At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Yet like so many of Consuelos romances, her dalliance with her old lover was going to go up in flames. Michel c. 1900 Object number NPG.86.169 Restrictions & Rights CC0 Type Print Medium Drypoint on paper Dimensions Image: 50.3 x 33.6cm (19 13/16 x 13 1/4") Sheet: 63.1 x 41.4cm (24 13/16 x 16 5/16 . In a story with a happy ending, this would be where the heiress got her hearts desire and married the man of her dreams despite her mothers objections. Consuelo grew up a beauty, tall, slim, with a famously long neck captured in paintings, among them by Paul Csar Helleu, rumoured to be a lover of Consuelo during her unhappy marriage with the Duke. Instead of succumbing to her daughters will, Alva exploded with rage, insulting Consuelo and Winthrop alike for their stupidity. But Consuelo hadnt managed to fool her mother Alva, who cottoned on to what was going on and refused to admit Winthrop that day or any other. Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin is a seventh generation descendent of shipping and railroad tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and great-great-great niece of Consuelo Vanderbilt, the Duchess of Marlborough. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Consuelo Vanderbilt married the 9th Duke of Marlborough at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York City, on November 6, 1895. It has remained true to its origins and stayed a private not-for-profit institution that still serves the Paris community. In April 2015, she filmed a music video at the Vanderbilt Mansion. The family lived in an elaborate, castle-like home on . Perfect for readers of Jennifer Robson and lovers of Downton Abbey. Her Spanish name was in honor of her godmother, Consuelo Yznaga (18531909), a half-Cuban, half-American socialite who created a social stir a year earlier when she married the fortune-hunting George, Viscount Mandeville, a union of Old World aristocracy and New World money that caused the groom's father, the 7th Duke of Manchester, to openly wonder if his son and heir had married a "Red Indian". She died on December 6, 1964 in Southampton, Long Island, New York, USA. Terrified his American wife was going to come off ignorant and coarse, Consuelos husband had spent most of their honeymoon drilling her on his Spencer-Churchill family tree, as well as on other people of importance and rank in society. On July 4, 1921, before the ink on her divorce papers was dry, she married again. Is Consuelo Vanderbilt still alive? Having once admired a Louis XVI room and its boiserie in a French chateau, she has the entire room transported to Gardenside, where it remains until her death in 1964 at the age of 88. Her mother leaked the news to the press right away. In marrying the Duke, Consuelo became the cousin of Winston Churchill, who would remain a dear friend and confidant to her throughout her life. July 5, 2017 11:41AM. Stock#48098. But if she thought that was the worst thing shed find out on her honeymoon, she was very, very wrong. Belmont. [13] Alva made an astonishing recovery from her entirely phantom illness, and when the wedding took place, Consuelo stood at the altar reportedly weeping behind her veil. Could You Have Endured Consuelo Vanderbilt's Upbringing? Not only did her son pass that fall, but in November of that year, her beloved husband Jacques Balsannow frail and 88 years oldalso passed. There is little escape for Consuelo from Alvas dominance when the time comes to return to the Petit Chateau, the familys Fifth Avenue palace completed in 1882. The party is said to have cost her indulgent husband $3 million. His portrait is particularly important among the many that exist of Consuelo, because it is the most personal of them all. Dancy Mason is the Editor-in-Chief at Factinate. Gladys not only bred Blenheim Spanielsa hobby her husband detestedjust to spite the duke, she also reportedly kept a gun in her bedroom to prevent him from ever entering (this kind of thing seemed to happen to Marlborough a lot). When the duke arrived home from the conflict, she coolly informed him that she had been sleeping with his cousin, and that she never wanted to see him in her bedroom ever again. She actually locked her up in her room, like a princess in a tower, and told any friends who visited that Consuelo wasnt at home. It was only a matter of time before it spiraled. The last straw, reportedly, was when Willie struck up an affair with none other than Consuelos namesake, Alvas best friend Consuelo Yznaga. In a twist on a historical theme, the duke was fortune-hunting herand her mother Alva couldnt be happier. On the glittering surface, Consuelo Vanderbilt looked like she had it all. "[8] Oxford undergraduate Guy Fortescue later described how he and his friends were captivated by her "piquante oval face perched upon a long slender neck, her enormous dark eyes fringed with curling lashes, her dimples, and her tiny teeth when