Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer
| Raine, Countess Spencer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Raine McCorquodale 9 September 1929 UK |
| Died | 21 October 2016 (aged 87) London, England, UK |
| Occupation | Socialite and politician |
| Spouse(s) |
Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth (m. 1947; div. 1976) John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer (m. 1976; d. 1992) Comte Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun (m. 1993; div. 1995) |
| Children |
William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth Rupert Legge Charlotte Paternó Castello, Duchess of Carcaci Henry Legge |
| Parent(s) | Alexander McCorquodale Dame Barbara Cartland |
Raine, Countess Spencer (née McCorquodale; 9 September 1929 – 21 October 2016) was a British socialite and local politician. Formerly known, by prior marriages, as the Comtesse Jean-François Pineton de Chambrun, Lady Dartmouth and Lady Lewisham, she was the daughter of Alexander McCorquodale and the romantic novelist and socialite Dame Barbara Cartland.
Her taste was frequently questioned and her relationship with her stepchildren much discussed. As Countess Spencer, Raine was unpopular with her stepdaughter, Diana, Princess of Wales. Her three marriages, at varying times, accorded her five titles: the Honourable Mrs. Gerald Legge, Viscountess Lewisham, Countess of Dartmouth, Countess Spencer and Comtesse de Chambrun.
Raine McCorquodale was the only child of novelist Dame Barbara Cartland and Alexander McCorquodale, an Army officer who was heir to a printing fortune. Her parents divorced in 1936 and her mother promptly married Alexander McCorquodale's cousin, Hugh McCorquodale, by whom she had two sons, Ian and Glen McCorquodale.
In 1947, 18-year-old Raine McCorquodale was launched as a debutante into London high society. She had a successful season, not only being named "Deb of the Year," but becoming engaged to be married to the heir of an earldom, the Hon. Gerald Humphry Legge. She and Legge married on 21 July 1948. He succeeded to the courtesy title Viscount Lewisham in 1958 and became the 9th Earl of Dartmouth in 1962. The couple had four children:
Following her marriage, Lady Dartmouth began to take a strong interest in politics. At age 23, she became the youngest member of Westminster City Council as a Conservative. As Lady Lewisham, and later Lady Dartmouth, she remained in local government for the following 17 years. She sat on Westminster's town planning, parks and personnel committees, and was later elected to represent Richmond on the Greater London Council. In this capacity she took a special interest in environmental planning and ancient buildings. She chaired the Covent Garden Development Committee and the government working party for the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.
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