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[[File:Jame Lees-Milne in 1946.jpg|thumb|James Lees-Milne in 1946]]'''James Lees-Milne''' (George James Henry Lees-Milne, 1908–1997) was an English writer and expert on country houses.

Lees-Milne was born into a prosperous manufacturing family on 6 August 1908 in [[Wickhamford]], Worcestershire.<ref name=IndyObit>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-james-leesmilne-1291030.html James Fergusson, "Obituary: James Lees-Milne", ''The Independent'', 29 December 1997</ref> He went to Lockers Park School, Hertfordshire, and [[Eton College]]. Though shy and withdrawn, he formed passionate friendships - notably with [[Tom Mitford]] and [[Desmond Parsons]], both of whom would die young. He also conceived a passion for Tom's sister Diana (who would later marry JLM's relative, the fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley). After Eton, his father made him take a secretarial course in London, as hilariously described in his autobiographical novel ''Another Self''. But thanks to his mother's support he entered [[Magdalen College, Oxford]] at the age of twenty, reading history.<ref name=life>http://www.jamesleesmilne.com/life.html "The life of James Lees-Milne".</ref>

After Oxford he became private secretary to [[Lord Lloyd]]. He lived for a time in the London flat of [[Harold Nicolson]].<ref name=life />

In 1936 he was appointed secretary of the Country Houses Committee of the National Trust.<ref name=IndyObit /> He held that position until 1950, apart from a period of military service from 1939 to 1941. After resigning his full-time position in 1950, he continued his connection with the National Trust as a part-time architectural consultant and member of committees.

In 1951 he married [[Alvilde Chaplin|Alvilde, Viscountess Chaplin]], née Bridges, a prominent gardening and landscape expert.<ref name=IndyObit /> She died in 1994. Both Lees-Milne and Alvilde were [[bisexual]], and Alvilde is reputed to have had lesbian affairs with [[Vita Sackville-West]] and [[Winnaretta Singer]], among others.<ref name="express.co.uk">http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/17176 Review of ''Diaries, 1971–1983'' by James Lees-Milne, ''Sunday Express''.</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Writers]]
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]