Music lessons and an hour of exercise in Central Park fill out the day. Alva Vanderbilt got her wish, and Consuelo and the Duke became engaged in September of 1895. She loves the time spent there with her warm-hearted but seldom available father, but even the normally unbending Alva loosens up a bit at Idle Hour. At the time of his death in 1877, his fortune was valued at $100 million (equal to nearly $2.5 billion today, via the Official Data Foundation ), which was more money than was held in the U.S. Treasury at the time, according to Forbes. 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). The church was covered with flowers, and the bride wore a magical gown of cream satin with a five-foot-long train. On the glittering surface, Consuelo Vanderbilt looked like she had it all. This work is offered in the 19th-Century European Art sale on 26 October at Christie's in New York Alva Vanderbilt got her wish, and Consuelo and the Duke became engaged in September of 1895. Unfortunately for the poor girl, Consuelo was utterly beautiful as a young woman. [30], During World War I, Consuelo Vanderbilt worked as the chair of the Economic Relief Committee for the American Women's War Relief Fund.[31]. Her defiance of her mother had caused Alva to have a heart attack, and the matriarch was currently clinging to life in her bedroom. For much of their 25-year marriage, the Marlboroughs lived separately and the marriage was finally annulled. 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. [4] Her mother was abusive and whipped her with a riding crop for minor infractions. She overcomes much initial suspicion and becomes a popular figure in England. 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). Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. 161 likes. Difficult. Many recognize the wedding for what it is: an especially prominent example of dollars for dukes, a craze among rich Americans for forging marital ties with titled but impecunious peers of the realm. William Morris Hunt pulled out all the stops on this extravagant showplace designed to allow Alva to display her wealth and high-end francophilia to the world. Consuelo found the Duke cold, snobbish and image-obsessed. He too married his mistress, Gladys Deacon, just weeks after the divorce. Nonetheless, she was the Duchess of Marlborough now, and she laid back and thought of America. Though largely embarked upon as a way to facilitate the Anglican duke's desire to convert to Roman Catholicism, the annulment, to the surprise of many, also was fully supported by the former duchess's mother, who testified that the VanderbiltMarlborough marriage had been an act of unmistakable coercion. Soon, Consuelo was going everywhere with the duke, with Alva giving lavish balls to show her daughter off to both him and society. In 1956, Consuelo got devastating news. Because soon, Alva was using this as another weapon against her. To say that Consuelo does not share her mothers enthusiasm is an understatement. Even so, its hard to argue with the results; the next period of Consuelos life was everything she deserved and more. Cornelius Vanderbilt, byname Commodore Vanderbilt, (born May 27, 1794, Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York, U.S.died January 4, 1877, New York, New York), American shipping and railroad magnate who acquired a personal fortune of more than $100 million. According to canon law, being married against ones will is the only valid claim for annulment and it falls on Alva to offer testimony in her daughters support. As it happened, Consuelo wasnt exactly bothered by her husband taking up with another woman, even if that woman was her friend. Consuelo spent her remaining years living like a ghost of a bygone agewhich, in all honesty, she was. But for once, Alva Vanderbilt got far more than she bargained for. But the Duke of Marlborough was really a snake in the grass. Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, or the rebel heiress as Page 6 as the society rags love to label her, is the 7th descendent of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Estimate: $300,000-500,000. In fact, it was in one of those courtrooms that Consuelos mother Alva made a heartbreaking confession. Browse 868 consuelo vanderbilt stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 56 x 38 in (144 x 97.5 cm). 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. eugeniagaravani. Winthrop left town, her friends had long stopped callingand her mother twisted the knife in further. Although that . Mere weeks after her divorce came through, Consuelo had a huge deja-vu. Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, KG, TD, PC (13 November 1871 - 30 June 1934), styled Earl of Sunderland until 1883 and Marquess of Blandford between 1883 and 1892, was a British soldier and Conservative politician, and a close friend of his first cousin Winston Churchill.He was often known as "Sunny" Marlborough after his courtesy title of Earl of Sunderland. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. 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. 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. 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. In Balsan the flame has reignited and Consuelo is smitten. With her went some of the last living memories of the Gilded Age of America. She had not settled on a particular aristocrat until the Vanderbilts visited Lord and Lady Lansdowne, who was the Duke of Marlboroughs aunt, in Calcutta in late 1893. But the Duke had a dark side he was hiding from Consuelo. [3] She was educated entirely at home by governesses and tutors, and learned foreign languages at an early age. But this American princess and "million dollar duchess" didn't get a happy endingshe got an utter nightmare. 