Whigham Collection

Mrs Whighams Ascot Party
A group at a house party held by Mrs George Hay Whigham at her home at Ascot, during Ascot Week. From left, Mr, C. Moore, Miss Margaret Whigham (Mrs Whighams daughter, later the Duchess of Argyll)

Mrs Charles Sweeny as Astrae the Star-Maiden
Mrs Charles Sweeny, formerly Miss Margaret Whigham and later the Duchess of Argyll (1912 - 1993), pictured as Astrae, the Star-Maiden for the Olympian Party at Claridges on 5 March 1935 in aid of

Mrs and Mrs Charles Sweeny at The Embassy Club
Mr and Mrs Charles Sweeny (Mrs Charles Sweeny was formerly Miss Margaret Whigham and later the infamous Duchess of Argyll)

Mrs Charles Sweeny contemplating her portrait
Mrs Charles Sweeny (1912 - 1993), formerly Miss Margaret Whigham and later the Duchess of Argyll, pictured looking at her own portrait in an exhibition of work by the portraitist Molly Bishop at

Margaret Whigham & Charles Sweeny engagement at The Embassy
Miss Margaret Whigham and Mr Charles Sweeny at a party at the Embassy Club to celebrate their engagement in December 1932

Margaret Whigham as The Precious One at the Gay Party
Miss Margaret Whigham, celebrated debutante and it girl, later Mrs Charles Sweeny and then the Duchess of Argyll, whose divorce case in 1963 scandalised the country

Confessions by Camera, Ms Charles Sweeny
Page from The Sketch, part of a series entitled, Confessions by Camera. This one features Mrs Charles Sweeny, former deb of the year and it girl

Margaret Whigham & Mrs Colclough, Best of Everything Ball
Miss Margaret Whigham and Mrs Colclough displaying British gloves, stockings and scarves at the Best of Everything Dinner

Margaret Whigham at the British Porcelain Ball
Margaret Whigham (1912 - 1993), British society figure, debutante of the year in 1930. Later Mrs Charles Sweeny, after marrying the American golfer, and then Duchess of Argyll

Margaret Whigham with poodles Gabi & Suki by Madame Yevonde
Margaret Whigham (1912 - 1993), British society figure, debutante of the year in 1930. Later Mrs Charles Sweeny, after marrying the American golfer, and then Duchess of Argyll

Mrs Charles Sweeny & Lady Dunn at Sandwich
Mrs Charles Sweeny, looking as chic as ever, with Lady Dunn (rocking a rather fabulous jumpsuit) and her daughter, Countess John de Bendern at Whites Club golf tournament at Sandwich

Margaret Whigham, Jeanne Stourton at Vacanis matinee
A group dressed as lawn tennis girls of the 1880s for the charity matinee performance at the Pavilion Theatre of pupils of Madame Vacanis dancing school

Society at the Cataract Hotel, Assuan (Aswan), Egypt
Group of well-known people at the Cataract Hotel in Aswan, near the huge dam. Pictured are Sir Oliver Duncan (in white hat), Delia de Bagno, the Marquess of Huntly, Lady Joan Villiers

Mrs Charles Sweeny & Miss Jeanne Stourton at Maggy Rouff
Miss Jeanne Stourton seated next to Mrs Charles Sweeny (formerly Miss Margaret Whigham, later the Duchess of Argyll), who she closely resembled, at a Maggy Rouff dress show in 1937

Mrs Charles Sweeny and daughter
Mrs Charles Sweeny, formerly Miss Margaret Whigham and later, on her second marriage, Duchess of Argyll, pictured with her daughter Frances

Poulsens river club at Datchet
Double page spread from The Bystander showing the new Poulsens club at Datchet with seemingly the whole of London society having a jolly time

Margaret Whigham at Ascot with her boater and ruches muff
Celebrated society it girl, Miss Margaret Whigham, later Mrs Charles Sweeny and then the infamous Duchess of Argyll pictured at Ascot in June 1931 wearing an unusual boater style hat

