Edward Downes Edward Downes Sir Edward Thomas ("Ted") Downes, CBE (17 June 1924 – 10 July 2009) was an English conductor, specialising in opera. He was associated with the Royal Opera House from 1952, and with Opera Australia from 1970. He was also well known for his long working relationship with the BBC Philharmonic and for working with the Netherlands Radio Orchestra. Within the field of opera, he was particularly known as a conductor of Verdi. He and his wife, Lady (Joan) Downes, committed assisted suicide at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland on 10 July 2009, an event that received significant media
Joan Champernowne Joan Champernowne Joan Champernowne (died 1553) was a lady-in-waiting at the court of King Henry VIII of England. She became a close friend to his sixth wife, Queen Catherine Parr. She married Sir Anthony Denny, who at the end of King Henry's reign was widely considered to be his most trusted servant. Joan was born in Modbury, Devon on an unknown date, but no later than 1513, the daughter of Sir Philip Champernowne and his wife, K(C)atherine Carew. She married Sir Anthony Denny, son of Sir Edmund Denny, by whom she had twelve children, including: Joan was considered to be