She quickly swooped in to separate the pair as soon as possible, foiling any plans they might have made. But this is no fairy tale. English: Consuelo Vanderbilt, aka Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan and Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, (March 2, 1877 - December 6, 1964), was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt Family, as well as an English aristocrat.She was seen as the ultimate marital prize of the Victorian age. And the worst was yet to come. Isolated and utterly beaten down, Consuelo couldnt even get in touch with Winthrop to tell him what was going on. Almost as soon as she heard about her daughters broken engagement, Alva miraculously recovered from her deathbed, though not enough to treat Consuelo with any warmth in the coming weeks. Easy. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of consuelo. Thanks for your help! She lived in France before World War II, when she and Balsan returned to live in New York. 1956 was a horrific year for Consuelo. 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. Consuelo and her friends were the inspiration for Edith Wharton's unfinished novel The Buccaneers. But it also put her in incredibly horrible positions. Other images of Vanderbilt by artist Paul Csar Helleu: Reginald Fellowes is possibly Hon. Charles was such a rake that he would often send Consuelo love letters with missives to his other girlfriends attached, along with a request that she kindly forward them along. In 1898, Consuelo gave birth to another son, Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill, fully completing her duty by providing her husband withas she often wryly quippedan heir and a spare. Before marrying the duke, Consuelo knew she didnt and probably couldnt love him. The hospital also includes a school of nursing and is one of the top ranked hospitals in France, especially for renal transplants. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. 0 0 1 0 0 0 0. In April 2015, she filmed a music video at the Vanderbilt Mansion. And when the duke finally got home from battle, Consuelo had another nasty surprise in store. Still, she manages to escape the splendor occasionally to have some fun at a nearby farm. 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. It is only a matter of time before Consuelo and the Duke have a marriage in name only. In 1906, Consuelo Vanderbilt stunned the world. And soon, the power-tripping Alva turned her gaze on her daughter. Before joining the team, she worked as a course lecturer while completing her Ph.D. in English Literature. July 27, 2021. 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. Pastel on canvas. Just months before the duke proposed, Consuelos mother Alva had filed for divorce from her father William Vanderbiltand the reasons were utterly scandalous. . 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. She died on December 6, 1964 in Southampton, Long Island, New York, USA. 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. 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. Many believe[27] that Churchill polished his famous Iron Curtain Speech in that house as he visited his cousin's former wife on his way to Fulton, Missouri, to deliver an address at Westminster College. It only took the honeymoon for it all to fall apart. The Dukes motivation was primarily financial. SOUTHAMPTON, L. I., Dec, 6Mrs. Although Balsan sold her home in 1957, it still exists. When Consuelo Vanderbilt's grandfather died, he was the richest man in America. Consuelos mother Alva was one of the great battle-axes in history, and she was determined to force old money New York families like the Astors to accept the Vanderbilt name into their ranks, despite its brutish nouveau riche associations. But before Consuelo could get a word out, disaster struck. She was 87 years old when she died. No, it made absolutely no sense. 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. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. eugeniagaravani. 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, she was known as one of the earliest dollar princesses. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Consuelo not only had money and poise, but she also was known as a great beauty in her time. Living out the next decade in Long Island, New York, she followed her husband and son into the grave on December 6, 1964, passing at the age of 87. marah. 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. In fact, she kept it with her for the remainder of her life, and it has remained with the family since her death. Consuelo spent her remaining years living like a ghost of a bygone agewhich, in all honesty, she was. She married Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (1871-1934) 6 November 1896 in St . 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. 56x 38in (144 x 97.5 cm). And that was just what was going on in public. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Family (1) Trivia (6) Great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt. 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. Embed from Getty Images Making distraction rewarding since 2017. 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. First, let's get Consuelo's mama out of the way: Alva Vanderbilt was . In 1902, she is one of four duchesses chosen to bear the canopy of Queen Alexandra at the coronation of Edward the VII. Morgan Englund, singer/songwriter, born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. 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. Via/ Wiki Commons. It had been a decade of utter misery for them both, but it still wasnt the done thing in the aristocracy. Consuelo knew just what to do. In the wake of her canceled engagement, Consuelo was almost completely alone. With the slim, tight look that was all the rage in the Edwardian era, she was a small, elongated woman with dark eyes and a long, oval face with delicate features. Consuelos course of instruction, supervised by her mother, has always bordered on cruelty. In a twist on a historical theme, the duke was fortune-hunting herand her mother Alva couldnt be happier. 