Male: Feisty, fears and larger than life. Nancy Astor was described by one political contemporary as a woman of greater flattery but also enormous charm. The first woman to take up seat in Britain’s House of Commons, Lady Astor was actually American for Nancy Witcher Langhorne in Virginia in 1879.
One of five sisters noted for their beauty, the family lived in poverty until Nancy was a teenager when her father suddenly acquired a fortune through railways. After a failed first marriage to desolate Boston socialite, Nancy moved to England with her favorite sister Phyllis where she took London society by storm. Courted by several rich and influential men, Nancy chose fellow American Waldorf Astor whose wealthy father later became a British Pierre. In Waldorf, Nancy has found someone as passionate about politics as she and the couple also shed a commitment to charitable causes, becoming well-known for their generosity. When Waldorf was forced to resign from the House of Commons in 1919 to take up his late father’s position in the House of Lords, Lady Astor contested his seat in insuring bi election.
Some women were ambivalent about her campaign as she won’t be in an active suffrage yet and Lady Astor came on against politicians like Winston Churchill who were horrified with the idea of women in politics.
Nancy Astor: Because I wanted the world to get better and I knew it couldn’t get better for it’s going to ruled by men the fact that I think it’s amazing how well the man did for 2000 years considered they tried to do it alone. It was a good time then and I remember Winston Churchill. He said to me once and told me a remarkable performance. We hope to freeze you out. We rented the House of Commons I felt like a woman had entered my box and I have nothing to protect myself with except the sponge.
Male: Lady Astor proved to be a formidable politician with a lack of potential in a blunt manner but endeared her to a wide range of people. The famous charm and flirtatious man at the skies the steely ambition and iron will. As conservative she had an unlikely friendship with search for his writer George Bernard Shaw who called her a recklessly un-lady-like lady.
Her political priorities were curving alcohol consumption, improving education and establishing with maternity centers and crashers. Lady Astor refused to tow the party line when she disagreed with it and pledged to steer a middle course to contentious issues often putting her at arms with her colleagues.
Before World War II, her intense opposition to war and a supporter of peace led to accusations that she was pro-Hitler. But when the war came, she was tireless in her efforts to keep up morale and risked her own life by staying with her Plymouth constituents rather than retreating to the safety of her life in her state.
Nancy was also renowned for her comedian tote and delighted Christmas house parties with her acting skills. Among the extended family who joined her five younger children at Cliveden every holiday was his niece Joyce Grantel who went on to become one of Britney’s most famous comic actors.
Grantle recalled her aunt as an intimidating dictatorial but also a generous woman. Lady Astor’s habit of plain speaking andher lack of tact ultimately alienated both her political colleagues and her own family. She had impossibly higher moral standards but like many of her social sets was unthinkingly racist. She also hated communism, fascism and performascism.
Towards the end of her life, Nancy became less prejudiced against Catholics, although she maintained her opposition to communism. However, she strongly criticized the house on American activities, committees, persecution of suspected communists during the late 1950’s.
Nancy Astor died in 1964 after a lifetime with fighting for what she believes. The main dangers in her life, she once said that the people he wants to change everything or nothing.
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