Anne Parsons, Countess of Rosse
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The Right Honourable The Countess of Rosse |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Anne Messel 8 February 1902 Gloucester Terrace, Paddington, London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 3 July 1992 (aged 90) Nymans, Sussex, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) |
Ronald Armstrong-Jones (m. 1925; div. 1934) Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse (m. 1935; d. 1979) |
| Children | Susan Vesey, Viscountess Vesci Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse Martin Parsons |
| Parents | Leonard Messel Maud Frances Sambourne |
| Occupation | Socialite |
| Known for | Founder of The Victorian Society |
Anne Parsons, Countess of Rosse (née Messel, previously Armstrong-Jones; 8 February 1902 – 3 July 1992), was a society hostess and one of the founders of The Victorian Society and the mother of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon.
Anne Messel was born 8 February 1902, the second child and only daughter of Maud (daughter of Edward Linley Sambourne) and Leonard Messel. She was sister to Linley Messel (1899–1971) and celebrated theatrical designer Oliver Messel (1904–1978).
Anne made her debut in society in 1922. She married Ronald Armstrong-Jones on 22 July 1925 and they were divorced in 1934. They have two children, nine grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren:
She remarried Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse on 19 September 1935. They have two sons, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren:
At a Guy Fawkes night party in 1957, inspired by her house at 18 Stafford Terrace and the reaction of its visitors, Anne, Countess of Rosse proposed founding a Victorian Society to encourage the preservation and appreciation of what was then unfashionable art and architecture. A handful of enthusiasts, including Sir John Betjeman and Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, agreed to support the cause. The Victorian Society was founded at 18 Stafford Terrace in February 1958 with the aim of preserving Victorian and Edwardian architecture and encouraging research into the art and history of the period.
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