Lady Iris Mountbatten was an English actress and model, and a member of the Battenberg/Mountbatten family.
Background
Lady Iris Mountbatten was born in Kensington Palace, London on 13 January 1920, the only child of Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke, eldest of three sons and one daughter of Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry of Battenberg. Her mother, the Marchioness of Carisbrooke GBE (1938), DJStJ, Order of Queen Maria Luisa, was born Lady Irene Frances Adza Denison (4 July 1890 – 16 July 1956) the only daughter of William Francis Henry Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough and Lady Grace Adelaide Fane (3 October 1860 – 13 June 1933), a daughter of Francis William Henry Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland.
Career
Lady Carisbrooke had two brothers of whom only one, Hugo William Cecil Denison, 4th and last Earl of Londesborough, was married. "The Lady Zinnia Judd Challenge Trophy" named in memory of her, is presented in the Hunter Championship for the "Best Hunter in Show" at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. She attended a variety of royal and aristocratic events in her youth, being a well known and much photographed débutante.
During World World War II she worked as a nurse"s aide, later moving to the United States, where she taught dance.
She became an actress and model, appearing as a hostess for a live television children"s programme Versatile Varieties (Columbia Broadcasting System Television, 1951), which featured actresses Eva Marie Saint and Edie Adams She also appeared endorsing Pond"s Creams and Warrens Mint Cocktail Gum. A goddaughter was Sharon McCluskey (daughter of Ellen Lehman McCluskey of the Lehman family), later Sharon, Countess Sondes, second wife of Henry Milles-Lade, 5th Earl Sondes.
