The strategic power and influence they wielded as confidantes and patrons
Between 1800 and 1959, the leading aristocratic Tory hostesses, the Marchionesses of Londonderry, were renowned for their ability to host elaborate events from their stately residencies in Ireland and England. Lesser known was the strategic power and influence they wielded in their roles as confidantes and patrons to key political figures such as Disraeli and Ramsay MacDonald.
Author and academic Diane Urquhart, joins Jenni to discuss the diverse characters of three of the Ladies of Londonderry, the political landscapes they shaped and defined and the reactions they received against a backdrop of increasing democracy and aristocratic decline.
'The Ladies of Londonderry, Women and Political Patronage' by Diane Urquart is published by I.B. Taurus Publishers, ISBN 1 84511 410 8.
