Well, well. Another twist in the anything-but-Liliputian life of Lili Damita. Turns out she may have been dumped by a notable Englisman/Australian for a German Baroness not long before she met Errol – or possibly she did the dumping?
Lili appears to have been on the rebound when she met Errol! She was previously engaged or at least pre-engaged to marry a rather notable Englishman/Australian, Hugo Brassey, with very strong and high level connections Down Under – he was the grandson of the govenour of Victoria, Thomas Brassey and his then very well-known author-wife, Annie Brassey, as well as the nephew of His Excellency of New South Wales. Brassey appears to left Lili in 1935 and married a German baroness, Baroness von Bodenhausen related to the Queen of England. (The Baroness may have also been possibly related to the 19th Century painter, Baron von Bodenhausen, but I haven’t confirmed that.)
In the same timeframe, Hugo Brassey became a key figure in the development of Dunk Island, a notable Great Barrier Reef resort location, frequented by many VIPs and celebrities over the years, including Sean Connery:
Interestingly, the Brasseys have a strong official Northhampton connection, too.
I wonder what all those Brasseys thought when the brash and brassey Errol Flynn – with a quite unique and controversial reputation in both New South Wales AND Northhampton – married Hugo’s ex-fiancee!?
Lord Brassey Entertains King Kalakaui. He apparently almost became Lili’s grandfather-in-law.
Stunningly Beautiful Dunk Island, where Lili’s ex took his baroness bride. Wonder what Tiger Lil’ thought of that.
— Tim
