Hope there won't be any more. For many years after the separation, the Duke was paranoid about his first wife. 
The letter details how Consuelo had told him, just a few years into their marriage, that she was deeply in love with another man, with whom she wanted to elope. [16] He rejoined during the First World War, when he served as a Lieutenant-Colonel on the General Staff[citation needed] in France. The Duke fell for her, as did Consuelo, who wrote to Gladys in 1904: 'I have never cared for any other woman like you.'. Rutherfurd materialised in London again in 1900. Diana was born into the British nobility and grew up close to the royal family on their Sandringham estate. While the Duke's heir, Lord Blandford, who was born in 1897, was a large man, Lord Ivor was an altogether smaller man. The artists daughter believes that the Helleu and Consuelo probably had an affair between 1900 and 1901, which began around the same time as this portrait was created and continued after his return to Paris, where she visited him and sat for him again. As the Duchess of Marlborough, Consuelo Vanderbilt often provided assistance to poor tenants on her husband's estate and later became involved in many philanthropic projects. Who are the members of the Churchill family tree? I set aside my other books and savored it. His elder brother, John, was the 10th Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo and the Duke had a second son in 1898 and she is said to have coined the phrase an heir and a spare. But this enduring myth has now been shattered, thanks to a new biography of the 9th Duke, written by his great-grandson, Michael Waterhouse. Her autobiography, 'The Glitter and the Gold', ghostwritten by 'The New York Times' art critic Stuart Preston, was published in 1953 and was termed "an ideal epitaph of the age of elegance". [14], He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel of his yeomanry regiment in 1910, serving until 1914. BothConsuelo and the Duke (right, pictured in 1902 with a friend) were romantically involved with other people and after having two sons ended their loveless 11-year marriage. She was named after her godmother, half-Cuban and half-American socialite Consuelo Yznaga who, one year ago, had the socially advantageous marriage to George, Viscount Mandeville. Without Consuelos money his income would have been insufficient to maintain Blenheim Palace, let alone undertake the renovations he had in mind. They were divorced in 1921 but the Vanderbilt dowry was used to restore Blenheim Palace, and replenish its furnishings and library. So thankful my husband Larry gave me Lovells newest book, The Rivera Set. Will finish it soon. This work of historical fiction is based upon the life of American heiress, Consuelo Vanderbilt. She died in 1964, having lived to see her son become Duke of Marlborough; she frequently returned to Blenheim, the house she had found uncomfortable and inconvenient when living there. Born in New York City, she was the only daughter and eldest child of William Kissam Vanderbilt, a New York railroad millionaire, and his first wife, a Mobile, Alabama, belle and budding suffragist, Alva Erskine Smith (18531933, who later married Oliver Belmont). Their mother famously referred to them as "the heir and the spare". The marriage of the young, beautiful and fabulously wealthy American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt to 'Sunny', 9th Duke of Marlborough, in 1895 was a classic of the era. The bride later claimed she had been locked in her room until she agreed to the marriage. Sir Winston Churchill died on 24 January 1965 70 years to the day after the death of his father. Consuelo Vanderbilt as a child. Consuelo was also unfaithful; her liaisons included her first love, Winthrop Rutherfurd (who was alleged to be the father of her second son, Lord Ivor, since he allegedly bore no resemblance to either the Duke nor his brother), and three of her husband's cousins: Hon. Inheriting his near-bankrupt dukedom in 1892, he was forced to find a quick and drastic solution to the financial problems of his family. On account of his two marriages, history has not been kind to the 9th Duke. Mary S. Lovell has written of the big names and famous families before (The Mitford Sisters, Bess of Hardwick and Beryl Markham) so she knows the territory. [19], The Vanderbilt dowry was used to restore Blenheim Palace and replenish its furnishings and library, for many of the original contents had been sold over the course of the 19th century. With Mary Lovell you get personal family stories with an emphasis on contemporary gossip which Lovell believes if properly sourced and explained has a place in serious biography. Early life Lord Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill was born on 14 [20] In 1934 he owned 19,685 acres of land.[14]. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service. And he was a Vanderbilt through his grandmother, American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, daughter of William Kissam and Alva Vanderbilt. The last straw was when she disappeared to Paris with another of his cousins, Lord Castlereagh, heir to the Marquess of Londonderry. Given a thrice-married beauty for a mother (Jennie Jerome, one of the first American "dollar princesses"), an infamous aunt (Consuelo Vanderbilt who was locked in her room before her wedding to the 9th Duke), and Winston's long career that spanned the reign of Queen Victoria to her great-granddaughter the current Queen Elizabeth, it is rather a feat to create such a readable book. Open Daily: 10:30 - 18:00 Through matchmaker Lady Paget, Consuelo Vanderbilt's mother engineered a meeting between Consuelo and the indebted Duke, despite the fact that she was secretly engaged to American socialite Winthrop Rutherfurd. I learned an important lesson reading this book. Consuelo Vanderbilt-Balsan (formerly Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; born