Violet Georgina Milner, Viscountess Milner (''née'' Maxse; 1 February 1872 – 10 October 1958) was an English socialite of the

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

and

Edwardian era In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...

s and, later, editor of the political monthly ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief is Rich L ...

''. Her father was close friends with

Georges Clemenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who was Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A physician turned journalist, he played a central role in the poli ...

, she married a son of Prime Minister Salisbury, Lord Edward Cecil, and after his death,

Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner, (23 March 1854 – 13 May 1925) was a British statesman and colonial administrator who played a very important role in the formulation of British foreign and domestic policy between the mid-1890s and earl ...

Life

Violet was born at 38 Rutland Gate,

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End of London, West End. ...

, the youngest of four children born to Admiral

Frederick Maxse Admiral Frederick Augustus Maxse (13 April 1833 – 25 June 1900) was a British Royal Navy officer and radical liberal campaigner. Early life Maxse was born in London, the son of James Maxse and Lady Caroline FitzHardinge, daughter of Frederi ...

and Cecilia Steel. Her siblings were Gen. Sir

Ivor Maxse General (United Kingdom), General Sir Frederick Ivor Maxse, (22 December 1862 – 28 January 1958) was a senior British Army Officer (armed forces), officer who fought during the World War I, First World War, best known for his innovative and ef ...

(1862–1958), a British Army officer of the First World War;

Leopold Maxse Leopold James Maxse (11 November 1864 – 22 January 1932) was an English amateur tennis player and journalist and editor of the conservative British publication, ''National Review'', between August 1893 and his death in January 1932; he was s ...

(1864–1932), editor of the ''

'', and Olive Hermione Maxse (1867–1955), a model for

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August 183317 June 1898) was an English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. Burne-Jones worked with William Morris as a founding part ...

. Admiral Maxse delivered despatches during the Crimean War, and he was one of only two outspoken supporters of the French position regarding Alsace-Lorraine after the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

of 1870. This drew the attention of Georges Clemenceau, and the two became friends. As a teenager, Violet lived two years in Paris, studying music and art, often attending opera and theatre shows with Clemenceau. One of the highlights of 1897 for Violet was

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was officially celebrated on 22 June 1897 to mark the occasion of the Diamond jubilee, 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. Queen Victoria was the first British monarch ever to cel ...

Celebration, on 22 June, when she joined the Cecil family on a stand at Whitehall to watch the parade. With the breakdown of peace negotiations in South Africa between English and Dutch settlers, leading the

Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

in 1899, the British increased their military presence there by dispatching 2,000 soldiers. Among them was Major Edward Cecil and his wife. Arriving in Cape Town on 26 July, Violet wrote often to her cousin, future Prime Minister

Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (; 25 July 184819 March 1930) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary ...

, in support of England and the policies of its High Commissioner for South Africa, Sir

Alfred Milner Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner, (23 March 1854 – 13 May 1925) was a British politician, statesman and colonial administrator who played a very important role in the formulation of British foreign and domestic policy between the mid-189 ...

. With the Cecils and Milner residing at

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...

, the three were good friends and lived under the same roof until 14 August, when the Cecils were ordered to move north. When Major Cecil became trapped in the

Siege of Mafeking The siege of Mafeking was a 217-day siege battle for the town of Mafeking (now called Mahikeng) in South Africa during the Second Boer War from October 1899 to May 1900. The siege received considerable attention as Lord Edward Cecil, the son o ...

(from 13 October 1899 to 17 May 1900), Violet stayed at

Groote Schuur Groote Schuur (; ) is an estate in Cape Town, South Africa. In 1657, the estate was owned by the Dutch East India Company which used it partly as a granary. Later, the farm and farmhouse was sold into private hands. Groote Schuur was later acqu ...

, the estate of mining magnate and politician

Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes ( ; 5 July 185326 March 1902) was an English-South African mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He and his British South Africa Company founded th ...

