The Honourable Penelope Loader, Lady Aitken, MBE (2 December 1910–7 February 2005), nicknamed 'Pempe', was an English socialite. The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable ( or formerly The Honble) is a title of quality attached to the names of certain classes of persons. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... A socialite is a person (male or female, but more often used for a woman) of social prominence who is considered to be an influential social figure. ...

Born Penelope Loader Maffey, she was the daughter of John Maffey, later 1st Baron Rugby, who was to become Governor-General of the Sudan, Permanent Secretary of the Colonial Office and wartime Ambassador to Dublin. Earlier, he had been the private secretary to the Viceroy of India and Governor of the Northwest Frontier Province, and Penelope was born in Peshawar and spent her early years in India, where three of her siblings died in childhood. Sir John Loader Maffey was born on 1 July 1877. ... The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... The Governor-General of India (or Governor-General and Viceroy of India) was the head of the British administration in India. ... North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) is geographically the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan. ... Peshāwar (Urdu:پیشاور) is the provincial capital of Pakistans North-West Frontier Province. ...

When she was seven years old, she returned to England for prep school then went on to Sherborne School for Girls. Her parents had a house, Anmer Hall, on the King's Sandringham estate, which led to socialising with the royal family. Indeed, she became the King's favourite. Maffey was presented at Court and named Debutante of the Year. Strikingly beautiful, she was romantically linked with several men, including Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Esmond Harmsworth and society artist Simon Elwes (1902-1975), which caused a minor scandal as he was married and a Roman Catholic. Maintaining a platonic friendship, she accompanied Prince Bernhard on his honeymoon and became good friends with Queen Juliana. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... A preparatory school, or prep school in the United Kingdom, and previously in the British Empire and the Commonwealth in current English usage, is an independent school designed to prepare a student for fee-paying, secondary independent school. ... The school buildings Sherborne School is a public school for boys in the affluent town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset. ... Sandringham House is a country house on 8000 acres (32 km²) of land near the village of Sandringham, Norfolk, which is privately owned by the British Royal Family. ... Prince Bernhard as Royal Consort Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (June 29, 1911 – December 1, 2004) was Prince Consort to the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and father of the current monarch, Queen Beatrix. ... Simon Edmund Vincent Paul Elwes (29 June 1902 - 6 August 1975) was a British painter and scion to the Cary-Elwes recusant family. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Queen Juliana Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, (April 30, 1909 - March 20, 2004) of the House of Orange-Nassau was Queen of the Netherlands from her mothers abdication in 1948 to her own abdication in 1980 and Queen Mother (with the title of Princess) from...

In 1938 she met Canadian William Traven Aitken, a nephew of Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, and a journalist at the Evening Standard. They were married later that year at St Peter's, Eaton Square. Their son, Jonathan, was born in Dublin in 1942 (Queen Juliana of the Netherlands stood sponsor) and their daughter, Maria, in 1945. He had joined the RAF and Penelope joined the WRVS, helping to evacuate German children to Ireland. In 1944, her husband was badly hurt in a Spitfire crash. She spent two years nursing him back to health, at a time when her baby son was ill with tuberculosis and the family home in London was bombed. 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... William Maxwell Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, PC (May 25, 1879 – June 9, 1964) was a Canadian – British business tycoon and politician. ... Headlines of the Evening Standard on the day of London bombing on July 7, 2005, in Waterloo Station The Evening Standard is an English tabloid newspaper published and sold in London and surrounding areas. ... Juliana Queen of the Netherlands Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (Juliana Emma Louise Wilhelmina van Oranje-Nassau) (April 30, 1909 – March 20, 2004), Princess of Orange-Nassau, Duchess of Mecklenburg, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, was Queen of the Netherlands from her mothers abdication in 1948 to her own abdication... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The WRVS (formerly the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service) is a voluntary organisation concerned with helping people in need throughout England, Scotland and Wales. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seat fighter used by the RAF and many Allied countries in World War II. Produced by Supermarine, the Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell, who continued to refine it until his death in 1937. ... Tuberculosis (commonly abbreviated as TB) is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (Miliary tuberculosis), genitourinary system, bones and joints. ...

Her husband was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds in 1950 and would be knighted, making Penelope Lady Aitken. She devoted herself to community work in support of her husband's political career, becoming a magistrate and running the Clothing Exchange, which played a major role in helping the victims of the East Coast floods in 1953, and was appointed MBE. She lived with the children in Halesworth to be near her beloved father. The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Map sources for Bury St Edmunds at grid reference TL8564 Bury St Edmunds is a town in the county of Suffolk, England, with a population of 35,015 (2001 census). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are... Halesworth is a town in Suffolk, England, fifteen miles south west of Lowestoft. ...

Sir William died in 1964 aged 58. The family fortune was wiped out by death duties and a stock market crash. She restarted her affair with Simon Elwes, and then had a long relationship with Sir John Davies, chairman of Rank Xerox. Gardening was another passion. She created a famous garden at Playford, her moated Tudor house near Ipswich and later created an English garden at her house near Santa Eulalia on Ibiza, secretly taking sacks of soil and rare plants through customs. 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Rank Xerox was formed in 1956 as a joint venture between the Xerox Corporation of USA and the Rank Organisation of UK, to manufacture and market Xerox equipment initially in Europe and later in Africa and Asia. ... Santa Eulalia is a town in Ibiza, one of the Balearic Islands off the cost of Spain. ... Flag of Eivissa (Ibiza) Eivissa or Ibiza is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea, and belonging to Spain. ...

Lady Aitken became a devoted companion to her son, Jonathan, supporting him in his journalistic, political and business career. She remained steadfast when Jonathan lost his libel trial, divorced and was sent to prison for perjury, even employing his friend from HMP Belmarsh, Spider Aguda, as her chauffeur, whom she would introduce by saying, "Meet my wonderful bullion-robber friend." HM Prison Belmarsh is a high security prison in Thamesmead, Eastern London, England. ...

Lady Aitken continued to be seen at many parties and with many men. Satirist and broadcaster Noel Picarda, instantly fell in love with her, and eventually became her live-in companion, until his death in 2003. Her house and her parties were often the scene of political machinations in Conservative circles and she was often seen holding court among politicians or her family, whether in London, her local pub or the Gironde. Gironde is a département in the southwest of France named after the Gironde Estuary. ...

She was survived by her children - disgraced former MP Jonathan Aitken and actress and director Maria Aitken. She was the grandmother of the actor Jack Davenport. She died of cancer aged 94 on the night of the opening of Maria Aitken's new play. Jonathan William Patrick Aitken (born August 30, 1942) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament, government minister and convicted perjurer. ... Maria Aitken is a British actress born 12 September 1945 in Dublin. ... Jack Davenport at Pirates of the Caribbean premiere in LA Jack Davenport (born March 1, 1973) is an English actor. ...

External links

• Times Obituary