13 Facts About Sylvia Brett

Sylvia Brett was born at No 1 Tilney Street, Park Lane, Central London, the second daughter of Reginald Baliol Sylvia Brett, the 2nd Viscount Esher, KCB.

Sylvia Brett grew up at the family home, Orchard Lea, at Cranbourne in Winkfield parish in Berkshire.

Sylvia Brett's paternal grandmother Eugenie Meyer was French, born in Lyons.

Sylvia Brett was ignored by her courtier father, who was far more interested in flirting with young men than being a parent.

Sylvia Brett married Rajah Vyner of Sarawak at St Peter's Church, Cranbourne, Berkshire, just before her 26th birthday on 21 February 1911.

Sylvia Brett first visited Sarawak in 1912, where her husband-to-be ruled a 40,000-square-mile jungle kingdom on the northern side of Borneo with a population of 500,000, an ethnic mix of Chinese, Malays, and the headhunting Dayak.

Sylvia Brett was invested with the titles of Ranee of Sarawak on 24 May 1917 and Grand Master of The Most Illustrious Order of the Star of Sarawak on 1 August 1941.

Sylvia Brett was distraught that her eldest daughter, Leonora, under Islamic law, could not take the throne; as a result she hatched various plots to blacken the name of the heir apparent, Anthony, the Rajah Muda.

Sylvia Brett was known for having Machiavellian machinations, which agitated the British Colonial Office.

Sylvia Brett always had designs on her husband's succession because her daughters, as women, were not eligible to become rulers of Sarawak.

Sylvia Brett became the first woman in Sarawak to fly when the pair gave her a flight in their biplane, the Flying Carpet.

Sylvia Brett enjoyed dressing up in sarongs and exotic jewelry and decorated her London home with spears, totem poles.

Sylvia Brett contributed short stories to publications such as John O'London's Weekly, for example "The Debt Collector", in the Summer Reading Number June 29,1929.