Consuelo Vanderbilt; 2 March 1877 6 December 1964) was a socialite and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. BUT!!!! WebHis first wife was the American railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, whom he married at Saint Thomas Church in New York City on 6 November 1895. In marrying the Duke, Consuelo became the cousin of Winston Churchill, who would remain a dear friend and confidant to her throughout her life. The marriage was celebrated following lengthy negotiations with his bride's divorced parents: her mother, Alva Vanderbilt, was desperate to see her daughter a duchess, and the bride's father, William Vanderbilt, paid for the privilege. Consuelo was reasonably successful in English society and in her duties as a Duchess, but the simple truth was that she and the Duke were poorly matched in terms of temperament. Following her second marriage, she and Winaretta Singer, the Princess de Polignac, helped in the construction of a 360-bed hospital for the French middle-class, which is now the Foch Hospital. Do the Churchill family still own Blenheim Palace? Blenheim Palace is the only building in England other than royal buildings to be lucky enough to own the title of Palace. Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, was one of the American Dollar Princess of the 19th century, whose family money was brought into the UK through her dowry. She was forced into it, despite being in love with another man, by her very pushy mother, who longed for her daughter to become part of the British aristocracy and chatelaine of one of the world's greatest houses, Blenheim Palace. The Duke, of course, was supposed to be the father of two sons. Lord Home The Way the Wind Blows (1976) ch. The Duke, for his part, was also in love with someone else, but married Consuelo, with the approval of his family, because they were on their uppers and the vast income the marriage guaranteed meant that Blenheim would be saved for future generations. Her marriage to The 9th Duke of Marlborough has become an emblem of the socially advantageous, but loveless, marriages common She wrote her first book in 1981 at the age of 40, while recovering from a broken back which was the result of a riding accident. Consuelo went to London the next day and had a long meeting with Rutherfurd. If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. In despair, the Duke set off to the South African War with his cousin, Winston Churchill. Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt addresses a number of fascinating subjects. Consuelo was only 18. Interestingly, her mother not only fully supported her, but also told an investigator, "I forced my daughter to marry the duke", making it possible for her to ask for annulment of her first marriage. It makes me wonder about the accuracy of her research overall. He was away for six months, returning in July 1900. The marriage between the 18-year-old American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt and Britain's ninth Duke of Marlborough in 1895 appeared to be a straightforward bargain: cash for class. Who is the guy that talks fast in commercials? WebRM BTKFFH Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877-1964), as a young women, when she entered into a loveless arranged marriage with the Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough. The book does talk about Winston's parents, brother, children and many intertwined cousins, and sometimes gives tantalizing tidbits about their lives without following up. London, WC2H 0HE "Holy cow!". Please could you let us know your source of information. 'old tart'. What is another way of saying go hand in hand. I asked my 90 year old mother, who grew up at the tailend of this gilded age, and she puts it down to boredom and because they could! They were divorced in 1921 but the Vanderbilt dowry was used to restore Blenheim Palace, and replenish its furnishings and library. He was often known as "Sunny" Marlborough after his courtesy title of Earl of Sunderland. He was awarded the Territorial Decoration (TD) in 1913. Born into a Southern slaveholding family, Alva Erskine Smith was an intelligent woman with a mania for power. In the supporting cast we find Sunny and Consuelo, a miserable forced marriage, and the mistress/ wife Gladys. Alva wanted her daughter to have a life of significance. the Churchill family history is certainly juicy and sometimes depressing. It reads like a non-fiction collaboration between novelists Edith Wharton and Henry James with a hefty dollop of provocative social history thrown in. She married into the prestigious Marlborough family, who would produce Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales. The Duchess was forced by her husband to relinquish Eliza shortly after her birth, to be raised by Charles Greys parents, Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, and Elizabeth Grey, Countess Grey. Do not sell or share my personal information. Smith, Lord Birkenhead, a notorious acerbic wit. Birth. If you like British history, if you are a fan of the series, The Crown, you will enjoy The Churchills. Lovell tells their story year by year, warts and all. Territorial Decoration ( TD ) in 1913 supposed to be the father two... [ 14 ], he was away for six months, returning in July 1900 later. Their Sandringham estate, you will enjoy the Churchills and drastic solution to the marriage the South War... The 10th Duke of Marlborough than royal buildings to be lucky enough to own title! 1976 ) ch, serving until 1914 consuelo went to London the next day and had a meeting! In mind Alva Vanderbilt addresses a number of fascinating subjects quick and drastic solution to the royal on! This work of historical fiction is based upon the life of American heiress consuelo Vanderbilt their famously! Was the 10th Duke of Marlborough phrase an heir and a spare other than buildings... 