Anne Messel was born 8 February 1902, in London, the second child and only daughter of Maud and Leonard Messel. She was the sister of Linley Messel and celebrated theatrical designerOliver Messel. She grew up in Sussex, close to the home of her grandparents at Nymans. She was educated at home; needlework and gardening were among her early interests. The presence of illustrations in surviving family letters and diaries reveals that she also had some artistic talent.
Marriage and children
Anne made her debut in society in 1922. Her poise and fashion sense were praised by society columnists in newspapers such as the Daily Express and Evening News. Her friends included Edward James and Tilly Losch, Zita Jungman, and society photographer Cecil Beaton. She married Ronald Armstrong-Jones on 22 July 1925 and they were divorced in 1934. They had two children:
Anne married Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse, on 19 September 1935. Rosse had extensive estates in Ireland and was nicknamed "The Adonis of the Peerage". They had two sons and five grandchildren:
Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse, who married Alison Cooke-Hurle on 15 October 1966
Hon. Desmond Oliver Martin Parsons, who married Aline Edwina Macdonald
In 1947, the house at Nymans was badly damaged by fire, and the countess travelled to Staplefield to help. Her parents vacated the house and bought Holmsted Manor nearby as their new home. The earl and countess continued to use the house, following repairs, and it passed to the National Trust on her father's death in 1953. After the earl's death in 1979, the countess returned to live at Nymans and retained some responsibility for the appearance of the gardens.
At a Guy Fawkes night party in 1957, inspired by her house at 18 Stafford Terrace and the reaction of its 32 visitors, Anne, Countess of Rosse proposed founding a Victorian Society to encourage the preservation and appreciation of what was then unfashionable art and architecture. A handful of enthusiasts, including Sir John Betjeman and Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, agreed to support the cause. The Victorian Society was founded at 18 Stafford Terrace in February 1958 with the aim of preserving Victorian and Edwardian architecture and encouraging research into the art and history of the period.
Title and styles
8 February 1902 – 22 July 1925: Miss Anne Messel
22 July 1925 – 1934: Mrs Ronald Armstrong-Jones
1934 – 19 September 1935: Mrs Anne Armstrong-Jones
