Born on an Australian sheep station, Sheila Chisholm (1895-1969) wedded earls and barons, befriended literary figures and movie stars, and died a Russian princess.
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Summary
Born on an Australian sheep station, Sheila Chisholm (1895-1969) wedded earls and barons, befriended literary figures and movie stars, and died a Russian princess.
Description
Vivacious, confident and striking, young Australian Sheila Chisholm met her first husband, Lord Loughborough, in Egypt during the First World War. Arriving in London as a young married woman, she quickly conquered English society, and would spend the next half a century inside the palaces, mansions and clubs of the elite. Her clandestine affair with young Bertie, the future George VI, caused ruptures at Buckingham Palace, with King George offering his son the title Duke of York in exchange for never hearing of Sheila again.
She subsequently became Lady Milbanke, one of London's most admired fashion icons and society fundraisers and ended her days as Princess Dimitri of Russia, juggling her royal duties with a successful career as a travel agent. Throughout her remarkable life, Sheila won the hearts of men ranging from Rudolph Valentino and Vincent Astor to Prince Obolensky, and maintained longstanding friendships with Evelyn Waugh, Noël Coward, Idina Sackville and Nancy Mitford.
A story unknown to most, Sheila is a spellbinding account of an utterly fascinating woman.
Critic Reviews
As social history Sheila Chisholm's life is fascinating... it's undeniably enjoyable to read of all that glitter and gold. -- Selina Hastings Spectator
A marvelously entertaining story that at times resembles a glossy television period drama. Daily Express
A sensational look at how a country girl became a city socialite... a rip-roaring biography. Marie Claire
The charm of Wainwright's biography is that he makes us see what an engaging, admirable and sometimes heroic quality it is to be a life-enhancer like Sheila. -- Jane Shilling Daily Mail
Sparkling... an eminently readable and lively account of a woman who, in many ways, epitomised the glamour and style of the Jazz Age. Country Life
Nothing short of impressive... Wainwright has revived a legend. The Lady
A seductively antipodean Auntie Mame. The Times
This splendid biography evokes the glamour of a vanished age. Mail on Sunday
About the Author
Robert Wainwright has worked as a journalist for thirty years and is the author of eight books. He lives in London.
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