Summary of "Short History Of… The Mitford Sisters"

Podcast: Short History Of…
Host: John Hopkins (Noiser Network)
Episode: The Mitford Sisters
Date: August 24, 2025

Overview

This vivid episode explores the remarkable—and often notorious—lives of the six Mitford sisters, English aristocrats who grew up together in the early 20th century but went on to inhabit radically different and sometimes opposing worlds. Ranging from literary salons to political extremism, their intertwined stories shine a light on British society, shifting gender roles, and the ideological battles that dominated the first half of the twentieth century.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Upbringing

• The sisters were daughters of Lord and Lady Redesdale (David and Sydney Mitford).
• Raised in grand but sometimes cold country estates—including Batsford, Asthall Manor, and Swinbrook—under eccentric and strict parents.
• Their upbringing reflected the social expectations of the British upper class:
  • Education:
    • The only brother, Tom, was sent to Eton; the sisters were educated at home by their mother and governesses.
    • “The girls were all educated at home...they had no tertiary education, which embittered several of the girls.” (Mary Lovell, 09:25)
  • Childhood Activities:
    • They enjoyed outdoor sports, kept unusual pets (e.g., sheep, snakes), organized plays, and invented secret languages and societies.
    • The sisters formed secret societies like the “ONS Society” and spoke in “Bowdlerage,” a private language for evading adult understanding.
      • “One of the things these girls did...they had secret societies...a secret language called Bowdledge which they spoke to each other.” (Mary Lovell, 10:21)

2. Developing Distinct Personalities

• Despite shared upbringing, each sister carved out her own identity, with wildly opposite worldviews:
  • Nancy: The witty eldest, destined to become a celebrated writer.
    • “Nancy was always a scribbler.” (Mary Lovell, 11:43)
  • Pamela: The rural one, excelling at animal husbandry and farming.
  • Diana: The beauty, initially a society star, later aligned with British fascism.
  • Unity & Jessica ("Decca"): Politically at odds—Unity embraced fascism; Decca became a passionate communist.
    • “They drew a line down the center of this sitting room...pictures of Hitler and Mussolini and swastikas, and on the other side...the hammer and sickle..." (Mary Lovell, 13:15)
  • Deborah: The youngest, known for her calmness and clear aspirations—dreaming of marrying a duke from a young age.

3. Coming-of-Age in a Changing Society

• The sisters made their debuts in high society, but generational change was in the air:
  • Nancy, part of a post-WWI cohort, chafed against the traditional roles assigned to young women and gravitated toward intellectual and artistic circles.
  • Her friends inspired Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, who became part of her social circle.
  • “Nancy is instantly popular...she becomes especially close to a group of intellectual Oxford students, many of whom are gay.” (16:25)

4. Diverging Political Paths and Public Scandal

• Diana's Fascist Turn:
  • Married Brian Guinness; later left him for Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists (BUF).
  • Relationship became obsessive: “She absolutely fell for him in a sort of clap of thunder really.” (Mary Lovell, 20:37)
  • Attended exclusive Nazi gatherings and eventually married Mosley secretly in the home of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, with Hitler as guest of honor.
    • “They married with Hitler as their guest of honour. That was kept absolutely secret...” (Mary Lovell, 31:37)
• Unity’s Nazism:
  • Moved to Munich, stalked Hitler until they met, and became close friends and confidant.
    • “She was already sort of half besotted by Hitler before she went...she booked the same table every single day, and she sat there until he came in.” (Mary Lovell, 22:45)
  • Attended over 140 events with Hitler, wrote anti-Semitic letters, and embraced Nazi ideology zealously.
• Jessica's Communism:
  • Rejected family privilege, became committed to leftist politics.
  • Ran away with her cousin Esmond Romilly to participate in the Spanish Civil War, sparking tabloid outrage.
    • “She had a big jar...labelled running away fund, and she saved up until she had enough money...” (Mary Lovell, 32:17)
  • Worked as a journalist and later emigrated to America, becoming an activist and publishing influential works.

5. World War II and Family Rupture

• Unity’s Suicide Attempt (Sep 1939): On hearing of war’s outbreak, shot herself with Hitler's gifted revolver; survived but was left mentally impaired.
  • “She ought to have died...the bullet had passed through her brain." (Mary Lovell, 41:15)
• Diana’s Internment: Diana and Mosley were imprisoned as security threats; Diana gave birth while in Holloway Prison.
• Esmond Romilly (Jessica’s husband): Killed in action during the war; Jessica blamed Diana and Oswald’s politics for her loss.
• Deborah’s Rise: Married the Duke of Devonshire; took up duties at Chatsworth House.
• Tom Mitford: The only brother, killed in Burma just months before the war's end.

6. Aftermath and Later Years

• The war shattered the sisters’ unity; they never reconciled their political differences.
• Unity died in 1948 due to ongoing complications from her injury.
• Deborah and her husband became the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, modernizing Chatsworth.
• Diana remained unrepentant about her fascist sympathies for the rest of her life.
• Pamela divorced and lived with Italian companion Giuditta Tomassi; the relationship may have been romantic.
• Nancy thrived as a literary figure in Paris; her novels captured postwar English society.
• Jessica (Decca) became a prominent American author and civil rights activist.
  • “She wrote books such as The American Way of Death, which was a phenomenal success in the United States...It was read by everybody from JFK down.” (Mary Lovell, 47:43)
• The sisters remained tabloid figures and cultural touchstones until their deaths—Deborah, the last, died in 2014.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the sisters’ divergent paths:
  • “One of the really weird things about the story...they were all educated in the same way...yet they turned out to be diametrically opposed in their ideologies.” (Mary Lovell, 11:22)
• On Unity’s dogged pursuit of Hitler:
  • “In her diary, she wrote, joined Hitler, the Fuhrer at his table. It was the most wonderful day of my life.” (Mary Lovell, 22:45)
• On Diana’s obsessive love:
  • “It was obsessive. She absolutely fell for him in a sort of clap of thunder really.” (Mary Lovell, 20:37)
• On the sisters’ ongoing relevance:
  • “When you think about that time in the 30s, running up to the Second World War, I can't tell you how many people have said to me recently how relevant it seems today.” (Mary Lovell, 49:47)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [07:46] – Mary Lovell describes the sisters’ homes and childhood environment.
• [10:21] – Secret societies, sibling rivalries, and invented languages.
• [13:15] – Unity and Jessica’s political split, literally dividing a room in half.
• [20:37] – Diana meets Oswald Mosley and becomes involved in fascism.
• [22:45] – Unity’s pursuit and friendship with Hitler.
• [32:17] – Jessica’s “running away fund” and elopement to the Spanish Civil War.
• [41:15] – Unity’s suicide attempt and subsequent disability.
• [47:43] – Jessica’s American writing career and its influence on JFK.

Thematic Takeaways

• The Mitford sisters’ lives encapsulate the clashing ideologies of the 20th century, illustrating how family, politics, privilege, and personal conviction can collide with dramatic, sometimes tragic, consequences.
• Their ongoing allure stems from their glamour, wit, public feuds, and personal entanglements with pivotal historical events and figures.
• The episode concludes by drawing a parallel between the Mitfords’ era of ideological upheaval and today’s world, highlighting the sisters’ continued relevance as a lens for understanding history—and the present.

“The Mitford sisters were undoubtedly a precursor to the celebrities and reality television stars with whom many are obsessed today... the ideological conflicts at the heart of their story [are] as fascinating as the glamour and the drama.”
— John Hopkins (48:31)

For those interested in further reading, Mary Lovell’s biography "The Mitford Girls" receives special mention throughout the episode.