Lady Elizabeth Georgiana Alice Cavendish (24 April 1926 – 15 September 2018) was a British noblewoman who was a childhood friend of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and 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 ...

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

from the late 1940s until the latter's death in 2002. Lady Elizabeth was the daughter of

Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire Edward William Spencer Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire (6 May 1895 – 26 November 1950), known as the Marquess of Hartington from 1908 to 1938, was a British politician. He was the head of the Devonshire branch of the House of Cavendish. He ...

, and his wife, the former Lady Mary Gascoyne-Cecil.''

Burke's Peerage Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher, considered an authority on the order of precedence of noble families and information on the lesser nobility of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1826, when the Anglo-Irish genea ...

'', volume 1 (2003), p. 1131 She was born three days after Elizabeth (II), in 1926. It has been suggested that Lady Elizabeth introduced her friend Princess Margaret to Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1951, and although she herself never married, she did form a close romantic relationship with the writer and future poet laureate

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman, (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architect ...

that same year. Betjeman's daughter

Candida Lycett Green Candida Rose Lycett Green (''née'' Betjeman; 22 September 194219 August 2014) was a British author who wrote sixteen books including ''English Cottages'', ''Goodbye London'', ''The Perfect English House'', ''Over the Hills and Far Away'' and ' ...

had called her her father's "beloved other wife". Lady Elizabeth was one of the godparents of

David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (born 3 November 1961), styled as Viscount Linley until 2017 and known professionally as David Linley, is a member of the extended British royal family, an English furniture maker, and h ...

. By royal permission, Lady Elizabeth spoke on the record to Elizabeth II’s official biographer,

Ben Pimlott Benjamin John Pimlott FBA (4 July 1945 – 10 April 2004) was an historian of the post-war period in Britain. He made a substantial contribution to the literary genre of political biography. Background Ben Pimlott was born in Merton, Surrey, n ...

. When Betjeman died in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

on 19 May 1984, Lady Elizabeth was at his side. Cavendish was appointed

Lieutenant 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 ...

(LVO) in 1976 and

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 ...

(CVO) in 1997. Lady Elizabeth was a Justice of the Peace in Inner London for many years where she served as a chairman of both the juvenile and adult courts. Cavendish died on 15 September 2018, at the age of 92.Lady Elizabeth Cavendish obituary
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Notes

References

* Who's Who 2009 1926 births 2018 deaths Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Daughters of British dukes British ladies-in-waiting

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

English justices of the peace John Betjeman {{UK-noble-stub