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The letter details how Consuelo had told him, just a few years into their marriage, that she was deeply in love with another man, with whom she wanted to elope. [16] He rejoined during the First World War, when he served as a Lieutenant-Colonel on the General Staff[citation needed] in France. The Duke fell for her, as did Consuelo, who wrote to Gladys in 1904: 'I have never cared for any other woman like you.'. Rutherfurd materialised in London again in 1900. Diana was born into the British nobility and grew up close to the royal family on their Sandringham estate. While the Duke's heir, Lord Blandford, who was born in 1897, was a large man, Lord Ivor was an altogether smaller man. The artists daughter believes that the Helleu and Consuelo probably had an affair between 1900 and 1901, which began around the same time as this portrait was created and continued after his return to Paris, where she visited him and sat for him again. As the Duchess of Marlborough, Consuelo Vanderbilt often provided assistance to poor tenants on her husband's estate and later became involved in many philanthropic projects. Who are the members of the Churchill family tree? I set aside my other books and savored it. His elder brother, John, was the 10th Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo and the Duke had a second son in 1898 and she is said to have coined the phrase an heir and a spare. But this enduring myth has now been shattered, thanks to a new biography of the 9th Duke, written by his great-grandson, Michael Waterhouse. Her autobiography, 'The Glitter and the Gold', ghostwritten by 'The New York Times' art critic Stuart Preston, was published in 1953 and was termed "an ideal epitaph of the age of elegance". [14], He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel of his yeomanry regiment in 1910, serving until 1914. BothConsuelo and the Duke (right, pictured in 1902 with a friend) were romantically involved with other people and after having two sons ended their loveless 11-year marriage. She was named after her godmother, half-Cuban and half-American socialite Consuelo Yznaga who, one year ago, had the socially advantageous marriage to George, Viscount Mandeville. Without Consuelos money his income would have been insufficient to maintain Blenheim Palace, let alone undertake the renovations he had in mind. They were divorced in 1921 but the Vanderbilt dowry was used to restore Blenheim Palace, and replenish its furnishings and library. So thankful my husband Larry gave me Lovells newest book, The Rivera Set. Will finish it soon. This work of historical fiction is based upon the life of American heiress, Consuelo Vanderbilt. She died in 1964, having lived to see her son become Duke of Marlborough; she frequently returned to Blenheim, the house she had found uncomfortable and inconvenient when living there. Born in New York City, she was the only daughter and eldest child of William Kissam Vanderbilt, a New York railroad millionaire, and his first wife, a Mobile, Alabama, belle and budding suffragist, Alva Erskine Smith (18531933, who later married Oliver Belmont). Their mother famously referred to them as "the heir and the spare". The marriage of the young, beautiful and fabulously wealthy American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt to 'Sunny', 9th Duke of Marlborough, in 1895 was a classic of the era. The bride later claimed she had been locked in her room until she agreed to the marriage. Sir Winston Churchill died on 24 January 1965 70 years to the day after the death of his father. Consuelo Vanderbilt as a child. Consuelo was also unfaithful; her liaisons included her first love, Winthrop Rutherfurd (who was alleged to be the father of her second son, Lord Ivor, since he allegedly bore no resemblance to either the Duke nor his brother), and three of her husband's cousins: Hon. Inheriting his near-bankrupt dukedom in 1892, he was forced to find a quick and drastic solution to the financial problems of his family. On account of his two marriages, history has not been kind to the 9th Duke. Mary S. Lovell has written of the big names and famous families before (The Mitford Sisters, Bess of Hardwick and Beryl Markham) so she knows the territory. [19], The Vanderbilt dowry was used to restore Blenheim Palace and replenish its furnishings and library, for many of the original contents had been sold over the course of the 19th century. With Mary Lovell you get personal family stories with an emphasis on contemporary gossip which Lovell believes if properly sourced and explained has a place in serious biography. Early life Lord Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill was born on 14 [20] In 1934 he owned 19,685 acres of land.[14]. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service. And he was a Vanderbilt through his grandmother, American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, daughter of William Kissam and Alva Vanderbilt. The last straw was when she disappeared to Paris with another of his cousins, Lord Castlereagh, heir to the Marquess of Londonderry. Given a thrice-married beauty for a mother (Jennie Jerome, one of the first American "dollar princesses"), an infamous aunt (Consuelo Vanderbilt who was locked in her room before her wedding to the 9th Duke), and Winston's long career that spanned the reign of Queen Victoria to her great-granddaughter the current Queen Elizabeth, it is rather a feat to create such a readable book. Open Daily: 10:30 - 18:00 Through matchmaker Lady Paget, Consuelo Vanderbilt's mother engineered a meeting between Consuelo and the indebted Duke, despite the fact that she was secretly engaged to American socialite Winthrop Rutherfurd. I learned an important lesson reading this book. Consuelo Vanderbilt-Balsan (formerly Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; born Consuelo Vanderbilt; 2 