Who was Rebecca author Daphne du Maurier?
NOVELIST Daphne Du Maurier is most famous for her 1938 book Rebecca.
But the private life of the reclusive wordsmith was just as eventful as her novels – here we look at her life and rumours she was Prince Philip‘s mistress.
Who was Daphne Du Maurier?
Daphne was born on May 13, 1907, in London, but most of her famous works focus on Cornwall.
She is classed as a “romantic” novelist, but most of her novels have sinister endings and paranormal themes.
The more famous her work became the more reclusive she became.
Daphne had a reputation for being short-tempered and rude unless at home with her loved ones.
She lived for decades in a stately home called Menabilly, which she lovingly restored from 1943 until she returned it to its wealthy owners in 1969.
The mansion was the inspiration for Rebecca, her most famous novel.
What are her most famous books?
Aside from Rebecca, she’s also famous for Jamaica Inn and My Cousin Rachel.
Jamaica Inn was made into a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
All three of these books are set in Cornwall.
Her most famous short story is The Birds, which was also adapted into a film by Hitchcock.
Novels by Daphne Du Maurier
Daphne wrote short stories, plays and non-fiction, but it's her novels that she is best known for.
The Loving Spirit (1931)
I’ll Never Be Young Again (1932)
The Progress of Julius (1933)
Jamaica Inn (1936)
Rebecca (1938)
Castle d’Or (1940)
Come Wind, Come Weather (1940)
Frenchman’s Creek (1941)
Hungry Hill (1943)
Spring Picture (1944)
The King’s General (1946)
The Parasites (1949)
My Cousin Rachel (1951)
Mary Anne (1954)
The Scapegoat (1957)
The Glass-Blowers (1962)
The Flight of the Falcon (1965)
The House on the Strand (1968)
Rule Britannia (1972)
Who was she married to and did she have children?
She married Major Frederick Browning in 1932. He died in 1965 at Menabilly.
Daphne developed a reputation for being aloof and cold towards her family, particularly when writing.
Together the couple had three children, Tessa, Flavia and Christian.
When did she die?
Daphne died shortly before her 82nd birthday on April 19, 1989.
She died in Cornwall, the location for many of her greatest works.
Her body was cremated and her ashes scattered off the cliffs of Fowey.
What were the Prince Philip rumours?
A 2017 book claims that Philip’s roving eye saw him embark on several affairs when he was younger – and one of his mistresses was Daphne.
Her husband worked as the Prince’s private treasurer, but claims of an affair are unproven.
Author Ingrid Seward claims the prince had an “emotionally intimate” relationship with Daphne and visited her “full of doubts” before his wedding to the Queen.