Arabella Churchill, festival founder, dies

GLASTONBURY, England, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Arabella Churchill, granddaughter of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a founder of the Glastonbury Festival, has died of cancer.

Churchill, also known by the last name Spencer-Churchill, was 58. She died Thursday at her home in Glastonbury, The Daily Mail reported.

A member of one of Britain's most famous families, Churchill was a descendant of John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough and one of the country's renowned generals. Her life took a different path from many of her relatives and included sheep farming in Wales and marrying well-known juggler Ian "Haggis" McLeod.

In addition to the Glastonbury Festival, Churchill founded the Children's World Charities.

Michael Eavis, the Glastonbury director, said she had been a "stalwart."

"Her energy, vitality, and great sense of morality and social responsibility have given her a place in our Festival history second to none," he said.