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The Countess of Avon | |
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![]() Clarissa, Lady Eden, in 1960 | |
Born | Anne Clarissa Spencer-Churchill 28 June 1920 Kensington, London, England |
Died | 15 November 2021 London, England | (aged 101)
Known for | Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom (1955–1957) |
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Anne Clarissa Eden, Countess of Avon (née Spencer-Churchill; 28 June 1920 – 15 November 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,[1] 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.[2] She turned 100 in 2020,[3] the second British prime minister's spouse to become a centenarian after Wilson.
Wilson's death makes the exclusive club of past or present prime ministerial consorts more exclusive than ever. Now there are just six of them. The oldest member is Clarissa Eden, widow of Anthony, who turns 98 this month.