SKU: 44180083000

"Grace And Favour: Memoirs Of Loelia, Duchess Of Westminster" 1961 Loelia Duchess of Westminster

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"Grace And Favour: Memoirs Of Loelia, Duchess Of Westminster" 1961 Loelia Duchess of WestminsterMemoirs of Loelia, Duchess of Westminsterw a foreword by Noel Coward[244] pp. Reynal & Company19618 3 4" x 5 3 4" VG VG The frame to the lettering on this jacket was designed by the late Rex Whistler as part of a book plate given to the authoress as a wedding present. Leolia, Duchess of Westminster's memoirs of life as a Bright Young Thing. Leolia begins by writing about her childhood, describing with saddening detail the remoteness of her parents and

Memoirs of Loelia, Duchess of Westminster

w/ a foreword by Noel Coward

[244] pp.

Reynal & Company

1961

8 3/4" x 5 3/4"

VG/ VG

The frame to the lettering on this jacket was designed by the late Rex Whistler as part of a book plate given to the authoress as a wedding present.

Leolia, Duchess of Westminster's memoirs of life as a Bright Young Thing. Leolia begins by writing about her childhood, describing with saddening detail the remoteness of her parents and the tyranny of her nannies. She came out at the end of the First World War and was launched into a round of debutante parties, balls and dances. As the roaring twenties took hold Loelia became one of the original bright young people. She details their exploits including the fancy dress parties, the night club visits and the treasure hunts. She also credits herself as the instigator of the infamous bottle parties; being short of funds she asked her friends to "bring a bottle" to a party she was organising. The fun of the 1920s clouds over when she marries Bendor Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster in 1930. At first charming he quickly becomes a tyrannical, jealous husband. Leolia is searingly honest about her relationship with Bendor and the memoirs end with their inevitable separation five years later. The whole is an absorbing and truthful contemporary account of the inter-War years.

Loelia Mary, Lady Lindsay of Dowhill, née Ponsonby (6 February 1902 – 1 November 1993), was a British peeress, needlewoman and magazine editor.

Family and first marriage
Lindsay was the only daughter of the courtier Sir Frederick Ponsonby, later 1st Baron Sysonby, and Victoria Lily (Kennard), Lady Sysonby, the well-known cookbook author. She spent her early years at St James's Palace, Park House at Sandringham, and Birkhall. One of the Bright Young People, she met the twice-divorced Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster. They were married on 20 February 1930 in a blaze of publicity, with Winston Churchill as the best man, but were unable to have children. Her marriage to the enormously wealthy peer failed, and was described by James Lees-Milne as "a definition of unadulterated hell". It was dissolved in 1947 after years of separation.

Life after divorce
After her divorce, Loelia, Duchess of Westminster, established herself as a skillful hostess at Send, Surrey, occupying herself with needlework and gardening, passions she had inherited from her mother. Her needlework collection was bequeathed to the National Trust. During the 1950s she worked as a feature editor for House & Garden magazine, and covered the wedding of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly.

Lindsay is believed to have popularised the aphorism (falsely attributed to Margaret Thatcher): "Anybody seen in a bus over the age of 30 has been a failure in life", which appears to have been coined by poet Brian Howard.

Lindsay's second marriage, to the divorced explorer Sir Martin Lindsay, 1st Baronet, came as a surprise to her friends but was much more successful. The couple were married on 1 August 1969. Sir Martin, a devoted husband, died in 1981, and Lady Lindsay chose to spend her last years in nursing homes. Her memoirs, written in 1961 and titled Grace and Favour: The Memoirs of Loelia, Duchess of Westminster, are a significant record of aristocratic life between the First and Second World Wars.

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SKU: 44180083000

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Lotanya Mclean
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Best Gift
Color: 2856 All Black Face/Black Band
“This watch was the perfect gift for my dad. It looks classy, feels high-quality, and suits him perfectly. Every time he wears it, it reminds him of how much he is loved and appreciated. Seeing the smile on his face made it even more special. A meaningful and timeless gift for any father.”
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
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Bobby Joanie
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect gift
Color: 2856 Silver Black Face/Silver Band
Got it for a birthday gift and he loves it. The style was perfect. Great choice.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2026
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Joshua M Stewart
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Feels cheap, but so far it's held up
Color: 2926 Silver Green
Looks as advertised, works well, and pretty water resistant thus far. Surprisingly water resistant. Unfortunately the band the watch comes with immediately felt a little cheap and flimsy to me. About a week after my purchase the band did inevitably break. The watch itself is still fantastic and everything works proper, like it should. Funny thing, I had left a review shortly after my purchase, talking about my dissatisfaction with how cheap the band felt. I have purchased many Olevs watches in the past and have had zero issues with any of them. I guess the company that makes or sells these watches read my review and asked about my dissatisfaction. I informed them of what happened, and they offered me a full refund. Originally I posted my review at three stars, just for that watch. All the other Olevs watches I have purchased are great. The customer service is so fantastic, this has never happened to me before so I am elated. They earned the five-star rating, and I would highly recommend checking out their collection of watches if you are a collector like me. I am overly confident if you do purchase one of these watches, and have any issue whatsoever with it, if you contact the customer service department they will be incredibly helpful as they have with me, and based off of my recent experience, I am sure they will do whatever it takes to make things right with you. Well done, very surprising customer service department. Very refreshing these days. Based on customer satisfaction alone they get five stars from me!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2025
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Trevor C.
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 4
Nice watch, cheap band sizing tool.
Color: 2856 All Black Face/Black Band
Nice watch, but watch band link removal tool is made of plastic and broke when trying to size the watch band.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2026
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Maureen G
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Looks Awesome
Color: 2856 Silver Black Face/Silver Band
Bought this for our son for a fun watch and he loves it ! Looks amazing ! It did take a little bit of time to make it fit his wrist , but after that it was great
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Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2026

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