. She wrote of her experiences during this time in her autobiography, ''My Picture Gallery'', published in 1951. She exchanged letters with Alfred, and alongside Violet Markham and

Edith Lyttelton Dame Edith Sophy Lyttelton (''née'' Balfour; 4 April 1865 – 2 September 1948) was a British novelist, playwright, World War I-era activist and spiritualist. Biography Lyttelton was born in Saint Petersburg, the eldest daughter of Ar ...

she established the

Victoria League The Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship (1901–present) is a voluntary charitable organisation that connects people from Commonwealth countries. There are currently branches in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand with affiliated organisatio ...

in 1901 to promote Milner's imperial vision of the British Empire. She met up with Lord Milner again at a Christmas party held at Lord Goschen's country estate Seacox,

Hawkhurst Hawkhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The village is located close to the border with East Sussex, around south-east of Royal Tunbridge Wells and within the High Weald Area of Outstanding N ...

in December 1905. Lady Milner took over as editor of the family owned, conservative journal '' The National Review'' after the death of her brother Leopold Maxse in 1932, having supported the publication since he fell ill in 1929. The magazine was known for its opposition to imperial Germany prior to the First World War, and to

appeasement Appeasement, in an International relations, international context, is a diplomacy, diplomatic negotiation policy of making political, material, or territorial concessions to an aggressive power (international relations), power with intention t ...

in the interwar years. Its editor staunchly defended Conservative leader

Bonar Law Andrew Bonar Law (; 16 September 1858 – 30 October 1923) was a British statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1922 to May 1923. Law was born in the British colony of New Brunswick (now a Canadi ...

. In January 1917, French Prime Minister

, speaking to President

Raymond Poincaré Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. He was a conservative leader, primarily committed to ...

, famously said of Lord Milner:

"He is an old friend of mine. We admired and loved the same woman. That's an indissoluble bond."

Viscountess Milner was present in France on 11 November 1933, the 15th anniversary of the Armistice, where she dedicated a marble bust of her late husband, Alfred, in a conference room on the first floor of the Hôtel de Ville (town hall) in Doullens. It was here at Lord Milner's urging, in a conference attended by Clemenceau, Poincare, and French and English Generals on 26 March 1918, that the Western Front was united under a single command in World War I. Today, the town hall bears the inscription:

"In this town hall, on the 26th of March 1918, the "Allies" entrusted General Foch with the supreme command on the Western Front. This decision saved France and the liberty of the world."

According to Leopold Amery the decision to appoint General Foch was made a day earlier in a meeting between Lord Milner and Prime Minister Clemenceau. As General Foch was not on the list of Clemenceau's promotable generals (he was out of favour), Lord Milner's influence with Clemenceau made the decision easy. On 20 April 1918, in his first public statement after being appointed Secretary of State for War, Lord Milner said in the French newspaper ''

Le Temps ' (, ) is a Swiss French-language daily newspaper published in Berliner format in Geneva by Le Temps SA. The paper was launched in 1998, formed out of the merger of two other newspapers, and (the former being a merger of two other papers), ...

'':

"Our fighters are worthy of the test they face. Attacked by divisions far more numerous than ours, they supplement the number by courage, and they decimate the assailant. We are happy to see our French allies doing them justice." "I have not waited until now, neither to understand the usefulness of a single command, nor to recognize the value of General Foch. I was personally associated with the measures which created the current organization of the command, and I congratulate myself on the cordial confidence which has constantly reigned between Mr. Clemenceau and myself." "It is not in vain that we will have shared the same anxieties fraternally, then the same joys. The days in which we are living create imperishable bonds."

Violet discussed her family's long time friendship with Georges Clemenceau in ''The National Review'', and in her book, ''Clemenceau Intime''. She died on 10 October 1958, aged 86, at her home near

Family

She married, firstly, Lord Edward Cecil, the youngest son of Prime Minister Salisbury o
''18 June 1894''
at St Saviour's Church, Chelsea. The officiant was his brother Rev William Cecil. A wide range of society guests appeared at the wedding,

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. He was the last ...

, John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley and

Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal Party (UK), Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually was a leading New Imperialism, imperial ...

