Ava was born on July 7, 1902, into one of America’s most affluent families. She was the daughter of real estate magnate, John Jacob Astor IV and Philadelphia socialite, Ava Lowle Willing. Her birthright put her among the affluent classes of New York City Gilded Age society, where power, wealth and prestige were her inheritance.
Early Childhood of Ava Alice Muriel Astor
Ava grew up in privilege but also amid the turmoil of her parents’ unhappy marriage. Ava was seven when her parents divorced in 1909. She was young and in the public eye during the divorce and had to deal with her parents’ separation.
After the divorce, Ava and her brother, Vincent, rotated visits at their mother’s home in New York home and their father’s Newport, Rhode Island estate. Ava’s father later remarried Madeleines Talmage Force, through whom Ava’s half-brother, John Jacob Astor VI was born. John Jacob Astor IV, one of the affluent passengers on the RMS Titanic, died in the 1912 disaster and left Ava a substantial inheritance.
Life and Career
Ava Alice Muriel Astor was raised in the spotlight and notable for her beauty, poise and the fortune her father left her. Despite pressures from her social standing, Ava lived a life of independence, involving the arts and philanthropic work. Her life was one of influence and social responsibility.
Ava was very involved in the arts, ballet in particular, which she supported through philanthropic work. She patronized the New York City Ballet during her lifetime and helped preserve the arts. She donated her earnings to cultural institutions and charities.
Ava was also a fixture on the New York, London and Paris social scene. Ava married three times, each union bringing her closer to European nobility and increasing her social power.
Marriages and Family Life
The personal life of Ava Alice Muriel Astor was dotted with high-profile marriages. In 1924 she married Russian aristocrat and military officer, Prince Serge Obolensky. It was a glamorous union celebrated in society at large, but it ended in divorce in 1932. They had two children: Andrey Obolensky and Ivan Sergei Obolensky. Ivan later became a financier and author and Sylvia a socialite.
In 1933 Ava married Chilean diplomat Raimundo de Larrain. This marriage also ended in divorce three years later. Princess Anne de Larrain was produced from the union.
Ava’s third and final marriage in 1953 was to Philip John Ryves Harding, a businessman. Unlike her previous marriages, this one was more private and low-key, something that let Ava a little out of the limelight.
Death and Legacy
On July 19, 1956, Ava Alice Muriel Astor died gracefully and elegantly. Her life demonstrates both the privileges of immense wealth and status.
Ava’s children and grandchildren carried the Astor legacy in various ways. Her son, Ivan Obolensky, worked in finance and New York’s high society. Her daughter Sylvia Obolensky was a social butterfly in London and Paris. The children and grandchildren continued the family legacy in philanthropy and the arts while preserving the Astor name in society.