Cornelia James (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Katz; 11 March 1917 – 10 December 1999), was a British glovemaker and businesswoman. Born in Vienna, Austria, to a Jewish family, James emigrated to the United Kingdom during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and founded her eponymous firm of glovemakers in 1946, which now holds a

Royal Warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law. Royal warrant may refer to: * Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...

Early life

Cornelia Katz was born on 11 March 1917, in Vienna, Austria, the eldest of seven children of a family who ran a chain of grocery shops and a

cold storage Tim Wright, known professionally as CoLD SToRAGE (stylised as CoLD SToRAGE), is a Welsh video game music composer best known for his work on ''Wipeout 2097''. His compositions for the game drew on 1990s UK big beat and electronic music trends ...

business. Katz studied

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...

at the

Vienna Academy of Fine Arts The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna () is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1688 as a private academy, it is now a public university. The academy is also known for twice rejecting admission to a young Adolf Hitler in 1907 and 1908. ...

before leaving Vienna in 1939 for Paris, and then London, with "a suitcase full of the coloured leather".

Career

She arrived in London as a refugee but soon set up a business making

gloves A glove is a garment covering the hand, with separate sheaths or openings for each finger including the thumb. Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a ...

, founding her own brand in 1946. In 1947, she was asked by the dress designer

Norman Hartnell Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell (12 June 1901 – 8 June 1979) was a leading British fashion designer, best known for his work for the ladies of the British royal family, royal family. Hartnell gained the Royal Warrant of Appointment (United Kingdom ...

to make the "going-away" gloves for the then- Princess Elizabeth to take on her honeymoon, following her

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

Philip Mountbatten Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from ...

. James additionally made several pairs for the Princess's

trousseau Trousseau, a French term for "small bundle", may refer to: *A dowry *The wardrobe and belongings of a bride, including the wedding dress or similar clothing *A hope chest, glory box or its contents *Trousseau (grape) Trousseau () or Trousseau N ...

, beginning her lifelong association with the

British royal family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

. In 1948, she became known as "the Colour Queen of England" after launching her leather gloves range in 100 different shades. Cornelia James gloves box

Her first workshop was on Davigdor Road in Hove, near

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, and was established by 1947. The business peaked in the 1950s when she was known as "the Queen's favourite glovemaker" and had between 250 and 500 workers in her factory in a former dairy in Brighton; however, the popularity of wearing fashion gloves eventually declined. Her products remained popular with royalty, with

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

The Princess Royal Princess Royal is a title customarily (but not automatically) awarded by British monarchs to their eldest daughters. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been ...

and

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

among her clients, as well as members of the Belgian,

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

and

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

royal families. "Cornelia James" officially became

Royal Warrant of Appointment Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The royal warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the issuer of t ...

holders in 1979, and subsequently operated as the Queen's official glovemaker.

Personal life

After emigrating from Austria, she originally hoped to get a

United States visa Aliens entering the United States must obtain a visa from one of the U.S. diplomatic missions. Visitors may be exempt if they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt or Visa Waiver Program countries. The same rules apply for travel to all U.S ...

, but subsequently met Jack Burnett James and married him six weeks later, in 1940 (despite the fact that she had been engaged before leaving Vienna.) Their son Peter James (b. 1948) is a best-selling writer of crime fiction. Their daughter, Genevieve James Lawson, runs "Cornelia James".Danny Scott
Me and my motor: Peter James, bestselling crime novelist
''Driving.co.uk'', 17 August 2017 James had been an active supporter of hospices and other charities throughout her time in Sussex.

Death

Cornelia James died at Martlets Hospice in

Hove Hove ( ) is a seaside resort in East Sussex, England. Alongside Brighton, it is one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove. Originally a fishing village surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th century in respon ...

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, England, on 10 December 1999.

References

External links