The Scandalous Mitfords: Socialites, Nazis, Communists, Oh My

This week on the History, Books and Wine podcast, I'm pouring a glass of vino and diving into the Scandalous Mitford family! They were made up of socialites, debutantes, couple of fascists, a communist, socialists, a couple of Nazi sympathizers, WWII volunteers, a soldier, authors, a duchess... the list goes on and on... This wild family of seven siblings were constantly in the papers in the 1920s, 30s, 40s...and still TO THIS DAY! 

Nancy's book The Pursuit of Love was just adapted into a short series by Netflix, starring Lily James. Diana even has a cameo on the show, Peaky Blinders, played by Amber Anderson.

There is something about the Mitfords that fascinates and continues to do so a hundred years later.

Take a listen to find out the fascinating history behind this scandalous and evergreen family. Here's a snippet to get your started.

History, Books and Wine podcast is available on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and more. Listen and enjoy wherever you download your favorite podcasts!

Can't get enough Mitfords? I invite you to read my international bestseller, and Costco Book Club Pick, The Mayfair Bookshop: A Novel of Nancy Mitford and the Pursuit of Happiness. 

From USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight: a brilliant dual-narrative story about Nancy Mitford—one of 1930s London’s hottest socialites, authors, and a member of the scandalous Mitford Sisters—and a modern American book curator desperate for change, connected through time by a little London bookshop.

1938: She was one of the six sparkling Mitford sisters, known for her stinging quips, stylish dress, and bright green eyes. But Nancy Mitford’s seemingly sparkling life was really one of turmoil: with a perpetually unfaithful and broke husband, two Nazi sympathizer sisters, and her hopes of motherhood dashed forever. With war imminent, Nancy finds respite by taking a job at the Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair, hoping to make ends meet, and discovers a new life.

Present Day: When book curator Lucy St. Clair lands a gig working at Heywood Hill she can’t get on the plane fast enough. Not only can she start the healing process from the loss of her mother, it’s a dream come true to set foot in the legendary store. Doubly exciting: she brings with her a first edition of Nancy’s work, one with a somewhat mysterious inscription from the author.  Soon, she discovers her life and Nancy’s are intertwined, and it all comes back to the little London bookshop—a place that changes the lives of two women from different eras in the most surprising ways. 

How One Famous Socialite Volunteered During WWII

During WWII, novelist Nancy Mitford did quite a lot voluntary service to her country, in addition to working at the famous bookshop, Heywood Hill, where she entertained writers and bibliophiles alike in her makeshift salon, “Club Nancy,” along with sharing the love of books with those left in London.

While two of her sisters were actively courting friendship with Hitler, Nancy doubled down on her patriotic duties to Great Britain. She spent a very short time as an ARP ambulance driver during the Blitz which resulted in a small accident. Considering that there was a blackout at night in London during the blitz, her volunteering to drive was quite brave. All lights were extinguished during this time, and no headlamps were allowed to be used on vehicles, which of course resulted in an increase in accidents.

After the accident, Nancy sought a different type of service. She worked in a first aid post in Picadilly, rolling bandages and assisting those who came in needing aid, but she also used a blue indelible pencil to write identifying information on bodies that came in after the Luftwaffe attacks. 

She had a brief stint as a BBC broadcaster, teaching the people of London how to put out fires. However, listeners found her voice to be irritating enough that they wrote into the BBC complaining about it and asking that she be replaced. That didn't stop Nancy from aiding her fellow Brits. She also served on the fire watch herself, often at night after a long shift at Heywood Hill. 

When her family’s home, Rutland Gate, was used as a billet for about 70 Jewish refugees from the East End of London, she took up the care and running of the household and its new inhabitants. This included getting everyone's rations, making sure the house was maintained, making appointments for the refugees healthcare, etc... 

And, perhaps most intriguing of all, when a friend at the war office asked for her help in spying on the French who’d recently come to London, Nancy didn’t hesitate. She made friends with the Free French officers and got herself invited to their club so she could listen in on their conversations.

The resiliency of those on the home front during WWII has always fascinated me, and I made sure to add Nancy's service to my historical novel, THE MAYFAIR BOOKSHOP, to highlight that she was much more than the scandalous socialite she’s often made out to be. Nancy had a big heart, which was much too often broken.

To dig in further into Nancy's and her family's participation in WWII, including the two sisters who were cozy with Hitler, order the book today!

The Mayfair Bookshop: A Novel Of Nancy Mitford And The Pursuit Of Happiness…

From USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight: a brilliant dual-narrative story about Nancy Mitford—one of 1930s London’s hottest socialites, authors, and a member of the scandalous Mitford Sisters—and a modern American book curator desperate for change, connected through time by a little London bookshop.

