This was the very definition of a mercenary marriage both Consuelo and the Duke were in love with other people. I therefore did not beg, but ordered her to marry the Duke.. "[23] In later years, Consuelo and her mother enjoyed a closer, easier relationship. To Consuelo, Marble House seems like a prison, with its high surrounding wall and heavy drapes to keep out the sun and the sound of the surf. 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. It worked: In 1921, Consuelo became a free womanand she wasted no time enjoying that freedom. Besides basically telling her that she amounted only to a big bank account, Consuelos new husband revealed his real feelings. Her defiance of her mother had caused Alva to have a heart attack, and the matriarch was currently clinging to life in her bedroom. Consuelo not only had money and poise, but she also was known as a great beauty in her time. The couple: Consuelo Vanderbilt and Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough When: 1895 Where: New Yorkthe ceremony at St. Thomas Church, and the reception at Mrs. Vanderbilt's home . Lady Paget, always short of money, soon became a sort of international marital agent, introducing eligible American heiresses to British noblemen.[10]. Alva invites Marlborough to visit Marble House, expecting him to propose to Consuelo. Laced into a wedding gown her mother had chosen before her engagement and walking beside bridesmaids her mother had hand-picked, Consuelo entered the church to marry the man her mother had insisted on. Consuelos relationship with the Duke of Marlborough didnt last, but her friendship with his cousin Winston Churchill surprisingly managed to pass the test of time. Guilt-stricken, Consuelo made a fateful decision. Starting in late August of 1895, Alva Vanderbilt accepted the Duke of Marlborough as her guest as she had always planned and began drumming up publicity for the marriage between her daughter and a British peer. 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. 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. As a well-known journalist and author, Cooper has a net worth of about $50 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com. Even Consuelos arrival at her new home was an enormous disappointment. Undeterred, Winthrop promised to trail her to Europe and elope with her once they got back stateside. At first, Consuelos announcement to Marlborough seemed to be successful, and the dukeindifferent to the bitter endeven allowed her to visit Rutherfurd again to decide what she really wanted to do. The family lived in an elaborate, castle-like home on . Nonetheless, she was the Duchess of Marlborough now, and she laid back and thought of America. On a trip to London in 1894, Alva arranged a meeting for Consuelo, 17, and the duke, 23 . Morgan Englund . CONSUELO VANDERBILT BALSAN (1877-1964) - THE PAWN. The church was covered with flowers, and the bride wore a magical gown of cream satin with a five-foot-long train. She married Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (1871-1934) 6 November 1896 in St . Consuelo Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family, a family of Dutch origin who gained prominence during the Gilded Age because of her great grandfather Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had great success with shipping and railroads and built an empire. SOUTHAMPTON, L. I., Dec, 6Mrs. Get the best stories from Christies.com in a weekly email, *We will never sell or rent your information. The Duke was away fighting in the Boer War and this touching portrait illustrates an intimacy between Helleuand his sitter. But this is no fairy tale. [3] She was educated entirely at home by governesses and tutors, and learned foreign languages at an early age. [4] Her mother was abusive and whipped her with a riding crop for minor infractions. Passing through Paris on the way home from India in the spring of 1894, Consuelo made her European debut at a ball thrown by the Duc and Duchesse de Gramont. 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. says: Hugo Vickers. During the course of her debutante season, shed met and fallen in love with the handsome Winthrop Rutherfurd, a young man of similaror even greaterNew York social standing as the Vanderbilts. Although Consuelo sold the house in 1957, it still exists. Thanks for your time! Consuelo couldnt bear the thought of causing fatal stress to her mother, not even if it allowed her to keep Winthrop Rutherfurd. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. She was 87 years old when she died. Why was this beauty unfortunate? Consuelo Vanderbilt was the richest American heiress to marry into British aristocracy. Behind the scenes, everything was falling apart. In a twist on a historical theme, the duke was fortune-hunting herand her mother Alva couldnt be happier. His portrait is particularly important among the many that exist of Consuelo, because it is the most personal of them all. "[9] She came to embody the "slim, tight look" that was in vogue during the Edwardian era. 