Patricia Nevill, Marchioness of Abergavenny

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix = The Most Honourable

| name = The Marchioness of Abergavenny

| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|DCVO}}

| image = Patricia Nevill, Marchioness of Abergavenny.jpg

| birth_name = Mary Patricia Harrison

| birth_date = 20 October 1915

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{dda|2005|2|22|1915|10|20|df=y}}

| death_place =

| occupation = Lady of the Bedchamber to Elizabeth II

| spouse = {{marriage|John Nevill, 5th Marquess of Abergavenny|1938|2000|end=d}}

| children = {{Plainlist|

  • Lady Anne Whiteley
  • Lady Vivienne Lillingston
  • Lady Jane Nevill
  • Henry Nevill, Earl of Lewes
  • Lady Rose Clowes}}

| parents = John Harrison
Hon. Margery Levy-Lawson

}}

Mary Patricia Nevill, Marchioness of Abergavenny {{postnominals|country=GBR|DCVO}} (20 October 1915{{cite book|title=Who's Who 1998 : an Annual Biographical Dictionary|year=1998|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York|isbn=0312175914|page=3|chapter=Abergavenny, Marchioness of; Mary Patricia Nevill}} – 22 February 2005) was a friend and Lady of the Bedchamber to Elizabeth II.

Life

She was born Mary Patricia Harrison, the daughter of John Harrison of King’s Walden, and his wife, Hon. Margaret Harrison, a daughter of William Levy-Lawson, 3rd Baron Burnham.[http://www.thepeerage.com/p1441.htm#i14410 Mary Patricia Harrison] at thepeerage.com (accessed 18 April 2008)

On 4 January 1938, she married the John Nevill, Earl of Lewes, who inherited his father's title of Marquess of Abergavenny in 1954, whereupon Patricia became Marchioness of Abergavenny. They had five children:

  • Lady Anne Patricia Nevill (b. 25 October 1938), married Captain Martin Whiteley and had issue.
  • Lady Vivienne Margaret Nevill (15 February 1941 – 10 September 2018), married Alan Lillingston and had issue.
  • Lady Jane Elizabeth Nevill (1944–1946), died in infancy.
  • Henry John Montague Nevill, Earl of Lewes (1948–1965), educated at Eton, died without issue.{{cite book | last1=Cokayne | first1=George E. | last2=Hammond | first2=Peter W. | title=The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant | publisher=A. Sutton | publication-place=Gloucester | date=1982–1998 | isbn=0-904387-82-8 | oclc=9464943 |volume=XIV |page=8}}
  • Lady Rose Nevill (b. 15 July 1950); a bridesmaid at the wedding of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones. Lady Rose married George Clowes and had issue.

In 1960 it was suggested to her father (who lived at King's Walden and was a neighbour to the Strathmores' home of St. Paul's Walden Bury) that she become an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen; and she held this position from 1960 to 1966. She then became a full Lady of the Bedchamber from 1966 until her retirement in 1987, when she reverted to an Extra Lady until her death.

Death

The Marchioness of Abergavenny died on 22 February 2005, aged 89.Death Announcements in The Daily Telegraph dated 25 February 2005

Honours

In 1970, Lady Abergavenny was appointed CVO and in 1981 DCVO. In 1969, she received the Grand Decoration in Gold with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria.{{cite web|url=http://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/XXIV/AB/AB_10542/imfname_251156.pdf|title=Reply to a parliamentary question|language=German|page=275|accessdate=19 October 2012}}[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/51019/page/9885 Reference to Mary Patricia, Marchioness of Abergavenny, DCVO], thegazette.co.uk; accessed 27 March 2016.

class="wikitable sortable"

!Country

!Date

!Appointment

!Ribbon

!Post-nominal letters

!Notes

United Kingdom

|1970

|Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

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|CVO

|Promoted to DCVO in 1981

United Kingdom

|1981

|Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

|DCVO

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United Kingdom

|6 February 1977

|Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal

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|

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United Kingdom

|6 February 2002

|Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal

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|

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Austria

|

|Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria

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|

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Notes