March 1877 6 December 1964) was a socialite and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. BUT!!!! WebHis first wife was the American railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, whom he married at Saint Thomas Church in New York City on 6 November 1895. In marrying the Duke, Consuelo became the cousin of Winston Churchill, who would remain a dear friend and confidant to her throughout her life. The marriage was celebrated following lengthy negotiations with his bride's divorced parents: her mother, Alva Vanderbilt, was desperate to see her daughter a duchess, and the bride's father, William Vanderbilt, paid for the privilege. Consuelo was reasonably successful in English society and in her duties as a Duchess, but the simple truth was that she and the Duke were poorly matched in terms of temperament. Following her second marriage, she and Winaretta Singer, the Princess de Polignac, helped in the construction of a 360-bed hospital for the French middle-class, which is now the Foch Hospital. Do the Churchill family still own Blenheim Palace? Blenheim Palace is the only building in England other than royal buildings to be lucky enough to own the title of Palace. Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, was one of the American Dollar Princess of the 19th century, whose family money was brought into the UK through her dowry. She was forced into it, despite being in love with another man, by her very pushy mother, who longed for her daughter to become part of the British aristocracy and chatelaine of one of the world's greatest houses, Blenheim Palace. The Duke, of course, was supposed to be the father of two sons. Lord Home The Way the Wind Blows (1976) ch. The Duke, for his part, was also in love with someone else, but married Consuelo, with the approval of his family, because they were on their uppers and the vast income the marriage guaranteed meant that Blenheim would be saved for future generations. Her marriage to The 9th Duke of Marlborough has become an emblem of the socially advantageous, but loveless, marriages common She wrote her first book in 1981 at the age of 40, while recovering from a broken back which was the result of a riding accident. Consuelo went to London the next day and had a long meeting with Rutherfurd. If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. In despair, the Duke set off to the South African War with his cousin, Winston Churchill. Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt addresses a number of fascinating subjects. Consuelo was only 18. Interestingly, her mother not only fully supported her, but also told an investigator, "I forced my daughter to marry the duke", making it possible for her to ask for annulment of her first marriage. It makes me wonder about the accuracy of her research overall. He was away for six months, returning in July 1900. The marriage between the 18-year-old American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt and Britain's ninth Duke of Marlborough in 1895 appeared to be a straightforward bargain: cash for class. Who is the guy that talks fast in commercials? WebRM BTKFFH Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877-1964), as a young women, when she entered into a loveless arranged marriage with the Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough. The book does talk about Winston's parents, brother, children and many intertwined cousins, and sometimes gives tantalizing tidbits about their lives without following up. London, WC2H 0HE "Holy cow!". Please could you let us know your source of information. 'old tart'. What is another way of saying go hand in hand. I asked my 90 year old mother, who grew up at the tailend of this gilded age, and she puts it down to boredom and because they could! They were divorced in 1921 but the Vanderbilt dowry was used to restore Blenheim Palace, and replenish its furnishings and library. He was often known as "Sunny" Marlborough after his courtesy title of Earl of Sunderland. He was awarded the Territorial Decoration (TD) in 1913. Born into a Southern slaveholding family, Alva Erskine Smith was an intelligent woman with a mania for power. In the supporting cast we find Sunny and Consuelo, a miserable forced marriage, and the mistress/ wife Gladys. Alva wanted her daughter to have a life of significance. the Churchill family history is certainly juicy and sometimes depressing. It reads like a non-fiction collaboration between novelists Edith Wharton and Henry James with a hefty dollop of provocative social history thrown in. She married into the prestigious Marlborough family, who would produce Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales. The Duchess was forced by her husband to relinquish Eliza shortly after her birth, to be raised by Charles Greys parents, Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, and Elizabeth Grey, Countess Grey. Do not sell or share my personal information. Smith, Lord Birkenhead, a notorious acerbic wit. Birth. If you like British history, if you are a fan of the series, The Crown, you will enjoy The Churchills. Lovell tells their story year by year, warts and all. Territorial Decoration ( TD ) in 1913 supposed to be the father two... [ 14 ], he was away for six months, returning in July 1900 later. Their Sandringham estate, you will enjoy the Churchills and drastic solution to the marriage the South War... The 10th Duke of Marlborough than royal buildings to be lucky enough to own title! 1976 ) ch, serving until 1914 consuelo went to London the next day and had a meeting! In mind Alva Vanderbilt addresses a number of fascinating subjects quick and drastic solution to the royal on! This work of historical fiction is based upon the life of American heiress consuelo Vanderbilt their famously! Was the 10th Duke of Marlborough phrase an heir and a spare other than buildings... 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