It was at one of these events that Consuelo happened to run into Winthrop at long last, and they shared a single dance together. November 28, 2009 at 2:48 AM . Even so, its hard to argue with the results; the next period of Consuelos life was everything she deserved and more. So they carried on a courtship right under Alvas nose, with Rutherfurd even sending Consuelo a single red rose on her 18th birthday. Consuelo was described as having a " piquante oval face perched upon a long slender neckenormous dark eyes fringed with curling lashes". July 5, 2017 11:41AM. The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart The face on the sphinx: . On November 6, 1895, Consuelos nightmare finally became a reality. Mere weeks after her divorce came through, Consuelo had a huge deja-vu. She was also in love with an American suitor when her mother chose instead for her to marry an English Duke. 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. This wedding attracted widespread attention not simply because through it "American royalty" and old stock European royalty combined, but also because so much money was involved on the part of the bride. 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. It is only a matter of time before Consuelo and the Duke have a marriage in name only. 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. Just months before their daughters wedding in 1895, Alva and William are officially divorced and a year later Alva becomes Mrs. O.H.P. But the Duke of Marlborough was really a snake in the grass. [14] The duke, for his part, gave up the woman he reportedly loved back in England and collected US$2.5million ($81.4million in 2021 dollars) in railroad stock as a marriage settlement. Family (1) Trivia (6) Great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Alva invites Marlborough to visit Marble House, expecting him to propose to Consuelo. In 1954, they begin summering in Southampton in the shingled cottage on Ox Pasture Road variously known as Gardenside and Cara Mia. All Rights Reserved. Churchill commiserates with Consuelos marital unhappiness and as Consuelo and the Duke grow further and further apart, Churchill is her ally in negotiating an official separation in 1906. Consuelo begged to see her, but her mothers emissary instead insisted, referring to last nights fight, I warn you there will be catastrophe if you persist. For one, William had long kept a mistress, Nellie Neustretter, and Alva was fed up. No, she died on 12/06/1964, 58 years ago. If only this is what happened. In 1810 he purchased his first . For much of their 25-year marriage, the Marlboroughs lived separately and the marriage was finally annulled. He has his clubs, his sports and his obsessive focus on the restoration of Blenheim to occupy him. It is often said that the Dukes nickname, Sunny, was not given because it reflected his personality, but was simply taken from his first courtesy title, the Earl of Sunderland. She also cast aspersions on Winthrops intentions, claiming he just wanted Consuelo for her money. And that was just what was going on in public. And when the duke finally got home from battle, Consuelo had another nasty surprise in store. 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. 33 Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 33 Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan Premium High Res Photos Browse 33 consuelo vanderbilt balsan stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Slowed down footage to a natural rate and added. Mrs. Earl was a long-time resident of Ridgefie While she was with the Duke for just over a decade, she is best known for their loveless but socially advantageous marriage. Alva had gradually stripped Consuelo of all her independence. Since Consuelos separation from the duke, her domineering mother Alva had made a strange, late-in-life pivot. In 1894, Alva and William Vanderbilt separate, with unpleasant consequences for Consuelo. "I forced my daughter to marry the duke", Alva Belmont told an investigator, adding: "I have always had absolute power over my daughter. 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. Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan Vanderbilt and his daughter, Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough, at the races in Paris. Just months before the duke proposed, Consuelos mother Alva had filed for divorce from her father William Vanderbiltand the reasons were utterly scandalous. Located not far from London, Crowhurst becomes the scene of many happy gatherings with friends who arrive from the city for the weekend houseparties. The influx of Consuelos fortune allowed him to restore Blenheim to the glory that the great house still exhibits today. She was 87 years old when she died. But Consuelos fianc dealt her a cruel snub. The only suitor she even allowed Consuelo to consider was Prince Francis Joseph of Battenberg, a man Consuelo deeply disliked. It was a total nightmare. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. Paul Csar Helleu (French, 1859-1927), Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, circa 1900. Her mothers reaction was chilling. In her autobiography, The Glitter and the Gold, Consuelo Vanderbilt recalled her first sight of Crowhurst Place in Surrey.Separated from her husband,the 9 th Duke of Marlborough, exiled from Blenheim and living for most of the year in London, she was looking for a small house - small by Vanderbilt standards, anyway - not too far from town, and one summer day in 1910 she found it. Of the three family mansions, Cosuelos favorite is the one called Idle Hour in Oakdale on Long Island, designed by William Morris Hunt. They were blissfully happy together, with Balsan doting on his wife. CONSUELO VANDERBILT BALSAN (1877-1964) - THE PAWN. 