Dame Norma Christina Elizabeth, Lady Major, (, formerly Johnson; born 12 February 1942) is an English philanthropist who is the wife of former British prime minister Sir John Major.

Early life

Norma Christina Elizabeth Wagstaff is the daughter of Norman Reuel Wagstaff, a Lieutenant in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

, and Edith Georgina Wagstaff (née Johnson), a former umbrella saleswoman. She was born in

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

while her father was stationed there during World War II. He was killed in a motorcycle accident a few days after the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, when Norma was just three years old, and her mother subsequently reverted to using her maiden name after becoming estranged from her in-laws, so she was known as Norma Johnson growing up. Major was educated at a boarding school in

Bexhill-on-Sea Bexhill-on-Sea (often shortened to Bexhill) is a seaside town and civil parish situated in the county of East Sussex in South East England. An ancient town and part of the local government district of Rother, Bexhill is home to a number of ar ...

, Oakfield Preparatory School in Dulwich, and Peckham School for Girls where she was

head girl Head boy and head girl are student leadership roles in schools, representing the school's entire student body. They are normally the most senior prefects in the school. The terms are commonly used in the British education system as well as in Aus ...

. She was a skilled

dressmaker A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Notab ...

. She was also a member of the Young Conservatives.

Marriage

At a

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

meeting during the campaign for the

1970 Greater London Council election The third election to the Greater London Council was held on 9 April 1970 and saw a Conservative victory with a reduced majority. Electoral arrangements New constituencies to be used for elections to Parliament and also for elections to the GLC ...

s, she was introduced to

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...

. The couple married on 3 October 1970. They have a son together, James Major, and a daughter, Elizabeth Major. She kept a low profile during her husband's premiership (1990–1997), doing charity work and writing two books, ''

Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. She possesse ...

: The Authorised Biography'' (1994) and ''

Chequers Chequers ( ), or Chequers Court, is the country house of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. A 16th-century manor house in origin, it is located near the village of Ellesborough, halfway between Princes Risborough and Wendover in Buck ...

: The Prime Minister's Country House and its History'' (1997).

Charity work

In June 1999, Major was created a

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(DBE) in the

1999 Birthday Honours The 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday were announced on 7 June 1999 in New Zealand and Niue, and on 12 June 1999 in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.Tuvalu list: The recipients of honours a ...

, in recognition of her charity work. Major is a supporter of

Mencap The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the United Kingdom that works with people with a learning disability. Its Charity Number is 222377. History Established by Judy Fryd in 1946 as The National Association of Parents of Backwards Ch ...

, and she has been credited with helping to raise £6,000,000 for the charity.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Major, Norma 1942 births Living people Alumni of London South Bank University English biographers English philanthropists English women writers Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Spouses of prime ministers of the United Kingdom Wives of knights Women biographers