic song to the tune of the haunting German song Lili Marlene (popularied in English by Marlene Dietrich) that they called "The Ballad Of The D-Day Dodgers". Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Artillery being landed during the invasion of mainland Italy at Salerno, September 1943. ... The D-Day Dodgers is a term for those Allied servicemen who fought in Italy during the Second World War, which also inspired a popular wartime soldiers song. ... Marlene Dietrich IPA: ; (December 27, 1901 – May 6, 1992) was a German-born actress, singer, and entertainer. ...

She also made a disparaging remark about troops involved in the Burma Campaign, warning the public to "Beware the men with crows' feet". This was an allusion to the white lines often found around the eyes of white soldiers in hot climates, typically due to screwing up the eyes in bright sunlight as it tanned their faces. Soldiers of the 14th Army were slightly bemused to be accorded such attention and it was strongly rumoured amongst them to be the result of a 14th Army officer on leave either impregnating Astor's daughter or infecting her with an anti-social disease. Combatants United Kingdom British India Republic of China United States Empire of Japan Indian National Army Burma National Army Thailand Commanders Louis Mountbatten William Slim Chiang Kai-Shek Joseph Stilwell Aung San(From 1944) Masakazu Kawabe Hyotaro Kimura Renya Mutaguchi Subhash Chandra Bose Aung San(until 1944) Strength Unknown Unknown... (Redirected from 14th Army) The British Fourteenth Army, in spite of its name, was a multinational force: most of its units were from the Indian Army and there were also significant contributions from East African divisions within the British Army. ...

Final Years

She did not agree that her final years were a period of decline. From her perspective her party and husband had forced her retirement. The Tories felt she had become a liability in her later years. This led to her husband telling her to retire, this came in the final years of World War II, and that if she ran again the family would not support her. She conceded, but with irritation and anger according to contemporary reports. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and is the second oldest extant political party in the world. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Her retirement years proved difficult, especially for her marriage. In this period she publicly blamed her husband for forcing her to retire. An example of this being a speech commemorating her 25 years in office where she stated her retirement was forced on her and that it should please the men of Britain. The couple began travelling separately and living apart soon after such incidents. For his part, he began moving politically to the Left in his last years, and that exacerbated their differences. Although they had something of a reconciliation before his death.

The period also proved difficult for her image as well. Her racial views became increasingly out of touch with cultural changes. She expressed a growing paranoia on ethnic minorities. In one instance she stated the then current President of the United States had become too dependent on New York City. To her this city represented "Jewish and foreign" influences she feared. During her US tour she also told an African-American school that they should aspire to be like the black servants she remembered from her youth. On a later trip she told members of a Black Church they should be grateful for slavery because it introduced them to Christianity. In Rhodesia she proudly told the white minority government that she had been the daughter of a slave owner. The presidential seal is a well-known symbol of the presidency. ... Slave redirects here. ... Southern Rhodesia, todays Zimbabwe. ...

After 1956 she became increasingly isolated and alone. Her sisters had all died, Red Ellen committed suicide in 1947, George Bernard Shaw died in 1950, and she did not take well to widowhood. Her son Bobbie became increasingly combative and after her death committed suicide, her son Jakie had married a prominent Catholic which hurt their relationship, and her other children had largely become estranged from her as well. Ironically these events in some ways mellowed her and she even began to accept Catholics as friends toward the end of her life. However as a whole she expressed clearly that these days had become lonely ones for her.

Nancy Astor died in 1964 at her daughter's home at Grimsthorpe in Lincolnshire. Grimsthorpe Castle was originally a Tudor country house in Lincolnshire, 4 miles northwest of Bourne on the A151. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. ...

Children

1. Robert Gould Shaw III (1898-1970)
2. William Waldorf Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor (1907-1966)
3. Nancy Phyllis Louise Astor (1909-1975)
4. Francis David Langhorne Astor (1912-2001)
5. Michael Langhorne Astor (1916-1980)
6. John Jacob Astor (1918-2000)

Robert Gould Shaw III- (1898-1970) The only son of Nancy Langhorne(later Nancy Astor) and her first husband Bob Shaw. ... William Waldorf Astor, (August 13, 1907 - March 7, 1966), was a businessman and politician and a member of the prominent Astor family. ... The Honourable Francis David Langhorne Astor (March 5, 1912, London – December 7, 2001, London) was a newspaper publisher and member of the prominent Astor family. ... Hon. ... John Jacob Jakie Astor (born August 29, 1918) is a British politician and sportsman and a member of the prominent Astor family. ...

Quotes

• I married beneath me. All women do.
• I refuse to admit that I am more than fifty-two, even if that does make my sons illegitimate.
• In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on a woman.
• My vigor, vitality and cheek repel me. I am the kind of woman I would run from.
• One reason why I don't drink is because I wish to know when I am having a good time.
• Pioneers may be picturesque figures, but they are often rather lonely ones.
• Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer; into a selflessness which links us with all humanity.
• The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything... or nothing.
• The only thing I like about rich people is their money.
• The penalty for success is to be bored by the people who used to snub you.
• Women have got to make the world safe for men since men have made it so darned unsafe for women.
• If I were your wife I'd poison your coffee! Churchill's reply:And if I were your husband I'd drink it!

Notes

1. ^ Harold Nicolson in a letter to his sons, 18 March 1943

Sir Harold Nicolson (November 21, 1886 – May 1, 1968) was a British diplomat, author and politician. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Astor, Michael, Tribal Feelings (Readers Union, 1964)
• Cowling, Maurice, The Impact of Hitler - British Policies and Policy 1933-1940, Cambridge University Press, 1975, p.402, ISBN 0-521-20582-4
• Musolf, Karen J, From Plymouth to Parliament (St. Martin’s Press, 1999)
• Masters, Anthony, Nancy Astor A Biography (McGraw Hill. 1981)
• Thornton, Martin, (editor): Nancy Astor’s Canadian Correspondence, 1912-1962 (Edwin Mellen Press, 1997)
• Sykes, Christopher, Nancy the life of Lady Astor (Academy Chicago, 1984)
• Wearing, J.P., (editor) Bernard Shaw and Nancy Astor (University of Toronto Press, 2005)

The headquarters of the Cambridge University Press, in Trumpington Street, Cambridge. ...

External links

• Nancy Astor at the Internet Movie Database