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. [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. Just months before their daughters wedding in 1895, Alva and William are officially divorced and a year later Alva becomes Mrs. O.H.P. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. She sailed to England as the Duchess of Marlborough in 1895 and took up residence in her new homeBlenheim Palace. No, she died on 12/06/1964, 58 years ago. When Consuelo married into the Spencer-Churchill family, she inadvertently changed the course of history. 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. So yes, our poor, naive Consuelo was being forced into marriage by a family who didnt know matrimonial happiness in the slightest. She was 87 years old when she died. Discover (and save!) After learning of the proposal, Alva watches Consuelo like a hawk, intercepts her mail and refuses to allow Rutherfurd into the house.She sweeps Consuelo off to Europe and when Rutherfurd follows, Consuelo is forbidden to see him. Consuelo fit the bill: her father had come into a $50 million legacy, the equivalent of $1.3 billion today. 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. Growing up a Vanderbilt was a hugely privileged position for Consuelo. A quiet and serious man who had suffered an unhappy childhood, the Duke was devoted to the duty that he had inherited. His portrait is particularly important among the many that exist of Consuelo, because it is the most personal of them all. 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. He did, however, make sure to show up to the settlement meeting the very next day, where he finalized Consuelos 3-million-dollar dowry. The dream home of 26,000 square feet is called Casa Alva, in honour of her mother. On the stand, Alva confessed that I have always had absolute power over my daughter and she admitted she forced Consuelo into the union, begging the judge to grant the divorce for a marriage that had so obviously happened under duress. Consuelo Vanderbilt around 1910. And the worst was yet to come. Located not far from London, Crowhurst becomes the scene of many happy gatherings with friends who arrive from the city for the weekend houseparties. 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. She was also in love with an American suitor when her mother chose instead for her to marry an English Duke. Lady Paget, always short of money, soon became a sort of international marital agent, introducing eligible American heiresses to British noblemen.[10]. Slowed down footage to a natural rate and added. May 8, 2019 - Explore Marie's board "Consuelo Vanderbilt", followed by 236 people on Pinterest. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. 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. In fact, she and Balsan went way back. [1] She was educated entirely at home by governesses and tutors, and learned foreign languages at an early age. 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. . William Vanderbilt finds another beneficiary for his indulgences early in the 1890s, when the newspapers reportthat he is in a scandalous liaisonwith another woman.At about the same time, Alva is observed flirting with Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, usually called O.H.P. On March 26, 1883, Alva hosts a masked ball for 1,000 guests to officially open her Fifth Avenue castle and confirm her triumph in entering the highest ranks of New York society. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. The less heartwarming part? In her newfound freedom, she is also able to take activist stands on issues important to her. 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. Consuelo and the Duke separated in 1906. It wasnt long before Gladys had completely supplanted Consuelo at Blenheim, and she and the duke struck up a torrid affair that lasted over a decade. 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. 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. "I forced my daughter to marry the duke", Alva Belmont told an investigator, adding: "I have always had absolute power over my daughter. Family (1) Trivia (6) Great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt. It has remained true to its origins and stayed a private not-for-profit institution that still serves the Paris community. A reviewer in the same paper called it "an ideal epitaph of the age of elegance. Consuelo actually had affairs with no fewer than three of the Duke of Marlboroughs cousins over the course of her marriage, to the shock and horror of the respectable Spencer-Churchill family. History, Literature, mathematics, Latin and science are taught in special November 28, 2009 at 2:48 AM . From the day of Consuelos birth, Alva harbors the highest social goals for her only daughter, but as long as Consuelo remains a young girl, she is allowed some freedom to enjoy her very privileged surroundings. The fallout was unimaginable. As plans for the massive, extravagant, and expensive wedding coalesced, Consuelo and her mother held a rehearsal to make sure everyone in the wedding party knew exactly what to do on the big day. Guest and Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, Facemasks required while inside any Museum building, 17 Meeting House Lane / PO Box 303, Southampton, NY 11968. He was inoffensively and blandly handsome, and she thought he was somewhat smart and somewhat nice, but not much more. With no alternative, Consuelo masters the difficulties of managing a household with scores of servants, dinners for royalty, elaborate hunting parties and balls. Eventually, karma came for him. 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 married the 9th Duke of Marlborough at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York City, on November 6, 1895. 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