she smiled. Born in New York City, Consuelo Vanderbilt was the only daughter and eldest child of William Kissam Vanderbilt, a New York railroad millionaire, and his first wife, a Southern belle and budding suffragist Alva Erskine Smith (18531933, who later married Oliver Belmont) from Mobile, Alabama (a daughter of Murray Forbes Smith). She lends her support to causes relating to child welfare and womens higher education, and comes out strongly for womens suffrage. The Duke of Marlborough, Savior of Blenheim Palace, Has Died at Age 88 By James Reginato October 18, 2014 Standing six feet and five inches tall, John George Vanderbilt Henry. Daughter of Alva Vanderbilt. Even worse, she had to stifle mournful sobs throughout the ceremony. She married Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (1871-1934) 6 November 1896 in St . Blenheim Palace, his monumental 300-year-old residence in Oxfordshire, is in terrible shape, ready to devour Consuelos dowry in restoration expenses. For a brief time, it looked like Consuelo was going to get her happy ever after at last with Rutherfurd; around the time of Ivors conception, Rutherfurd experienced a fit of passion and proposed that they elope together. Even so, its hard to argue with the results; the next period of Consuelos life was everything she deserved and more. Still, Rutherfurd was no prince and no duke, and Consuelo was terrified of her mother finding out about their love. Consuelo couldnt bear the thought of causing fatal stress to her mother, not even if it allowed her to keep Winthrop Rutherfurd. He has scandalized his family by abandoning his first wife on their honeymoon to travel with a French dancer. Consuelo Vanderbilt was largely dominated by her mother, who was determined that her daughter would make a great marriage like that of her famous namesake. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Difficult. Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877-1964) was married to one of the Dukes of Marlborough (that made her the Duchess of Marlborough) and was Winston Churchill's cousin by marriage. Scariest of all, she vaguely threatened that she wouldnt hesitate to shoot a man if I thought he might ruin your life. The duke proposed to her in her family cottage, but he was more like a dutiful cadet than a passionate lover. Her father soon started to spend the family fortune, enthusiastically supported by Consuelo's mother, Alva, who was determined to take the family to the top of New York societyforcing a heartbroken Consuelo into a marriage she did not want with the underfunded . Its tracks stretched Vanderbilt's empire across the United States and gave him a monopoly for all rail service in and out of New York city. When she died, she was buried near her son, Lord Ivor, not far from Blenheim Palace. CONSUELO VANDERBILT BALSAN (1877-1964) - THE PAWN. By the time Consuelos honeymoon wrapped up and she arrived at Blenheim Palace, she was a thoroughly broken woman. He did, however, make sure to show up to the settlement meeting the very next day, where he finalized Consuelos 3-million-dollar dowry. Morgan Englund . 0 0 1 0 0 0 0. Behind the scenes, everything was falling apart. She went on to marry the wealthy French aviator Jacques Balsan and continued her charitable endeavours. During the inter-war period, she and Winaretta Singer-Polignac (the Princess de Polignac and Singer Sewing Machine heiress) worked together in the construction of a 360-bed hospital destined to provide medical care to middle class workers. The day that Winthrop Rutherfurd made Consuelo Vanderbilt his fiance, the young girl was on the edge of heading out on a long European sojourn with her mother, ostensibly to broaden her horizons but really to catch her a husband with a title. except that we dont have the nasal bridge so tall. To the ambitious Alva, only a prince or a duke was good enough to marry her daughter and lift up the Vanderbilt dynastywhether Consuelo liked them or not. The Dukes of Marlborough had a storied history, and Alvawho had secured Consuelo an introduction to the noble at a dinner party on their tripwas foaming at the bit for Consuelo to be a part of that history. [19] However, given the ill-fitting match between the duke and his wife, it was only a matter of time before their marriage was in name only. And when the duke finally got home from battle, Consuelo had another nasty surprise in store. Mrs. Earl was a long-time resident of Ridgefield, CT. Commodore Vanderbilt was an American financier who. Mrs. Earl was a long-time resident of Ridgefie Paul Csar Helleusportrait of Consuelo, offered in the 19th Century European Art sale in New York on 26 October, was executed during the artists visit to Blenheim Palace in the spring of 1900. Her mothers reaction was chilling. When it finally came, it was a high-society tragedy. Pastel on canvas. Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, the last surviving child of William K. Vanderbilt II, builder of the Eagle's Nest estate in Centerport where she spent summers growing up, has died. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? It worked: In 1921, Consuelo became a free womanand she wasted no time enjoying that freedom. "[23] In later years, Consuelo and her mother enjoyed a closer, easier relationship. His depiction of the 23-year-old Duchess, a ribbon emphasising the long neck for which she was so famous, staring off into the distance with a brightness and intelligence to her eyes, must be as close as we can get to knowing how Consuelo would have wanted to portray herself. It was ghostwritten by Stuart Preston, an American writer who was an art critic for The New York Times. In fact, she continued to feed information to the papers about everything from Consuelos gown to the gold fastenings on her undergarments in order to build public excitement in the lead up to the wedding. On the glittering surface, Consuelo Vanderbilt looked like she had it all. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. Consuelo Vanderbilt, Mar 1877 - 6 Dec 1964 Credit Line National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; partial gift of Kathryn S. and John J.A. With all these traits, you might have thought that she could have easily married for love. The sweet, stunning Consuelo was barely in her teen years when she began getting offers of marriage from almost every man who met her. Instead, some said that the real problem was Alvas own infidelity; she had started up an affair with her husbands best friend, Oliver Belmont, and was now openly courting him. See more ideas about vanderbilt, charles spencer, marlborough. Instead, Rutherfurd dealt her a heartless betrayal. Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, a great-great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt and an heiress to the family's tremendous railroad fortune who became a notable breeder of Skye and Silky terriers . Still, she manages to escape the splendor occasionally to have some fun at a nearby farm. Consuelo Vanderbilt Height, Weight & Measurements At 87 years old, Consuelo Vanderbilt height not available right now. It is only a matter of time before Consuelo and the Duke have a marriage in name only. [9], Determined to secure the highest-ranking mate possible for her only daughter, a union that would emphasize the preeminence of the Vanderbilt family in New York society, Alva Vanderbilt engineered a meeting between Consuelo and the indebted, titled Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, chatelain of Blenheim Palace. In fact, she and Balsan went way back. She met Winthrop Rutherfurd for a bicycle ride along with her mother and some other friends in Riverside Park in Manhattan, but when they drew back from the rest of the crowd, Winthrop quickly and clandestinely proposed to Consueloand she accepted. With no alternative, Consuelo masters the difficulties of managing a household with scores of servants, dinners for royalty, elaborate hunting parties and balls. SOUTHAMPTON, L. I., Dec, 6Mrs. Heartwarmingly enough, Balsam had been in love with Consuelo since her debutante days; hed fallen in love with her when he first saw her just before her 18th birthday. The entire time that they were in Europe, Alva had one man on her mind: Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, the ninth Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo Vanderbilt-Balsan (formerly Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; born Consuelo Vanderbilt; March 2, 1877 - December 6, 1964) was a socialite and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family.Her first marriage to the 9th Duke of Marlborough has become a well-known example of one of the advantageous, but loveless, marriages common during the Gilded Age; as such . That would have been painful on its own to hear, but the Duke followed it up with a much crueler insult. [11] Her mother cajoled, wheedled, begged, and then, ultimately, ordered her daughter to marry Marlborough. Nor had he written, or called, or done anything to hold onto the promise they had made each other that day. Her second husband was the dashing French pilot and man about town Jacques Balsan, who was her lover in the days leading up to her official divorce. But it also put her in incredibly horrible positions. It must have been heartbreaking. Picking her own wardrobe was also seen as the height of rebellion; when Consuelo once complained about the clothes her mother had chosen for her, Alva snapped back, Ido the thinking, you do as you are told. Alva Vanderbilt got her wish, and Consuelo and the Duke became engaged in September of 1895. During this Rapunzel period, Alva did let Consuelo out to attend the best society balls, naturally. They were blissfully happy together, with Balsan doting on his wife. Consuelo may not have had much attraction to her husband, but she certainly seemed to like his family line. When Consuelo a docile teenager whose only notable