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| Michael Asquith y Diana Battye, 1938. |
El 5 de septiembre de 1915, Diana “ Didi ” Eveline Montagu Battye nació en Kensington, Londres. Diana era la única hija del teniente coronel Percival “ Percy ” Lawrence Montagu Battye (1886-1945) y Elisabeth (también conocida como “ Elise ” y “ Elsie ”) Rodocanachi (1891-1982), quienes se casaron en la iglesia All Saints, Binfield, el 23 de junio de 1914.
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| El matrimonio de Montagu John Battye y Marguerite Josephine Turner, 1885. |
Los abuelos paternos de Diana Battye fueron Montagu John Battye (1858-1942) y su esposa Marguerite Josephine Turner (1861-1925), quienes se casaron en 1885.
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| Acta de entierro de Michel Rodoconachi, 1911. |
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| Acta de entierro de Despina Rodoconachi, 1914. |
Los abuelos maternos de Diana Battye fueron Michel Rodoconachi (1856-1911), director de un barco de vapor, y Despina Scaramanga (1861-1914), quienes se casaron en 1884. Tanto la familia Rodoconachi como la Scaramanga eran de origen griego y de fe ortodoxa oriental.
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| Teniente coronel Percival “Percy” Battye. |
Los padres de Diana acabaron divorciándose. En 1936, la madre de Diana, Elizabeth, se casó con Leonard Arthur Hackett (1905-1978). El 29 de mayo de 1945, el padre de Diana, el teniente coronel Percy Battye, miembro de la Guardia Galesa y condecorado con la Cruz Militar, murió en un accidente de coche cerca de Amberes. Además de su servicio militar durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el teniente coronel Percy Battye también fue veterano de la Primera Guerra Mundial.
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| Diana Battye, 1937. |
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| El Parlamento analiza brevemente la desaparición de Diana Battye.
Artículo (c) The Guardian, 18 de junio de 1937. |
On 1 June 1937, Diana Battye disappeared while staying at the London residence of her friend
Viscountess Long (née Laura Charteris; 1915-1990; later the Duchess of Marlborough) during the coronation festivities of King George VI of the United Kingdom. The investigation into Diana’s disappearance was quickly turned over to Scotland Yard. It was revealed that Diana’s fiancé Michael Asquith, the second son of
The Hon. Herbert Dixon Asquith and
Lady Cynthia Charteris, had received a note while studying at Oxford which read: “
Unless you take better care of Miss Battye she will be removed.” Scotland Yard was also given other anonymous threats which had been received by Diana. Lady Long swiftly disclosed to Scotland Yard that Diana had been attacked on the evening of the coronation, 12 May, when Diana was slashed on her forehead by an unknown male assailant. The assault was not reported to authorities, as Lady Long recounted that Diana had begged for the attack not to be made public as she feared it would be repeated. On 9 June, Diana suddenly reappeared on the steps of the Asquith family home in London; Lady Cynthia Asquith heard sobs and discovered her son’s betrothed. Diana’s stepfather Leonard Hackett stated: “
When Diana was found she was in a state of complete mental collapse and obviously suffering loss of memory. She became more coherent when we got her to bed. We questioned her but her mind was a complete blank regarding the last eight days since she disappeared.” T
he mystery behind Diana’s disappearance even made its way to the House of Commons. On 17 June, Alfred Short, Member of Parliament for Doncaster, asked Home Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare: “
Have the Metropolitan Police have found any evidence justifying the theory that Miss Diana Battye was kidnapped?” The Home Secretary replied: “
The answer is in the negative.”
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| The newlyweds: Michael Asquith and Diana Battye, 1938. |
After the drama of 1937, Diana and her fiancé continued with their wedding plans. On 17 February 1938, Diana Battye married Michael Henry Asquith (25 July 1914-19 January 2004) at All Saints Church, Binfield Park, Bracknell, Berkshire. The wedding was attended by fifty guests, and the local villagers stood outside in the snow to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds. Michael and Diana spent their honeymoon on the European Continent.
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| Annabel Asquith, 1956. |
Michael Asquith and Diana Battye had three children: Annabel Asquith (1939-1971; married Jasper R. Ungoed-Thomas), Stephen Asquith (b.1944; married firstly Nicola Scott; married secondly Clare Frances Stanton), and Peter Asquith (1947-2019). Michael Asquith and Diana Battye divorced in 1952.
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| The death notice of Diana Battye, 2005. |
El 28 de julio de 1953, Diana Battye se casó con Alastair Robin Peter Patrick Keith Cameron (1919-1980). Diana se casó en tercer lugar con Peter Thursby. En cuarto y último lugar, se casó con un tal Sr. Holland-Martin, a quien sobrevivió. La Sra. Diana Eveline Montagu Battye Asquith Cameron Thursby Holland-Martin murió el 24 de julio de 2005, a los ochenta y nueve años. Le faltaban dos meses para cumplir noventa años. Su funeral se celebró el 25 de julio de 2005 en la iglesia de St. Faith, Overbury.
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| La tiara que antiguamente perteneció a Diana Battye, y que ella le regaló a una amiga en los años 60. |
En 2018, compré una tiara de perlas que había pertenecido a Diana Battye. Antes de que Diana le regalara la tiara a otra persona en la década de 1960, no se sabe con certeza cuál era su procedencia. La única persona que la ha lucido desde su adquisición es mi abuela, Eva, en las ocasiones en que le hicieron retratos por su 88.º y 90.º cumpleaños.
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| Diana Battye (1915-2005). |
