A merry Mitford wedding! High society scion Nancy Morrison weds in Valentine’s Day ceremony complete with cupid Guinness, a red velvet evening dress and a VERY lively dance floor
The scion of one of high society’s most scandalous families has tied the knot in a Valentine’s Day-themed wedding.
Nancy Morrison, 30, is the granddaughter of Deborah ‘Debo’ Cavendish, the youngest of the Mitford sisters whose eccentric and controversial antics made them the talk of high society in the 1930s and ’40s.
Deborah and her siblings moved in the same circles as Winston Churchill, John F Kennedy and Evelyn Waugh – and even Adolf Hitler – and were the It girls of their day.
Her husband – the 11th Duke of Devonshire – famously warned ‘never marry a Mitford’ – a slogan that was later turned into a Gucci jumper design.
But his granddaughter, the Hon Nancy Morrison, is determined to prove that joining their legendary family is well worth doing after marrying William Maitland, 29, in a colourful Valentine’s Day-themed wedding at the weekend.
The couple, who announced their engagement last year, exchanged vows on Saturday at St Mary and St Nicholas Church in Wilton, Wiltshire – a stone’s throw from her father’s 9,000-acre Fonthill Estate.
This was followed by a romantic celebration befitting the 14 February date, complete with cupid-themed Guinness for guests.
Bride Nancy looked radiant in a bespoke Ella May London gown – a stunning ivory silk creation with long sleeves, a high neckline featuring a delicate ruffled collar, and an elegant full skirt with a sweeping train.
Bride Nancy looked radiant on her big day in a bespoke Ella May London gown – a stunning ivory silk creation with long sleeves, a high neckline featuring a delicate ruffled collar, and an elegant full skirt with a sweeping train. She is seen here with her parents, the Hon Alastair Morison, and Lady Sophia Topley
The 30-year-old, whose grandmother Deborah ‘Debo’ Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, was the youngest of society’s most scandalous sisters, married William Maitland, 29, in a colourful Valentine’s Day-themed wedding at the weekend. The happy couple are seen posing with their adorable flower girls outside St Mary and St Nicholas Church in Wilton, Wiltshire
Nancy fully embraced the Valentine’s Day theme with her reception outfit change – swapping her bridal gown for a show-stopping red fringed party dress, accessorised with an elaborate headpiece decorated with hearts, miniature champagne bottles and playful charms
She wore her veil beneath a sparkling tiara, and carried a loose bouquet of hellebores, roses and greenery in soft pinks, whites and greens.
The dress designer, Ella May Sangster, is the granddaughter of the late billionaire horse racing magnate Robert Sangster, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2004 aged 67.
Nancy was walked to the church by her father, the Hon Alastair Morrison, 3rd Baron Margadale, who cut a dapper figure in morning dress with a cream waistcoat and pink patterned tie.
The groom, William, wore traditional morning dress with a mint green waistcoat and striped trousers, with a white rose buttonhole.
Renewable energy consultant William is a scion of landed gentry and the elder son of Johnny Maitland and Moira Maitland, of Lincolnshire.
The bridal party had a strong Valentine’s Day theme, with young flower girls dressed in matching crushed red velvet dresses and white rose flower crowns – while a very young page boy sported burgundy shorts and a white shirt with a sprig of greenery on his lapel.
One photo shared by a guest on social media captured the delightful chaos of the group shot outside the church, with one small flower girl in floods of tears.
As the newlyweds emerged from the ornate Norman-style church doorway, they were showered with confetti by cheering guests, before sharing a romantic kiss on the gravel path outside – the groom sweeping his new bride into a dramatic dip as onlookers erupted in laughter and applause.
The Valentine’s Day theme was woven through every detail of the reception. In a playful nod to the day of love, guests were treated to pints of Guinness topped with a cupid design printed in pink on the foam, as seen in a photo shared on Instagram by Ella Mountbatten, great-great-granddaughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg.
In the evening, the party moved to a marquee on the estate, where a neon heart light installation served as the backdrop to the dance floor. A live band played songs including Shout by Lulu as guests danced in front of the glowing double-heart design.
The groom, William, wore traditional morning dress with a mint green waistcoat and striped trousers, with a white rose buttonhole
As the newlyweds emerged from the ornate Norman-style church doorway, they were showered with confetti by cheering guests, before sharing a romantic kiss on the gravel path outside – the groom sweeping his new bride into a dramatic dip as onlookers erupted in laughter and applause
Nancy fully embraced the Valentine’s Day theme with her outfit change – swapping her bridal gown for a show-stopping red fringed party dress, accessorised with an elaborate headpiece decorated with hearts, miniature champagne bottles and playful charms.
Another photo, shared by a friend, captured the bride beaming in her evening look with a cocktail in hand.
Nancy is known for throwing a memorable party. At her 21st birthday in 2016, it was so raucous that police were called to the Fonthill Estate.
Nancy’s mother, Lady Sophia Topley – daughter of Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, and author – shared a poignant photo on Instagram of herself posing proudly with the bride and her husband, Lord Margadale, on a staircase decorated with bare spring branches. ‘What a lovely day! So happy to see Mr and Mrs Maitland married,’ she wrote.
Interior decorator Flora Soames – great-granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill – commented on the post: ‘Huge congratulations! How happy and beautiful Nancy looks,’ while Daylesford Organic founder Carole Bamford wrote: ‘Beautiful Nancy.’
Harry Herbert, the son of the late Earl of Carnarvon, added ‘Stunning!!’ alongside a trio of red heart emojis, and designer Cath Kidston wrote: ‘Beautiful Nancy… so happy for them both.’
The bride’s grandmother, Deborah, who died aged 94 in 2014, was the youngest and last surviving of the six Mitford sisters – the notorious ‘Bright Young Things’ whose lives were defined by literary triumph, political scandal and aristocratic glamour.
Among them was Nancy Mitford, the famous novelist best known for The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate.
Guests were treated to pints of Guinness topped with a cupid design printed in pink on the foam, as seen in a photo shared on Instagram by Ella Mountbatten, great-great-granddaughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg
The bride Nancy with her father, the Hon Alastair Morrison
The sisters’ legendary tales of betrayal, scandal, heartache, and imprisonment were recently turned into a six-part TV drama starring Bridgerton actress Bessie Carter as Nancy.
Diana Mitford was imprisoned from June 1940 to November 1943 due to her active fascist sympathies, posing a security risk to Britain during World War II.
She was detained without charge for over three years, initially in poor conditions, separated from her young children, before joining her husband, Oswald Mosley, in specially permitted accommodation.
Nancy’s family heritage is among the most colourful in British society. Her grandmother Deborah, the youngest of the six Mitford girls, married Lord Andrew Cavendish in 1941.
He was then the younger son of the 10th Duke of Devonshire, but when his elder brother was killed during the war in 1944, Andrew unexpectedly became heir to Chatsworth – the Derbyshire pile often dubbed Britain’s favourite country house.
Deborah went on to transform the estate into one of the nation’s most impressive and visited stately homes, earning a damehood from Queen Elizabeth II in 1999. She was also famously one of Elvis Presley’s greatest fans.
On her father’s side, the Morrison family has owned the Fonthill Estate since 1830, when Nancy’s ancestor James Morrison – once dubbed ‘the Napoleon of shopkeepers’ – purchased the land with his textile fortune.
The family went on to accumulate vast wealth and political influence, with Nancy’s great-grandfather John Morrison, serving as MP for Salisbury and Chairman of the Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee before becoming the 1st Baron Margadale – the last commoner to receive a hereditary peerage.
