Words & Wine with Elizabeth Lane

While Elizabeth Lane’s work as Director of Christie’s has brought its own adventures and interests, her life has also been intertwined with some remarkable characters thanks to her family and her childhood growing up at Chilworth Manor.

Elizabeth's mother, Lady Daphne Heald's legendary status endures in the local area after a lifetime of fundraising, charity and community work including as chairman of the NGS.

Meanwhile Elizabeth’s father, Sir Lionel Heald, served as Attorney General in Winston Churchill’s government. Coincidentally one of Winston's ancestors Lady Sarah Churchill was also a former Chilworth Manor resident during Queen Anne's reign.

In 1963 Elizabeth married Colonel George Lane (born in Hungary as Lanyi Gyorgy). Having moved to the UK in 1935 to study, George became a British SOE operative in WW2. As a member of this covert organisation tasked by Churchill with "setting Europe ablaze" through espionage and sabotage, George was captured and questioned by none other than Field Marshall Rommel in the lead up to D-Day!

We cannot wait to welcome Elizabeth back to Chilworth for what promises to be a fascinating and unique evening of story telling for anyone with a local, historical or political interest!