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Last broadcast on Fri, 10 Sep 2010, 10:00 on BBC Radio 4 (FM only).
Synopsis
A Woman's Hour special with Jenni Murray.
Deborah Cavendish is 90 years old and has witnessed the 20th century up close. She has met anybody who's anybody - Churchill, Hitler, JFK. She is also the last survivor of a remarkable set of women - the Mitford sisters: Nancy, who became a writer, Jessica who became a Communist, Unity who became a Fascist - and Diana who married one. In a special edition of Woman's Hour Jenni talks to 'Debo' - the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire about her life, and the times she lived through. In her autobiography 'Wait for Me' she also talks about her own personal challenges; her husband, the Duke, had a long battle with alcohol and three of her children died within hours of their birth. She's also credited with helping to save one of Britain's great country houses, Chatsworth, which is enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year.
The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire
Wait For Me: Memoirs of the Youngest Mitford Sister by Deborah Devonshire is published by John Murray. ISBN 97818485419000207
Broadcast
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Fri 10 Sep 201010:00
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