1938: She was one of the six sparkling Mitford sisters, known for her stinging quips, stylish dress, and bright green eyes. But Nancy Mitford’s seemingly sparkling life was really one of turmoil: with a perpetually unfaithful and broke husband, two Nazi sympathizer sisters, and her hopes of motherhood dashed forever. With war imminent, Nancy finds respite by taking a job at the Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair, hoping to make ends meet, and discovers a new life.

Present Day: When book curator Lucy St. Clair lands a gig working at Heywood Hill she can’t get on the plane fast enough. Not only can she start the healing process from the loss of her mother, it’s a dream come true to set foot in the legendary store. Doubly exciting: she brings with her a first edition of Nancy’s work, one with a somewhat mysterious inscription from the author.  Soon, she discovers her life and Nancy’s are intertwined, and it all comes back to the little London bookshop—a place that changes the lives of two women from different eras in the most surprising ways. 

Order your copy!

Personalized Signed Copies: https://www.sykesvillebooks.com/eliza-knight

Harpercollins: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/TheMayfair_Bookshop

IndieBound: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_BuyIndie

Books-a-Million: bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_BAM

Amazon Print: https://bit.ly/MayfairBookshop

Amazon Ebook: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_Ebook

Amazon Canada: https://bit.ly/MayfairBookshop_CA

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_BN

Kobo: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_Kobo

Apple: https://apple.co/3AhR8fV

Chapters: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_Chapters

Audible: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_Listen

Nancy Mitford's U and Non-U Idiom

 

My copies of books that contain Nancy's
articles on U and Non-U.

Context is everything -- and I'm not just saying that because it is apparently my greatest strength according to a test I just took.

In 1955, Nancy Mitford was asked to write an article about the English aristocracy. She thought it was silly, and was uncertain if she would agree. In fact, she wrote a letter to a family friend, Violet Hammersley, and said: 

"Can't quite decide, but if I do it will contain volleys of teases."

Anyone familiar with Nancy knew her wit and witticisms. She was dry, and people didn't often understand her sarcasm. They thought her cruel or snobbish, but I find her fascinating and hilarious.

Nancy did decide to write the article, and she sure did add in a lot of teases.

But, when printed on paper without the benefit of facial expression, or even a small laugh, and especially without being familiar with Nancy on a personal level, a teasing opinion of her own "upperclass" was taken out of context, and in fact caused quite a stir.

One of the elements she included in the article was the U versus Non-U idioms. U stands for Upperclass, and Non-U is Non-Upperclass. In her article she states that she spoke with Professor Ross from Birmingham University, explicitly so that she would not be accused of snobbishness, and that no one would dare accuse a professor. I find this to be rather clever and very "Nancy" of her. But people took all of this incredibly seriously. In fact, they still talk about it today, and they've updated her list for more modern use, AND--no one talks about Professor Ross, even though his list inspired hers.

So what are some examples of U and Non-U?

According to Nancy (and Professor Ross):

Napkin (U) vs Serviette (Non-U)

Bike (U) vs Cycle (Non-U)

Sick (U) vs Ill (Non-U)

Lavatory Paper (U) vs Toilet Paper (Non-U)

House (U) vs Home (Non-U)

In Noblesse Oblige, which Nancy edited, she included her article and then one one written by Professor Ross, which expands on the U vs. Non-U. 

Looking glass (U) vs. Mirror (Non-U)

Jam (U) vs Preserves (Non-U)

Rich (U) vs Wealthy (Non-U)

Additionally added to Noblesse Oblige, was her friend Evelyn Waugh's printed response to her English aristocracy article. At the time people saw it as a public rebuke of her, but if you knew how close the two of them were, how very sarcastic they were with each other, then you'd see beyond the actual language to the context beneath which was a teasing reply in itself. 

His response opens with: 

"Were you surprised that your article on the English aristocracy caused such a to-do? I wasn't. I have long revered you as an agitator--agitatrix, agitateuse?--of genius." 

I mean who would read that and think he was serious? Well, I suppose it would be people who didn't know them and those who were already irate about her teasing article to begin with. 

The funny thing is, Nancy laughed later that she did use mirror and several other Non-U words in her novels. And I think it's even more funny that to this day, 70+ years later, people are still taking it so seriously.

When I was writing my novel, THE MAYFAIR BOOKSHOP, I did a lot of studying of language and "Mitford idiom", because Nancy and her siblings had a singular way of speaking, and I wanted it to come across as authentic in my novel. It wasn't just the U vs. Non-U, they had a lot of words they used that were different than others, some from their own language called Boudledidge, and some just an over-exaggeration of English words like wondair for wonder. They also spoke with a very posh sounding accent that the youngest Deborah remarked on it being irritating even to her sometimes, and that got Nancy removed from a BBC series was hosting. I really enjoyed the deep dive, and I hope you've had some fun reading about the different words.

So, tell me, are you more of a luncheon person or a mid-day dinner? Guess which is U and Non-U!