Patricia Nevill, Marchioness of Abergavenny

The Most Honourable

The Marchioness of Abergavenny

DCVO

Born|

Mary Patricia Harrison

20 October 1915
Died| 22 February 2005(2005-02-22) (aged 89)
Occupation| Lady of the Bedchamber to Elizabeth II
Spouse|

John Nevill, 5th Marquess of Abergavenny

(m. 1938; died 2000)​

Children|

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

Parent(s)| John Harrison
Hon. Margery Levy-Lawson

Mary Patricia Nevill, Marchioness of Abergavenny DCVO (20 October 1915[1] – 22 February 2005) was a friend and Lady of the Bedchamber to Elizabeth II.

## Life

[edit]

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.[2]

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.[2] 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.[3]
* 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.[2]

## Death

[edit]

The Marchioness of Abergavenny died on 22 February 2005, aged 89.[4]

## Honours

[edit]

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.[5][6]

Country  | Date  | Appointment  | Ribbon  | Post-nominal letters  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

United Kingdom  | 1970  | Commander of the Royal Victorian Order |  | CVO  | Promoted to DCVO in 1981
United Kingdom  | 1981  | Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order | DCVO  |
United Kingdom  | 6 February 1977 | Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal |  |  |
United Kingdom  | 6 February 2002 | Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal |  |  |
Austria  |  | Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria |  |  |

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "Abergavenny, Marchioness of; Mary Patricia Nevill". Who's Who 1998 : an Annual Biographical Dictionary. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1998. p. 3\. ISBN 0312175914.
2. ^ a b c Mary Patricia Harrison at thepeerage.com (accessed 18 April 2008)
3. ^ Cokayne, George E.; Hammond, Peter W. (1982–1998). The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant. Vol. XIV. Gloucester: A. Sutton. p. 8\. ISBN 0-904387-82-8. OCLC 9464943.
4. ^ Death Announcements in The Daily Telegraph dated 25 February 2005
5. ^ "Reply to a parliamentary question" (PDF) (in German). p. 275. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
6. ^ Reference to Mary Patricia, Marchioness of Abergavenny, DCVO, thegazette.co.uk; accessed 27 March 2016.

*[m.]: married