| Description | Papers of Lady Clarissa Eden (nee Spencer-Churchill), Countess of Avon, 1920-2021, widow of Sir Anthony Eden, 1897-1977. The papers include a large series of Clarissa Eden's personal correspondence to individuals, organisations and charities In addition to appointment diaries and other log books; papers for her memoirs and tapes with recollections of the Suez crisis; financial, legal, travel and property papers; and a selection of printed and audio material. The papers also contain material about Anthony Eden, primarily from after his death, including papers relating to busts of Lord Avon in the Foreign Office and Speaker's House, and details of his gravestone and memorial service.
The papers also include material belonging to Anthony Eden, including correspondence; appointment diaries; notes for speeches; papers relating to the death of Robert Eden in 1928, and visitor books. Both parts of the collection contain photographs of Clarissa and Anthony and of buildings, artwork and other miscellaneous items. |
| Administrative History | Clarissa Eden, Lady Avon
Anne Clarissa Eden, Countess of Avon (née Spencer-Churchill), 1920-2021, was an English memoirist and the second wife of Anthony Eden, who served as British prime minister from 1955 to 1957. She married Eden in 1952, becoming Lady Eden in 1954 when he was made Knight Companion of the Garter, before becoming Countess of Avon in 1961 when her husband was created Earl of Avon. In 2007, at 87, she released her memoir subtitled From Churchill to Eden. On the death of Lady Wilson of Rievaulx in 2018, Lady Avon became the oldest living spouse of a British prime minister. She turned 100 in 2020, the second British prime minister's spouse to become a centenarian after Wilson.
Anthony Eden, Earl of Avon
(Robert) Anthony Eden was born 12 June 1897 at Windlestone Hall near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, one of five children of Sir William Eden and Sybil Frances (daughter of Sir William Grey). He was educated at Eton and then joined the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1915. He was awarded the MC in 1917 and in 1918 became the youngest brigadier-major in the British Army. After the war he went up to Christ Church, Oxford, graduating with first class honours in oriental languages in 1922.
He stood as Conservative candidate in the general election of November 1922 for the seat of Spennymoor, Co. Durham where he was unsuccessful. However, in 1923, he was adopted for the safe constituency of Warwick & Leamington which he won at the next election and he served this constituency up until his retirement in 1957. His lifelong political connection with foreign affairs began in 1926 as parliamentary private secretary to Sir Austen Chamberlain and in 1935, he became the youngest Foreign Secretary since the 18th century. His political career seemed at risk when he resigned from the government in February 1938 because of his disagreement with Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy. However, he was recalled to office on the outbreak of war, briefly as Dominions Secretary and then as Foreign Secretary, under Winston Churchill, until the Conservative defeat in 1945. He served for the third time as Foreign Secretary between 1951 and 1955 and cultivated Britain's vital relations with the United States and western Europe. In April 1955, on Churchill's retirement, Eden succeeded as Prime Minister but within less than two years, he had retired due to ill-health and his career was overshadowed by the Suez crisis. He died 14 January 1977.
Eden became Lord Avon in 1961. He held a number of honorary degrees and other offices including Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, 1945-73, and President of the Royal Shakespeare Company, 1958-66. He was married twice and had two sons by his first wife, Simon (killed in Burma in 1945) and Nicholas (died in 1985). |
| Custodial History | Material collected by, or given to, Clarissa Eden, Lady Avon. Following her death in 2021 material passed to Hugo Vickers, Lady Avon's literary agent, and subsequently acquired by the University of Birmingham. |