Boy Capel

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Arthur Edward “Boy” Capel (20 December 1881 – 22 December 1919) was an English polo player and a key partner and muse of fashion designer Coco Chanel. He is remembered for helping Chanel start her business and influence her famous style, including the Chanel blazer.

Born in Brighton, Capel was the son of Arthur Joseph Capel, a shipping merchant, and his wife Berthe Lorin. He grew up with three sisters and attended Beaumont College. Capel became a successful shipping merchant and was awarded the CBE later in life.

Capel met Coco Chanel around 1909 when Chanel was then the companion of his friend Étienne Balsan. He financed Chanel’s first shops and inspired her signature look. The pair spent time at fashionable resorts such as Deauville, but Capel was not faithful, and their relationship lasted about nine years. He continued the affair even after he married.

In 1918, Capel married Diana Wyndham (née Lister), the widow of Captain Percy Lyulph Wyndham. They had two daughters. Diana later remarried, becoming the wife of the 14th Earl of Westmorland. Capel’s influence extended beyond fashion; he discussed ideas of world federalism with the Polish thinker Jozef Retinger, which captivated other statesmen and fed into later dreams that influenced international collaboration.

Capel died in a car accident on 22 December 1919 in Puget-sur-Argens, southern France, at age 38. He was buried with full military honours, and a roadside memorial was placed at the accident site. His resting place is Montmartre Cemetery.