Lady Juliet Townsend | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lady Juliet Margaret Smith 9 September 1941 |
| Died | 29 November 2014 (aged 73) |
| Spouse | John Townsend |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Frederick Smith, 2nd Earl of Birkenhead The Honourable Sheila Berry |
Lady Juliet Margaret Townsend, DCVO (née Smith; 9 September 1941 – 29 November 2014) was a British writer who served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire from 1998 to 2014, the first woman to hold this position.
Early life and family
Born in 1941 as Lady Juliet Smith, Townsend was the only daughter of Frederick Smith, 2nd Earl of Birkenhead, a historian and biographer. Her mother was the Hon. Sheila Berry, daughter of William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose. She grew up at The Cottage, Charlton, Northamptonshire, the home bought by her grandfather.[1] She married John Townsend in 1970, and had three daughters.[1] Beginning in 1977, the pair operated a bookstore.[2]
Career
She attended Somerville College, Oxford, graduating in 1960 with a degree in English. From 1965 to 2002, Townsend served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.[1][3] Margaret had requested that the appointed person be equipped to help supplement her perceived lack of a formal education.[4]
Townsend wrote a book recording "every village, church, stately home and architectural curiosity" within Northamptonshire, publishing it in 1968. Her next literary project, a children's story set during the Indian Mutiny, was released in 1971.[1] She regularly reviewed children's books for The Spectator, producing an annual guide on the year's best.[2]
She held an almost forty year membership in the Northamptonshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, and served as its president from 1988 to 1998.[5] She left the position after her appointment as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, the first woman to hold this role. She retired in June 2014, citing mobility difficulties.[1][6][7]
Honours
- She was made a Member 4th Class of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
- She was upgraded to Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (DCVO) in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
- She received the Queen Elizabeth II Version of the Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal in 1985 for 20 years of service to the British Royal Family. She received the 30 year service bar in 1995.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Lady Juliet Townsend - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- 1 2 Amory, Mark (13 December 2014). "Juliet Townsend (1941-2014)". The Spectator. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ↑ "Lady Juliet Townsend, 9 September 1941 – 29 November 2014" (Press release). Somerville College, Oxford. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ↑ "Lady Juliet Townsend". The Times. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ↑ Hayter, Paul. "Obituary - Lady Juliet Townsend 1941 - 2014" (Press release). Campaign to Protect Rural England. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ↑ "New lord-lieutenant of Northamptonshire appointed by The Queen". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ↑ "Tributes paid to only female Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire and lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret". Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.