Miss Margaret Whigham and her parents
Miss Margaret Whigham, later Mrs Charles Sweeny and then Duchess of Argyll, pictured with her parents Mr and Mrs George Hay Whigham at a a ball they held at their house, Queens Hill

Mr & Mrs Charles Sweeny
Mr Charles Sweeny with his wife, the former Miss Margaret Whigham (later Duchess of Argyll), seen at the opening night of the Cafe de Paris

Charles and Margaret Sweeny
American golfer Charles Sweeny (1909-1993) and his wife Margaret, previously Margaret Whigham and later Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993). Date: 1939

Margaret Whigham flower arranging in Selfridges window
Miss Margaret Whigham settling an argument how a florists window should look by very publicly dressing the window of Selfridges flower shop in October 1932

Society Returns to the Bicycle by Hynes
Fantastic caricatures of some of the most famous faces in 1930s British society, all furiously peddling away on bicycles. Back row from left: Sir Henry Birkin

Miss Margaret Whigham and Lord Selby
Margaret Whigham (1912 - 1993), British society figure, debutante of the year in 1930. Later Mrs Charles Sweeny, after marrying the American golfer, and then Duchess of Argyll

Miss Margaret Whigham with her harp
Margaret Whigham (1912 - 1993), British society figure, debutante of the year in 1930. Later Mrs Charles Sweeny, after marrying the American golfer, and then Duchess of Argyll

The future Lady Warwick, Miss Margaret Whigham
Portrait of Margaret Whigham, later Mrs Charles Sweeny, and then the Duchess of Argyll, pictured in The Tatler at the time of her engagement to the Earl of Warwick

Margaret Whigham with Marquess of Donegall at St. Moritz
Miss Margaret Whigham, later Mrs Charles Sweeny and then Duchess of Argyll, pictured at St. Moritz with the Marquess of Donegall (Edward Chichester) in the year she was presented at court. 1930

Four costumes for the Eclipse Ball, a pageant ball to take place on 17 December at the Park Lane Hotel, London, in aid of St Johns Hospital, Lewisham

Margaret Whigham and Lord Selby
Miss Margaret Whigham, later Mrs Charles Sweeny and then Duchess of Argyll, pictured with Lord Selby at Mrs. Woolley-Harts house-warming party in June 1931. Date: 1931

Margaret Whigham at the Westminster Hospital Ball
A quartette of young society women at the Westminster Hospital Ball at the Dorchester Hotel in June 1931. From left, Miss Margaret Whigham, Miss Cathleen Nesbitt

Margaret Whigham at the Famous Beauties Ball
Miss Margaret Whigham, later Mrs Charles Sweeny and then Duchess of Argyll, pictured with her pet poodle dressed up a Perdita/Mrs Robinson at the Famous Beauties Ball at the Dorchester on 25 June

Sketch - Engagement of Margaret Whigham & Earl of Warwick
Front cover of The Sketch magazine reporting on the engagement of popular debutante, Margaret Whigham ( the most talked-of, photographed, and paragraphed debutante ) to the Earl of Warwick

Social celebrities at a dinner in Cairo, 1932
Groups chatting and pulling faces while at dinner at the newly-opened Embassy Club in Cairo. Significant at the far end of the table is Miss Margaret Whigham (later Mrs Charles Sweeny)

Mr Charles Sweeney and Miss Margaret Whigham
Engagement of American golfer Charles Sweeney to society darling Miss Margaret Whigham in November 1932. As Mrs Charles Sweeney, Margaret was feted and even name checked by Cole Porter in the song

Miss Margaret Whigham and Mr Pemberton
Miss Margaret Whigham, later Mrs Charles Sweeney and then Duchess of Argyll, pictured at a party held at her parents house, Queens Hill at Ascot in July 1931 with Mr Pemberton. Date: 1931

A Day in the Life of the Debutante - Miss Margaret Whigham
A scene from a number of tableaux staged at the London Hippodrome in May 1931 in aid of the Highway Club for Boys and Girls in the east end of London - it was attended by the Duchess of York

