Lady Henniker-Major | |
---|---|
![]() Benning in March 1939 | |
Born | Margaret Osla Benning 23 August 1921
Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Died | 29 October 1974
Kensington,
London, England | (aged 53)
Spouse | |
Children | 3 |
Margaret Osla, Lady Henniker-Major (née Benning; 23 August 1921 – 29 October 1974) was a Canadian debutante, who worked at Bletchley Park, was Prince Philip's first girlfriend, and later married Sir John Henniker-Major (who became the 8th Baron Henniker after her death).
Osla Benning was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, [1] on 23 August 1921, [2] the daughter of Edith Black and James William Benning, [3] and the goddaughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten. [4] She went to finishing school in Austria, and came out as a debutante in August 1939. [5] [6]
Benning went to stay with her godfather Lord Mountbatten, who mentioned to her friend (and fellow goddaughter) Sarah Baring that Prince Philip (Mountbatten's nephew) did not have a girlfriend and Baring acted as matchmaker. [5] According to Baring, "It was obvious that he was Osla's boyfriend in a simple, nice way, so to speak". [5] "I do know that he was her first love," says her daughter, Jane Spring. "She never told me about him for years. She just said: 'I fell in love with a naval officer'." [5]
Early in the war, she and Baring went to build Hurricane fighter planes at a Hawker Siddeley factory [6] close to Slough, and shared a cottage nearby. [7]
A few months later, by summer 1941, they were both tested on their German language skills and posted to Hut 4 at Bletchley Park, the naval section, as linguists. [5] [6] [7]
Kate Quinn’s 2021 novel about Bletchley Park, The Rose Code, features a character named Osla Kendall, who is based heavily on Osla Benning.
She married John Henniker-Major (later 8th Baron Henniker) in 1946. They had two sons and one daughter: [8]
Her husband was knighted in the 1965 New Years Honours List and succeeded as the 8th Baron Henniker in 1980. [9]
Benning died of cancer in Kensington, [2] London, on 29 October 1974, [4] at the age of 53.
Lady Henniker-Major | |
---|---|
![]() Benning in March 1939 | |
Born | Margaret Osla Benning 23 August 1921
Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Died | 29 October 1974
Kensington,
London, England | (aged 53)
Spouse | |
Children | 3 |
Margaret Osla, Lady Henniker-Major (née Benning; 23 August 1921 – 29 October 1974) was a Canadian debutante, who worked at Bletchley Park, was Prince Philip's first girlfriend, and later married Sir John Henniker-Major (who became the 8th Baron Henniker after her death).
Osla Benning was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, [1] on 23 August 1921, [2] the daughter of Edith Black and James William Benning, [3] and the goddaughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten. [4] She went to finishing school in Austria, and came out as a debutante in August 1939. [5] [6]
Benning went to stay with her godfather Lord Mountbatten, who mentioned to her friend (and fellow goddaughter) Sarah Baring that Prince Philip (Mountbatten's nephew) did not have a girlfriend and Baring acted as matchmaker. [5] According to Baring, "It was obvious that he was Osla's boyfriend in a simple, nice way, so to speak". [5] "I do know that he was her first love," says her daughter, Jane Spring. "She never told me about him for years. She just said: 'I fell in love with a naval officer'." [5]
Early in the war, she and Baring went to build Hurricane fighter planes at a Hawker Siddeley factory [6] close to Slough, and shared a cottage nearby. [7]
A few months later, by summer 1941, they were both tested on their German language skills and posted to Hut 4 at Bletchley Park, the naval section, as linguists. [5] [6] [7]
Kate Quinn’s 2021 novel about Bletchley Park, The Rose Code, features a character named Osla Kendall, who is based heavily on Osla Benning.
She married John Henniker-Major (later 8th Baron Henniker) in 1946. They had two sons and one daughter: [8]
Her husband was knighted in the 1965 New Years Honours List and succeeded as the 8th Baron Henniker in 1980. [9]
Benning died of cancer in Kensington, [2] London, on 29 October 1974, [4] at the age of 53.