Lady Farnham was named a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth in 1987. Lady of the bedchamber is a prestigious position, with duties including acting as a personal attendant and companion to the queen. Over the years of Lady Farnham’s service, the two became close friends. Lady Farnham stepped in to accompany Queen Elizabeth to her diamond jubilee in 2012, when Prince Philip (1921–2021) was in the hospital. She also joined the queen on a notable visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011.
Tributes to Diana Maxwell, Lady Farnham
I am very saddened to hear of the passing of friend and former colleague Lady Diana Farnham. Everyone loved Diana, she was good humoured and very glamorous. It'll be sad for The Queen too having now lost two friends in the space of a month – the Duchess of Grafton and now Diana pic.twitter.com/NAYYII6uKe
Sad news to report, friends: one of the Queen’s closest confidantes, and member of her Royal Household as Lady-in-Waiting since 1987, died on 29 December:
Diana Lady Farnham (known as ‘Marion’ to her intimates). She was a glamorous and youthful-looking 90 year-old.
Sorry to hear that Lady Farnham has died. She was generous in giving access to the family archives and helping me out during my PhD research. Her decision to house the family portrait collection in Cavan museum after the sale of the estate in 2001 was inspired. https://t.co/U74OwSkeBJ
It is with great sadness that Cavan County Museum has learned of the passing of Lady Farnham. An incredible individual, Lady Farnham was a tremendous friend and supporter of the museum. The Farnham Collection and her generosity add greatly to the museum and to the history of… https://t.co/PUgCn0v7VY
News editor, Legacy.com. Named 2017's Obituary Writer of the Year by the Society of Professional Obituary Writers. Quoted by CNN, the New York Times, and Macleans.