Mrs Charles Sweeney
Miss Margaret Whigham, later Mrs Charles Sweeney then the Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993) as the 3rd wife of the 11th Duke. Most photographed society beauty of her day. Date: 1945

Mrs Charles Sweeny, later Duchess of Argyll
Mrs Charles Sweeny (formerly Margaret Whigham, later the Duchess of Argyll) photographed for a Bystander spread on London Faces

Mrs Charles Sweeny with Prince Bernhard of Netherlands
Socialite Mrs Charles Sweeny, formerly Miss Margaret Whigham and later the infamous Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993), pictured with Prince Bernard of the Netherlands (1911-2004)

Mr & Mrs Charles Sweeny at Le Touquet
Mr and Mrs Charles Sweeny pictured in Le Touquet at the annual Bucks Club golf expedition. Mrs Sweeny was the former Miss Margaret Whigham, Deb of the Year in 1930, and on her second marriage

The Aga Khan with Margaret Whigham & Mr Waddington
Miss Margaret Whigham (1912-1993), later Mrs Charles Sweeny and then Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, pictured in 1931 at the autumn race meeting at Newbury with H.H

Society ladies at the Jewels of Empire Ball
Three of the ladies at the Jewels of Empire Ball, held in June 1935 at the Grosvenor House Hotel. Over 3 million pounds worth of jewels were worn in the shape of bracelets, tiaras, necklaces

Engagement party of Margaret Whigham & Charles Sweeny
A group at the engagement party of socialite Miss Margaret Whigham and American golfer, Charles Sweeny at the Embassy Club in London

Prince Ali Khan with Miss Mala Brand
Prince Aly or Ali Khan (1911 - 1960), son of Aga Khan III, socialite, playboy, racehorse owner, third husband of Rita Hayworth and swain of Margaret Whigham and Thelma, Viscountess Furness

Mrs Charles Sweeny
Margaret Whigham (1912-1993), British society figure, debutante of the year in 1930. Later Mrs Charles Sweeney, after marrying the American golfer, and then Duchess of Argyll

Duchess of Argyll and family
Photograph taken outside the Royal Academy during a Private View of the Duchess of Argyll (formerly, Margaret Whigham and later, Mrs Charles Sweeney)

Wedding of Margaret Whigham and Charles Sweeny
The society wedding of the year in 1933; that of society beauty and media darling, Miss Margaret Whigham, later Duchess of Argyll, to Mr Charles Sweeny

Duchess of Argyll in her Coronation outfit
The Duchess of Argyll (1912 - 1993), previously Miss Margaret Whigham and then Mrs Charles Sweeny, pictured in the dress she wore for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in

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"Captivating Whigham: A Tale of Glamour and Elegance" Step into the enchanting world of Mrs. Whigham as she hosts her legendary Ascot Party, a gathering where sophistication meets extravagance. Amongst the distinguished guests is Mrs. Charles Sweeny, who mesmerizes as Astrae the Star-Maiden, radiating celestial beauty. The Embassy Club becomes a playground for Mr. And Mrs. Their presence igniting an air of allure and intrigue wherever they go. In quiet moments, we find Mrs. Charles Sweeny deep in thought, contemplating her portrait with a gaze that reveals both vulnerability and strength. But it is Margaret Whigham herself who steals the spotlight effortlessly - a woman whose name echoes through society's corridors like sweet music. Her grace and charm captivate all those around her; she exudes an aura that cannot be ignored. At Rufford Abbey in Nottinghamshire, Miss Margaret Whigham stands proudly beside her adoring parents - their love evident in every glance exchanged between them. The union of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Sweeny brings together two souls destined to conquer life's grandest adventures side by side. As Margaret Whigham embarks on her journey towards forever with Charles Sweeny by her side, their engagement at The Embassy marks a momentous occasion filled with joy and anticipation for what lies ahead. In one unforgettable night at the Gay Party, Margaret transforms into The Precious One - an embodiment of elegance and vivacity that leaves everyone breathless in admiration. Whigham - a name synonymous with opulence and allure; these glimpses into their extraordinary lives only scratch the surface of this captivating tale woven within high society's tapestry.