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William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington (10 December 1917 – 10 September 1944), English, was the eldest son of Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire and Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire.[clarification needed] He was the husband of Kathleen Agnes Kennedy, sister of future U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
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Marriage
They were married on 6 May 1944 at the Register Office in Chelsea Town Hall on King's Road in London, England. She was "given away" by her eldest brother U.S. Navy Lieutenant Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.[1]
Death
Four months later, on 10 September 1944 William was killed in action in Belgium whilst serving during World War II as a major in the Coldstream Guards. His company was trying to capture the town of Heppen, which was being held by troops of the German SS Division. As an officer, he was not required to wear regulation uniform, and instead wore a white riding mac and brightly colored trousers.
In the weeks before he died, William's battalion, the 5th, serving in the Guards Armoured Division, had engaged in heavy fighting in Northern France. In early September, they crossed the Somme and pushed east towards Brussels, where his unit was one of the first to liberate the city.
Of the townsfolk and villagers who turned out and cheered the Allies, and in some cases decorated their tanks, William wrote to his wife of feeling "so unworthy of it all living as I have in reasonable safety and comfort during these years ... I have a permanent lump in my throat and long for you to be here as it is an experience which few can have and which I would love to share with you." [2]
Succession
His place in the order of succession was taken by his younger brother, Lord Andrew Cavendish — later 11th Duke of Devonshire.
References
- ^ "The Cavendishes & the Kennedys". Time. 15 May 1944. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,850493-2,00.html. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
- ^ Bailey, C. (2007). Black Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty, pp375. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-670-91542-2
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