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. We will update Consuelo Vanderbilt's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Consuelo Vanderbilt was born on March 2, 1877 in New York City, New York, USA. Although the teenage Consuelo was opposed to the marriage arranged by her mother, she became a popular and influential Duchess. Later, Consuelos summers are spent at Newport in the colossal Marble House, a grandiose mansion, also designed by William Morris Hunt, and completed in 1892. My mom never told me how her best friend died. But for all her mid-life happiness, the next decades brought final tragedies to Consuelos story. Nonetheless, there was one cousin of her husbands that Consuelo really got along with. Shortly after becoming the official lady of the house at Consuelos old home of Blenheim, Gladys painted a huge mural of her own sparkling green eyes on the front hall ceiling. In 1954, they begin summering in Southampton in the shingled cottage on Ox Pasture Road variously known as Gardenside and Cara Mia. NEW YORK Sir Winston Churchill's mother was one of the liveliest and most controversial women of her time. Also a textile manufacturing heir, Balsan was a younger brother of tienne Balsan, who was an early lover of Coco Chanel. Consuelo was young, but she wasnt dumb: She knew what her mother was up to, and she knew it spelled certain doom. The Duke needs all the money he can get. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. It was all Winthrop needed. Thats because before she had an heir with the Duke of Marlborough, none other than his cousin Winston Churchill was next in line to inherit Blenheim. Arthur Halmi\nHungarian, 1866-1939\nPortrait of Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, 1931\nSigned Halmi and dated NY 1931 (lr)\nPastel on paper laid to canvas\n40 x 30 inches\n\nC Estate of Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl\n\nToned. The duke proposed to her in her family cottage, but he was more like a dutiful cadet than a passionate lover. When they got home from the ball that night, Alva demanded Consuelo see her in her private chambers, ready to give her daughter a piece of her mind. To the world outside of that church, though, the marriage still looked like a triumph. 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. But Gladys had a reputation as something of a wild child, and things escalated fast. Moving in the same circles as the dashing Jacques Balsan, over the years, Consuelo has often been in the presence of the man who first fell in love with her when she was the unattainable pawn in her mothers marital maneuvers. Smithsonian Channel 4.02M subscribers Subscribe 17K 2M views 8 years ago Tutored in several European languages for hours on end and. Paul Csar Helleu (French, 1859-1927), Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, circa 1900. If it sounds like the lovers were in a hurry, its because they were. Sure that her daughter would try to make a break for it with Winthrop the minute the opportunity arose, Alva controlled Consuelo in a chilling way. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, Extravagant Facts About Barbara Hutton, The Poor Little Rich Girl, These Stories Of Unforgettable Close Calls Made Our Jaws Drop, Grandiose Facts About Marie Antoinette, The Doomed Queen, Bloody Facts About Ivan the Terrible, The Mad Tsar Of Russia, These Eerie Supernatural Experiences Sent A Chill Down Our Spines, Catherine The Great Was a Mighty EmpressUntil Her Brutal Downfall. Is Consuelo Vanderbilt still alive? "I forced my daughter to marry the duke", Alva Belmont told an investigator, adding: "I have always had absolute power over my daughter. . Consuelo Vanderbilt & the Duke of Marlborough It perhaps all started with Consuelo Vanderbilt, who married the Duke of Marlborough in 1895. 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. With her went some of the last living memories of the Gilded Age of America. Consuelo Vanderbilt was a willowy beauty of 17 when the 26-year-old Frenchman and future aviation pioneer, Jacques Balsan, first saw her and fell in love. For her part, Consuelo was given little opportunity to express her own opinion on the matter. Inside, the cream of New York society (minus most of the Vanderbilts) watches the weeping bride approach the altar like a lamb to the slaughter. The story explored an arranged marriage, Costin said, and looked at the societal pressures and family positioning that had plagued Vanderbilt women of the past, dating back to Consuelo Vanderbilt's marriage to the Duke of Marlborough at the end of the nineteenth century. [22] The Marlboroughs separated in 1906, divorced in 1921, and the marriage was annulled, at the duke's request and with Consuelo's assent, on 19 August 1926.[23]. Consuelo Vanderbilt. Consuelo V Earl in U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Consuelo V Earl was born on November 23 1903. She also cast aspersions on Winthrops intentions, claiming he just wanted Consuelo for her money. 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. So yes, our poor, naive Consuelo was being forced into marriage by a family who didnt know matrimonial happiness in the slightest. Blenheim Palace, his monumental 300-year-old residence in Oxfordshire, is in terrible shape, ready to devour Consuelos dowry in restoration expenses. Morgan Englund, singer/songwriter, born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Born as Mary "Minnie" Stevens, Lady Paget was the daughter of Paran Stevens, the socially ambitious widow of an American hotel entrepreneur who had successfully obtained admittance to the exclusive New York society of the fabled "Four Hundred". 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