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. Were always looking for your input! 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. Is Consuelo Vanderbilt still alive? First, he outright admitted, with characteristic bloodlessness, that hed only married her to save Blenheim, his ancestral home. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. 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. She was the only daughter of railroad millionaire William Kissam Vanderbilt and his wife, southern belle and suffragist Alva Erskine Smith. In some ways, this very particular promiscuity was a continued cry for help from the dank cell of her loveless marriage. 56 x 38 in (144 x 97.5 cm). The crowds outside the church were testament to the success of her strategy, although when Consuelo and her father arrived late for the ceremony, it was obvious that the bride had been crying. Consuelo Vanderbilt, Mar 1877 - 6 Dec 1964 Credit Line National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; partial gift of Kathryn S. and John J.A. 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. Consuelo Vanderbilt was the richest American heiress to marry into British aristocracy. And as Consuelo grew up, an enormous problem began developing. [12] Still she refused. November 28, 2009 at 2:48 AM . Consuelo Vanderbilt was born on March 2, 1877 in New York City, New York, USA. [26], Records in Florida show that in 1932 Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan built a home in Manalapan, Florida, just south of Palm Beach. 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. Family Her mother is Alva Belmont and her father is William Kissam Vanderbilt I . Records in Florida show that in 1932 Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan built a home in Manalapan, just south of Palm Beach. 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. The surly Duke makes Alva wait but finally proposes to Consuelo in the gloomy Gothic Room at Marble House, and Consuelos fate is sealed. On the glittering surface, Consuelo Vanderbilt looked like she had it all. Apparently, he felt too attached to her to elope. Soon enough, she gave birth to a son, John Spencer-Churchill. Consuelo Balsan (formal, Consuelo, Duces de Marlborough; nscut Consuelo Vanderbilt) ( 2 martie 1877 - 6 decembrie 1964 ), a fost membr proeminent a familiei americane Vanderbilt. 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. 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. Alva had gradually stripped Consuelo of all her independence. 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". Her duty done, Consuelo might have settled into a quiet, unassuming life. Instead, all she got was more hurt and disappointment. She allows Consuelo and her siblings to take over an old bowling alley on the property as a playhouse, but insists the children do all the housework themselves, even the cooking. their appropriation quickly dissipated when it turned out that by the time william k. vanderbilt inherited the family fortune (his share enlarged considerably thanks to alva's clever manipulation of her father-in-law), willie ended up with 50 per cent of his father's residuary estate ($65 million) instead of the meagre $10 million earmarked for 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. Still, there was something her mother didnt know. Although the teenage Consuelo was opposed to the marriage arranged by her mother, she became a popular and influential Duchess. The church was covered with flowers, and the bride wore a magical gown of cream satin with a five-foot-long train. 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). My mom never told me how her best friend died. 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. 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. 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. 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. And then there were Consuelos unpleasant duties. [15] Consuelo's father built a mansion for her in London, Sunderland House in Curzon Street. Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan Vanderbilt and his daughter, Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough, at the races in Paris. [5] When, as a teenager, Consuelo objected to the clothing her mother had selected for her, Alva told her that "I do the thinking, you do as you are told. Lets just, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Sensational Facts About Louella Parsons, The Queen Of Hollywood Gossip, Swoon-Worthy Facts About Madame Manos, The Unrecognized Royal, Scandalous Facts About Catherine The Great, The Scarlet Empress, Lovestruck Facts About Elisabeth of Romania, The Boy Crazy Princess. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. She also cast aspersions on Winthrops intentions, claiming he just wanted Consuelo for her money. To say that Consuelo does not share her mothers enthusiasm is an understatement. 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. If it sounds like the lovers were in a hurry, its because they were. Consuelo is besieged by suitors but Alva finds the man she considers the perfect choice for a son-in-law in Charles Richard John Spencer Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough. . For her part, Consuelo was given little opportunity to express her own opinion on the matter. 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. In certain echelons of New York societythe upper onesthe birth of Consuelo Vanderbilt in 1877 was akin to the coming of a messiah. Mrs. Earl was a long-time resident of Ridgefield, CT. Commodore Vanderbilt was an American financier who. 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. 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