Elizabeth Longford
English historian and biographer of 19th-century figures
Elizabeth Longford, born Elizabeth Harman on 30 August 1906 at 108 Harley Street in London, was an English historian. Her father, Nathaniel Bishop Harman, was an eye specialist. She attended Francis Holland School and Headington School before studying at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Described by *The New York Times* as "able, articulate and beautiful," she was called "the Zuleika Dobson of her day," with students and professors alike competing for her affection. On 3 November 1931, she married Frank Pakenham, later the 7th Earl of Longford, in a marriage the BBC called "famously harmonious." Both converted to Roman Catholicism—she from Unitarianism—and were active social reformers. The couple had eight children, including writers Lady Antonia Fraser, Lady Rachel Billington, and Judith Kazantzis, as well as Thomas Pakenham, who succeeded his father as Earl. Her brother was physician John B. Harman, and his daughter is Labour politician Harriet Harman. Longford was also a great-niece of politician Joseph Chamberlain and a first cousin once removed of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.
Politically, she ran unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Labour candidate. In 1935 she contested the safe Conservative seat of Cheltenham, and in 1950 she lost to Quintin Hogg at Oxford. During the war she sought selection for Birmingham King’s Norton but withdrew in 1944 due to her sixth pregnancy; the seat was won by Labour in 1945 by 12,000 votes. Longford served as a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery and was a member of the Royal Society of Literature. She is best known for her biographies of 19th-century figures: *Victoria R.I.* (1964), which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize; a two-volume life of the Duke of Wellington (1969 and 1972); and *Byron* (1976). Her other works include *The Royal House of Windsor* (1974), *Winston Churchill* (1974), *A Pilgrimage of Passion: The Life of Wilfrid Scawen Blunt* (1979), *Jameson’s Raid* (1982), and *Elizabeth R: A Biography* (1983). She died on 23 October 2002, aged 96, at Bernhurst in Hurst Green, East Sussex.
- born
- 30 August 1906, 108 Harley Street, Marylebone, London
- died
- 23 October 2002, Bernhurst, Hurst Green, East Sussex
- field
- History, biography
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Biographies of Queen Victoria, Lord Byron, and the Duke of Wellington
Lore & Background
Elizabeth Harman was born on 30 August 1906 at 108 Harley Street in Marylebone, London. The daughter of eye specialist Nathaniel Bishop Harman, she was educated at Francis Holland School and Headington School, and was an undergraduate at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. On 3 November 1931, she married Frank Pakenham, later 7th Earl of Longford, who died in August 2001. She and her husband were both devout Roman Catholic converts, Lady Longford having been raised a Unitarian, and avid social reformers. The Longfords had eight children. Her brother, John B. Harman, was a physician; his daughter is Labour politician Harriet Harman. Lady Longford was a great-niece of the politician Joseph Chamberlain and a first cousin once removed of the British prime minister Neville Chamberlain.
Reader's Guide
Elizabeth Longford’s career as a historian was marked by a focus on major 19th-century figures, producing acclaimed biographies of Queen Victoria, Lord Byron, and the Duke of Wellington. Her work earned her membership in the Royal Society of Literature and a position on the board of trustees of the National Portrait Gallery in London. Beyond her writing, she was an active political figure, standing as a Labour Party candidate for Parliament on several occasions. She contested the safe Conservative seat of Cheltenham in 1935 and later lost to Quintin Hogg at Oxford in 1950. During the Second World War, she sought selection for Birmingham King’s Norton but withdrew her candidacy in 1944 due to her sixth pregnancy; the seat was subsequently won by Labour in 1945 by a margin of 12,000 votes. Longford’s personal life was deeply intertwined with her public work. She and her husband, Frank Pakenham, were both converts to Roman Catholicism—she having been raised a Unitarian—and were committed social reformers. Their marriage was described as famously harmonious. She was the mother of eight children, several of whom became notable writers, including Lady Antonia Fraser, Lady Rachel Billington, and Judith Kazantzis. Her own obituary noted that she was considered the best writer in a highly literary family. Longford’s historical biographies, particularly those of Victoria and Wellington, remain central to her legacy, blending rigorous scholarship with accessible narrative.
Did You Know?
- Elizabeth Longford was a great-niece of the politician Joseph Chamberlain and a first cousin once removed of the British prime minister Neville Chamberlain.
- Her brother John B. Harman was a physician; his daughter is Labour politician Harriet Harman.
- She was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for her biography Victoria R.I. (1964).
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