, as well as his cousin Arthur Balfour and father Salisbury, and liberal poets Wilfred Scawen Blunt and

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

. His mother, Lady Salisbury remarked: "It will be good for Nigs to have a clever wife and one accustomed to taking care of expenses and I hope will convert her. I don't believe in pious pagans - and my only real objection to

the Souls The Souls was a small loosely-knit but distinctive elite social and intellectual group in the United Kingdom from 1885 to the turn of the century. Many of the most distinguished British politicians and intellectuals of the time were members. Th ...

, is their heathenry." His father warned him about her character; and settled a further £1,000 pa having settled his debts again. Lord Edward earned £200 pa in Army pay, but his wife's contribution was double that, making their life comfortable. Salisbury urged them to work on their relationship, but the marriage was unhappy. She and Lord Edward Cecil had two children: *One son, George Edward Gascoyne-Cecil born on 9 September 1895. He was a Lieutenant in the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

, and was killed in action in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on 1 September 1914 on the Western Front. Rudyard Kipling, Georges Clemenceau, and former President Theodore Roosevelt helped her track down his fate. *One daughter, Helen Mary Gascoyne-Cecil, who was born on 11 May 1901. She was an author. She married Alexander Hardinge, 2nd Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, and died in 1979. Violet was appointed Grand Dame of the

Order of St John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there u ...

, and Chevalier of the ''

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

''. Lord Edward died o
''13 December 1918''
of the

Spanish influenza The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. The earliest docum ...

, and she married Lord Milner at

St James's Church, Paddington St James' Church Paddington, also known as St James' Church Sussex Gardens, is a Church of England parish church in Paddington, London, in the United Kingdom. It is the parish church of Paddington. It is located at the western end of Sussex Garde ...

on 26 February 1921. Violet and Lord Milner were married 12 days after Lord Milner's retirement from Prime Minister Lloyd George's government o
''14 February 1921''
They had a great marriage. O

she turned over important information relating to the First World War and Lord Milner's role at the Doullens Conference in France to the Public Records Office. Upon Lord Milner's death in May 1925, Violet inherited nearly £46,000 (£2.8 million in 2020).O'Brien, pg. 389 In 1929 she donated Sturry Court, Milner's residence in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, to

The King's School, Canterbury The King's School is a public school in Canterbury, Kent, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group. It is Britain's oldest public school and is considered to be the oldest continuously op ...

. The site now houses the Junior Kings School. She continued to maintain Great Wigsell, her manor home in Salehurst, and 14 Manchester Square, their joint house in London.

Notes

References

Primary sources

''The Times (of London)''''archive website''
* Beaverbrook, Lor
''The Decline and Fall of Lloyd George''
New York: Duell, Sloan, 1963
''The London Gazette''
* Milner, Violet (Viscountess Milner), ''My Picture Gallery: 1886 - 1901'', London: John Murray, 1951 * O'Brien, Terence, ''Milner'', London: Constable, 1979 * Thompson, J, Lee, ''Forgotten Patriot: A life of Alfred, Viscount Milner of St James's and Cape Town, 1854-1925'', Cranbury, NJ: Rosemont Publishing, 2007 * Hochschild, Adam
''To End All Wars, A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918''
Boston: Houghton, 2011 * Cecil, Hugh & Mirabel
''Imperial Marriage''
London: Murray, 2002 * Carpentier, Paul, and Rudet, Paul, "The Doullens Conference", Paris: Pedone, 1933 (translated) * Aston, George
''The Biography of the Late Marshal Foch''
New York: MacMillan, 1929 * Amery, Leopold
''My Political Life: Volume II, War and Peace, 1914 - 1929''
London: Hutchinson, 1953 * The Temps (French newspaper), ''Digital Archives:'
''Link''
* The National Review, Vol. 115, July to December 1940, "Clemenceau", London: The Proprietors, 1940 * Review Des Mondes, 15 February 1953
''Clemenceau Intime''
Paris: Revue des Deux Mondes, 1953
''pdf''
* Clemenceau, Georges
''Grandeur and Misery of Victory''
New York: Harcourt, 1930

External links

* Foucart, Pierre
''Doullens: The Room of Single Command''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milner, Violet Milner, Viscountess 1872 births 1958 deaths

Violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Vi ...

British viscountesses Wives of knights British women in World War I English magazine editors English women magazine editors People from Knightsbridge Writers from the City of Westminster