THE CECIL LINEAGE

The Cecils are one of the most historic and aristocratic of English families. They achieved prominence during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603).

Edith Vanderbilt Cecil is a descendent of two prominent families, one from England, the Cecils, and the other from the United States, the Vanderbilts. Her grandfather was Sir John Francis Amherst Cecil (1900 - 1954), an English nobleman, who married her grandmother, Cornelia Vanderbilt (1900 - 1976). Edith's cousin, Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877 - 1964), was married to Sir Charles Spencer-Churchill (1871 - 1934), who was the Duke of Marlborough. They raised and trained the young Sir Winston Spencer-Churchill.

Edith Vanderbilt Cecil is a direct descendent of Sir William Cecil (1520-1598), on whom Queen Elizabeth I conferred the hereditary title, Lord Burghley, for being the guiding hand behind the policies which made her reign so distinguished. His sons were also honored. One was made Lord Exeter, the Earl of Exeter, and the other was made Lord Salisbury, the Earl of Salisbury.

Next to Queen Elizabeth I, Sir William Cecil was the most important political figure in England during the second half of the sixteenth century, and he was one of the most distinguished statesmen of his time in Europe. As Queen Elizabeth I said of him, " No ruler in Europe hath such a counsellor as I have in mine." 

Sir William Cecil served, in turn, as the Principal Secretary and Advisor to King Edward VI, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I.  His greatest achievements occurred under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when he (1) established the Anglican Church as the official church of England, thereby diminishing the power and influence of the Pope within England, when he (2) decreed the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, when he (3) organized the defeat of the Spanish Armada which resulted in the decline of Spain as a European power, and when he (4) laid the foundation for what was to become the British Empire. In time, his relationship with Queen Elizabeth I developed into one of the greatest partnerships in English history, such that, Queen Elizabeth I described him as her “Alpha and Omega”.

This Cecil tradition of prominence and service to the Crown and the people of Britain, continues unbroken to this day. The Cecils have served continuously in the House of Lords for over four hundred (400) years. As a footnote, familiar to many is the movie, Chariots of Fire, which portrays the story of Sir David Cecil’s (the then Lord Burghley) quest for and ultimately winning the Olympic Gold Medal in track for Britain in the 1928 Olympic Games.

Interestingly, it was Edith Vanderbilt Cecil's grandmother, Cornelia Vanderbilt, who first introduced Edwina Ashley to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. Her constant nurturing led to the marriage between Edwina and Lord Mountbatten. Ironically, Sir John Francis Amherst Cecil, Edith's grandfather, was the British Crown's favorite to be named the Viceroy of India, but he decided to marry Cornelia Vanderbilt and move to Biltmore House in Ashville, North Carolina. In turn, Sir John Cecil nominated his good friend Lord Mountbatten to be the Viceroy of India.