Dame ''Dame'' is a traditionally British honorific title given to women who have been admitted to certain orders of chivalry. It is the female equivalent of ''Sir'', the title used by knights. Baronet, Baronetesses Suo jure, in their own right also u ...

Norma Christina Elizabeth, Lady Major (, formerly Johnson; born 12 February 1942) is an English philanthropist who is married to 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 (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

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 (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 ...

, 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 in the Rother District in the county of East Sussex in South East England. It is located along the Sussex Coast and between the towns of Hastings, England, Hastings ...

, Oakfield Preparatory School in

Dulwich Dulwich (; ) is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half of H ...

, and Peckham School for Girls where she was

head girl The two Senior Prefects, individually called Head Boy (for the male), and Head Girl (for the female) are students who carry leadership roles and are responsible for representing the school's entire student body. Although mostly out of use, in some ...

. She was a skilled dressmaker. She was also a member of the Young Conservatives.

Marriage

At a Conservative Party meeting during the campaign for the 1970 Greater London Council elections, she was introduced to

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. Following his defeat to Ton ...

. 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 to the 1980s. She possessed a voice ...

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

Chequers Chequers ( ) is the English country house, country house of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister of the United Kingdom. A 16th-century manor house in origin, it is near the village of Ellesborough in England, halfway betwee ...

: The Prime Minister's Country House and its History'' (1997). Following the release of the ''Diaries (1987-1992)'', of Edwina Currie, (released in 2002) a former junior minister in the Thatcher government at the same time as her husband's tenure as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, it was revealed to the public that the Majors had experienced a period of infidelity, as there had been a workplace relationship between Major and Currie whilst both were married. It was later clarified that Norma had known of the affair long before the release of the book. "Major and Currie had four-year affair"
, ''

BBC News Online BBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. It is one of the most popular news websites, with 1.2 billion website visits in April 2021, as well as being used by 60% of the U ...

'', 28 September 2002.

Charity work

In June 1999, Major was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1999 Birthday Honours, in recognition of her charity work. Major is a supporter of Mencap, and she has been credited with helping to raise £6,000,000 for the charity.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Major, Norma 1942 births Living people 20th-century English biographers 20th-century English women writers Alumni of London South Bank University English philanthropists Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Spouses of prime ministers of the United Kingdom Wives of knights English women biographers