characteristic at the time was abject obedience to her fearsome mother made plans to elope, she was locked in her room as Alva threatened to murder Rutherfurd. It was only much later that she found out the chilling truth. (Socialite) Consuelo Vanderbilt was an American socialite from the Vanderbilt family who became the Duchess of Marlborough following her marriage to Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, the 9th Duke of Marlborough. Home page of Morgan Englund Music, an indie artist from Los Angeles. Thats because she was far from faithful herselfand one of her first lovers was scandalous. In the span of two months, Consuelo had lost two of the people she loved the most, and she was well and truly alone for the first time in her life. Another of Alva's friends, Minnie Paget, introduced Consuelo to the eligible Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo was allowed to consider the proposal of just one of the men, Prince Francis Joseph of Battenberg, but she developed an instant aversion to him. In her autobiography, Consuelo Vanderbilt described how she was required to wear a steel rod, which ran down her spine and fastened around her waist and over her shoulders, to improve her posture. Doctors werent able to operate on it, so Consuelo had to watch as her baby deteriorated and then passed that September at just 57 years old. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Family (1) Trivia (6) Great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt. She was the only daughter of railroad millionaire William Kissam Vanderbilt and his wife, southern belle and suffragist Alva Erskine Smith. As soon as the engagement hit the papers, the press crudely characterized Consuelo as yet another million dollar duchess, American heiresses who traded their wealth for a European title. Consuelo Vanderbilt. Consuelo and her friends were the inspiration for Edith Wharton's unfinished novel The Buccaneers. She lived in France before World War II, when she and Balsan returned to live in New York. When Consuelo married into the Spencer-Churchill family, she inadvertently changed the course of history. She had transformed into, of all things, a vehement suffragette. The duke decided he didnt need to attend the rehearsal, especially since he thought the American custom was vulgar. Something terrifying was looming. says: Hugo Vickers. A rich American Vanderbilt who became Duchess of Marlborough in a marriage of convenience and then, in a marriage for love, became French, tells of her life of privilege as one who saw it as an anachronism. Were always looking for your input! A cartoon in the New York papers satirising the wedding showed Consuelo kneeling next to the Duke in her wedding gown with her hands handcuffed behind her back and attached to a chain being held by her mother. She was named for Consuelo Vanderbilt - this part is important later, Consuelo has carved out a life for herself separate from her family's heavy legacy as a singer and entrepreneur. Since Consuelos separation from the duke, her domineering mother Alva had made a strange, late-in-life pivot. It is a scandal but the indomitable Alva survives socially while Consuelo makes the difficult adjustment to life at Blenheim, far from home in a house full of haughtyservants with a husband she does not love and who does not love her. She not only realized her husband was a shallow man, but that she was now a duchess, and subject to all the snobbery of the aristocracy that would put old money New York to shame. Consuelo not only had money and poise, but she also was known as a great beauty in her time. When Consuelo Vanderbilt did her duty and produced the required "heir and a spare" for the 9th Duke of Marlborough, she rocked her boys in a regal cradle, which is still on view at Blenheim Palace. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. In her desperation, Alva tells Consuelo there is madness in the Rutherfud family and that he cant have children. In Balsan the flame has reignited and Consuelo is smitten. In 1921, when the Duke marries Gladys there is finally a divorce and that same year, 27 years after that first encounter, Consuelo and Balsan are married--finally a marriage of love. For much of their 25-year marriage, the Marlboroughs lived separately and the marriage was finally annulled. The beautiful heiress to the massive Vanderbilt wealth, her future had shone like a diamond from the moment she was born. Consuelo in course of time, spent many more millions to renovate the 'decrepit heap' that was Blenheim, at the time of her marriage. After Consuelos Europe trip wrapped up, she might have thought she would finally be free to exhale. Via/ Wiki Commons. She was 88 years old. Like many of her guests, Alva is photographed in costume beforehand in the studio of photographer Jose Maria Mora, known for his profusion of backdrops and props--including stuffed doves for Alva.
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