![]() ![]() Nor were they impressed with the supposedly eligible young men on offer. Shallow society social life never appealed to Clementine or her girls because they had far more intellectual depth than the average aristocratic butterflies who flitted through the season. Once Clementine recovered, neither mother nor daughter enjoyed the endless round of balls and country house parties. Clementine was ill so she could not act as her chaperone and, stepping in at the last minute, Winston made the time to accompany Diana to dances. Unfortunately, her debutante days turned out to be an anticlimax. Believing that she was on the brink of a new life, she seemed more confident than ever before.When Clementine introduced her to the society hostess, Lady Cunard, the old dragon looked Diana up and down and said,‘My, but you are pretty.’ Diana coolly replied, ‘Aren’t I meant to be?’ and swept past her. ![]() She wrote to Clementine,‘I am so excited for when you come home and for the season and for everything.’ She was determined that every aspect should be perfect for her presentation at court and carefully matched her shell pink dress and shoes, then pirouetted around the drawing room, practising her curtsy in front of an admiring Mary. Planning a party at Downing Street, Diana was full of anticipation. However, it was noted that she had also inherited her father’s ‘slightly impish smile’. She was described as ‘picturesque’ with hair ‘like spun gold with a touch of red in it and skin of exquisite cream and roses’ and was likened to her beautiful mother. When she came out as a debutante in 1928, she was featured on the cover of several society magazines, looking chic in a cloche hat and fur-trimmed coat. Describing herself to her father as ‘a would-be flapper’, she whizzed around London in her little car, meeting friends and shopping. Once back in England, Diana continued to have fun. Her host family admired her enquiring mind and thought she was a very intelligent and interesting girl. Once Diana had done the deed, she wrote ruefully to Winston, ‘I am no longer your Gold Cream Kitten but your Goldless Cream Kitten.’Įnjoying Parisian culture, Diana was stimulated by visits to the theatre, art galleries and museums and, away from her family, she shone. However, Clementine could not preach because she had already shingled hers. Although girls across the country were shingling, it was considered slightly transgressive in upper-class circles. The short, curly hairstyle was all the rage and two her Mitford cousins, Nancy and Diana, had done it. Determined to be fashionable, she wrote to her parents telling them she wanted to have her auburn plaits cut off and shingle her hair. Her letters exuded enthusiasm for everything her new life had to offer. These were carefree days when she was able to develop her own identity away from her overpowering family. To gain the polish required to make her debut in society, Diana was sent to stay with a family in Paris. She has a wonderful charm and grace, which grows now perceptibly from month to month. Nature is mysteriously arming her for the ancient conflict. When Diana was 16, Winston wrote to Clementine that he did not know which one of his daughters he loved most:īut Diana is going to be a great feature in our lives in the next few years. Photo Credit: Fremantle_Alamy Stock Photo Firstborn: Clementine with Diana as a baby, 1909. ![]()
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