MovieChat Forums > Love in a Cold Climate (2002) Discussion > The Mitford Sisters

The Mitford Sisters

posted 15 years ago by GingerLee2082
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Has anyone read about the family that inspired the books on which this miniseries is based? There are biographies that focus on Nancy (Selena Hastings and Laura Thompson), Diana (Jan Dalley and Anne de Courcy), and Unity (David Pryce-Jones) individually. Jessica wrote two autobiographies and Deborah has also has a book that is a sort of collection of her writing, which includes articles previously published in magazines and/or newspapers. Then there are the books that talk about the family or all six of the sisters as a whole. Mary S. Lovell wrote The Sisters and Jonathan and Catherine Guiness The House of Mitford. Deborah's daughter even came out with a book called The Mitford Family Album. Recently a book of letters between the sisters was published, edited by Charlotte Mosley.

[–] FrameXFrame 15 years ago

I've read "The Mitford Girls" by Lovell. Is "The Sisters" the same book with a different title?

[–] GingerLee2082 15 years ago

Yes, I believe that The Sisters is the US title. I suppose it's because it's assumed that the name "Mitford" won't ring a bell with most Americans.

[–] maytloo 15 years ago

Canada

I just watched this and it was enjoyable. I tried to find the earlier (1980) version, but all I could find was a 10-minute clip on youtube with the girls still very young. Curious question about Nancy Mitford's youngest sister Deborah who apparently became the Duchess of Devonshire (is she the current DoD?). I watched Keira Knightley in The Duchess a week or so ago, and I could have sworn that she also played the Duchess of Devonshire. Are we talking about the same lineage? And wasn't the DoD a relative of the late Princess Diana?

[–] GingerLee2082 14 years ago

"Curious question about Nancy Mitford's youngest sister Deborah who apparently became the Duchess of Devonshire (is she the current DoD?)."

Deborah is currently the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire as her husband Andrew died a few years ago. I don't have time to look but I think he died around 2004 or so. Her son Peregrine is the current Duke so Peregrine's wife is the current Duchess. (Her name is escaping me at the moment.) Deborah moved out of Chatsworth after the death of her husband.

"I watched Keira Knightley in The Duchess a week or so ago, and I could have sworn that she also played the Duchess of Devonshire. Are we talking about the same lineage?"

Yes, this is the same (Cavendish) family. Deborah married into it so she isn't related to Georgiana, the duchess Keira Knightley played. (If there is a distant connection between the Mitfords and the Cavendish family I am unaware of it.) Georgiana was born a Spencer so that's where we get the connection with Princess Diana. Georgiana was like her great-great-great-great-aunt. (Not sure how many "greats" lol.)

Interestingly, Deborah knew Princess Diana as Deborah and her husband were great friends of the Prince of Wales. (And Deborah of course still is.) In the book of letters between the six sisters Deborah writes to her sister Diana Mosley during the week of the death of Princess Diana. Deborah tells Diana that Princess Diana was "quite mad of course". Apparently, she was very much on the "side" of Charles (if sides were to be taken) during the whole messy divorce.

Another interesting connection Deborah has is to the Kennedy family. She was a sister-in-law to JFK's sister Kathleen. Kathleen would have become the Duchess of Devonshire had her husband not been killed in action during WWII. At one time they both went by the title "Lady Hartington". When Kathleen was killed in a plane crash in 1948 (just four years after the death of her husband), it is said that Kathleen's sister Eunice initially hoped that the Lady Hartington on board the plane was Deborah and not Kathleen, even thoughshe knew it was a "terrible thing to wish". Deborah was also a "close" friend of JFK's until his death and even attended his inaguration as a special guest along with her husband. It is whispered that Deborah had an affair with him while he was president. (There are letters to her sisters that hint to it.) She was devastated after his death and always kept a photo of him at Chatsworth.

[–] 14 years ago

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