Norma Major

Dame Norma Christina Elizabeth, Lady Major DBE (née Wagstaff, formerly Johnson; born 12 February 1942) is an English philanthropist who is married to former British prime minister Sir John Major.

He was killed in a motorcycle accident a few days after the end of the Second World War, when Norma was just three years old, and her mother subsequently reverted to using her maiden name after becoming estranged from her in-laws, so she was known as Norma Johnson growing up.

[2] At a Conservative Party meeting during the campaign for the 1970 Greater London Council elections, she was introduced to John Major.

[4] She kept a low profile during her husband's premiership (1990–1997), doing charity work and writing two books, Joan Sutherland: The Authorised Biography (1994) and Chequers: The Prime Minister's Country House and its History (1997).

[2] In June 1999, Major was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1999 Birthday Honours, in recognition of her charity work.