New Delhi: The full name of Nancy Astor is Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor and she is also known as the Viscountess Astor. She is a British politician born in America and the first woman seated as a Member of Parliament. She married twice, first the socialite Robert Gould Shaw II and it ended in divorce. Then she moved to England and thrived there.
Nancy Astor’s Early Life and Rise to Prominence
Born on May 19, 1879, in Virginia, Nancy’s family was poor until her birth. After she was born, the fortune of her family changed. In New York City, she met the socialite Robert Gould Shaw II. On October 27, 1897, they got married in New York City and at that time Nancy was just 18 years old. The marriage lasted for four years, and the couple had a son. The marriage, as has been mentioned, ended in divorce.
In 1904, Nancy went on a tour of England with her son Bobbie and loved the country. In 1905, Nancy and Phyllis moved together to England. There, she became popular in English society as an American who was witty and interesting. At that time, many rich young women from America had married aristocratic people. Nancy married an Englishman, albeit one born in the US, Waldorf Astor and began to lead the life of an elite.
The Political Career of Viscountess Astor
Nancy became a candidate for the Parliament following her husband’s success in the peerage and House of Lords in 1919. Before World War I, he had a good political career in the House of Commons. Later, after the death of his father, Waldorf became a House of Lords member. He had to give up his Plymouth Sutton seat in the House of Commons. As a result, Lady Astor contested the by-election for the seat.
On November 28, 1919, a by-election was held and Nancy took up her seat in the House on December 1 as a Member of Parliament. But Nancy was the second woman to be elected to the Parliament. It was Constance Markievicz, who in 1918 became the first woman MP elected to Westminster. But being an Irish Republican, she refused to take her seat. As a result, Lady Astor is the first woman MP to be seated in Parliament.
As a Member of Parliament, Astor advocated the welfare and rights of women. She was anti-communist and was sympathetic of Nazism. In 1945, she was advised to step down from the Parliament as she was outspoken which made her a liability in politics. After her husband’s death, she mostly withdrew from public life and died in 1964.
As a Member of Parliament, Nancy Astor advocated welfare and rights of women. She was anti-communist, and was sympathetic of Nazism. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
