Lady Adelaide "Delia" Margaret Peel (''née'' Spencer; 26 June 1889 – 16 January 1981) was an English courtier and member of the

Spencer family The Spencer family is an Aristocracy (class), aristocratic British family. From the 16th century, its members have held numerous titles, including the dukedom of Marlborough, the earldoms of Earl of Sunderland, Sunderland and Earl Spencer (title) ...

. She was born in London, the eldest child of the 6th Earl Spencer and Hon. Margaret Baring, daughter of

Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke Edward Charles Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke (13 April 1828 – 17 July 1897), was a British banker. Early life A member of the Baring banking family, "Ned" Baring was born on 13 April 1828. He was the second son of Henry Baring from his second ...

. Her mother died in childbirth in 1906 during the birth of her sister

Lady Margaret Douglas-Home Lady Alexandra Margaret Elizabeth Douglas-Home (née Spencer; 4 July 1906 – 26 May 1996) was an English musician, writer, and arts promoter. She founded the Burnham Market Festival and served as its director for almost two decades. Early year ...

. Delia studied at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

and played the piano and cello. In 1914 at

Althorp Althorp (popularly pronounced ) is a Grade I listed stately home and estate in the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, England of about . By road it is about northwest of the county town of Northampton and about northwest ...

, she married the Hon.

Sidney Peel Colonel Sir Sidney Cornwallis Peel, 1st Baronet, (1870–1938), was a British Army officer, barrister and financier. He was also for the coalition government term 1918–1922, a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP). For the 19 years until dea ...

, third son of the

Arthur Peel, 1st Viscount Peel Arthur Wellesley Peel, 1st Viscount Peel, (3 August 182924 October 1912), was a British Liberal politician, who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1895. He was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1884 until 1895, when he was raised to ...

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

and grandson of Prime Minister Sir

Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850), was a British Conservative statesman who twice was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835, 1841–1846), and simultaneously was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1834–183 ...

. Her father gifted her a tiara studded with 800 diamonds as a wedding present. They had no children, but she adopted her husband's nephew David, after his father, Hon. Maurice Berkeley Peel, was killed in 1917 in the First World War. Maj. David Arthur Peel was killed in the Second World War while serving with the

Irish Guards The Irish Guards (IG) is one of the Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. Together with the Royal Irish Regiment (1992), Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infant ...

. Following her husband's death in 1938, she became

Woman of the Bedchamber In the Royal Household of the United Kingdom the term Woman of the Bedchamber is used to describe a woman (usually a daughter of a peer) attending either a queen regnant or queen consort, in the role of lady-in-waiting. Historically the term 'Gen ...

, a

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

from 1939 until 1952. She was active with the

Girl Guides Girl Guides (or Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) are organisations within the Scout Movement originally and largely still for girls and women only. The Girl Guides began in 1910 with the formation of Girlguiding, The ...

, the

Women's Institute The Women's Institute (WI) is a community-based organization for women in the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. The movement was founded in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, by Erland and Janet Lee with Adelaide Hoodless being the ...

, and county choirs. She was created Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

in the

1947 Birthday Honours The 1947 King's Birthday Honours were appointments by many of the Dominions of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made "on the occasion of the Cel ...

, and Dame Commander of the same order in 1950. She died aged 91 at her home in

Barton Turf Barton Turf is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is 20 km north-east of the city of Norwich, on the northwestern edge of Barton Broad, the second largest of the Norfolk Broads. In primary local government th ...

, Norfolk. In 1984, Priscilla Napier published a biography, ''A Memoir of the Lady Delia Peel, born Spencer, 1889–1981''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peel, Delia 1889 births 1981 deaths Dames Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Spencer family

Delia DeliaDella as a diminutive is a feminine given name either taken from an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, or else representing a short form of '' Adelia'', '' Bedelia'', '' Cordelia'' or '' Odelia''. Meanings and origins According to ...

Women of the Bedchamber Alumni of the Royal College of Music British ladies-in-waiting Daughters of British earls Wives of baronets