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Irene Mountbatten, Marchioness of Carisbrooke

London, 4 Jul 1890 – 16 Jul 1956

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 4 Jul 1890

    Born in London

  2. 13 Jan 1920

    A daughter is born

  3. 16 Jul 1956

    Dies, aged 66

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around London.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1890s · Irene is born in London

In the news1897

1897 Marconi receives patent for radio communications

Guglielmo Marconi received the first patent for radio communications in 1897.

Getting around

Dramatic increases in travel speed by rail

Rail travel speeds significantly outperformed earlier coaches, with journeys that took 20 hours by stagecoach in 1830 taking only five hours by train by the early 20th century. For example, in 1872, a 220-mile trip to Scotland via train and carriage took over 9.5 hours, averaging about 23 miles per hour.

Around the world1893

Women vote in New Zealand

New Zealand became the first country where women could vote in national elections.

Daily life

Lighting was primarily gas or oil

Most homes relied on gas lamps, oil lamps, or candles for light, as electricity remained a rare luxury for most families during this period.

What people wore

Sunday Best as a Status Symbol

Ordinary working-class men and women maintained a Sunday best outfit, often a three-piece suit for men, to symbolize respectability and celebrate the weekly day of rest.

Music

Kitchen Parties and Festive Songs

At Christmas time, people enjoyed kitchen dance parties featuring the Polka, the Heel and Toe, and jigs, often ending with step dancing on a farm wagon for prizes. Singing was also ubiquitous at social gatherings, with everyone expected to contribute a song.

At the table

High beer consumption

Beer was the most popular drink for adults, with an average annual consumption of 32.5 gallons per person by 1900. Some working-class families in London drank nearly five pints of beer per week.