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. . And then there were Consuelos unpleasant duties. Consuelo is only too happy to move into the charming 15h-century Tudor manor house, Crowhurst. Consuelo couldnt bear the thought of causing fatal stress to her mother, not even if it allowed her to keep Winthrop Rutherfurd. Oh, and there was one more truly damning detail. Still, Rutherfurd was no prince and no duke, and Consuelo was terrified of her mother finding out about their love. But the Duke had a dark side he was hiding from Consuelo. It was a grueling battle that required years in and out of courtrooms, even with both parties very sure they were doing what was best for them. 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. In Balsan the flame has reignited and Consuelo is smitten. says: Hugo Vickers. [4] Her mother was abusive and whipped her with a riding crop for minor infractions. Estimate: $300,000-500,000. After Consuelos Europe trip wrapped up, she might have thought she would finally be free to exhale. Catching Up With Morgan Englund. Her defiance of her mother had caused Alva to have a heart attack, and the matriarch was currently clinging to life in her bedroom. 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. Now that Consuelo has been molded into the perfect wife for a noble husband, Alva takes her to Europe and introduces her to many titled young men. Thanks for your help! While Balsan was being lionized as a hero, Consuelo was enduring a loveless marriage and lonely exile as the wife of a foppish English peer of the realm. It would be nearly another 26 years before the two would finally marry in 1921 and Consuelo would find happiness with Jacques in France, and later in Southampton. [17], The new duchess was adored by the poor and less fortunate tenants on her husband's estate, whom she visited and to whom she provided assistance. He did, however, make sure to show up to the settlement meeting the very next day, where he finalized Consuelos 3-million-dollar dowry. [28], Consuelo Balsan published her insightful but not entirely candid autobiography, The Glitter and the Gold, in 1953. Lady Paget, always short of money, soon became a sort of international marital agent, introducing eligible American heiresses to British noblemen.[10]. In a twist on a historical theme, the duke was fortune-hunting herand her mother Alva couldnt be happier. How do you think its going to go? The Dukes motivation was primarily financial. The party is said to have cost her indulgent husband $3 million. 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. That year, she and her husband could finally take no more and publicly separatedand if her mothers American divorce set society atwitter, Consuelos split from a British peer caused even more of a scandal. Alva, having satisfied her own social ambitions as a Vanderbilt, is able now to turn her laser focus on marrying Consuelo into the highest European society. Paid Notice: Deaths EARL, CONSUELO VANDERBILT Published: February 27, 2011 EARL--Consuelo Vanderbilt, a great-great-granddaughter of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, died on February 21, 2011, at the age of 107. Consuelo not only had money and poise, but she also was known as a great beauty in her time. Her marriage to the ninth Duke of Marlborough was an international emblem for . Eventually, karma came for him. And Winthrop Rutherfurd, a young man with an impeccable pedigree and considered the handsomest bachelor in New York society, is in love with her. 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. Could You Have Endured Consuelo Vanderbilt's Upbringing? Without Consuelos money his income would have been insufficient to maintain Blenheim Palace, let alone undertake the renovations he had in mind. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Indeed, Consuelo was set to leave the very next day. Although the teenage Consuelo was opposed to the marriage arranged by her mother, she became a popular and influential Duchess. Three Vanderbilt health care leadersAndr L. Churchwell, C. Buddy Creech and Consuelo H. Wilkinshave been recognized by the "Nashville Business Journal" with 2021 Health Care Innovation Awards. Instead, all she got was more hurt and disappointment. For her part, Consuelo was given little opportunity to express her own opinion on the matter. One publication even printed a cartoon with the heading The Dukes Return from the Land of Dollars, with Marlborough sailing Consuelo back to Britain atop a heap of money. Consuelo was named in honor of her godmother, Consuelo Yzanaga, a half . Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Estimate: $300,000-500,000. Get the best stories from Christies.com in a weekly email, *We will never sell or rent your information. Dancy Mason is the Editor-in-Chief at Factinate. 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. The church was covered with flowers, and the bride wore a magical gown of cream satin with a five-foot-long train. by Balsan, Consuelo Vanderbilt, 1877-1964. xiv, 338 p., 16 leaves of plates; 22 cm. 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. American socialite heiress, Duchess of Marlborough. 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 best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. 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. Eventually, the duke evicted Gladys from the premises and passed in 1934, utterly estranged from his second wife. Still, there was something her mother didnt know. Except her mother was just getting started. 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. Home page of Morgan Englund Music, an indie artist from Los Angeles. And as Consuelo grew up, an enormous problem began developing. 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. Without apparent embarrassment she states: I forced my daughter to marry the Duke. C.Z. Consuelo in course of time, spent many more millions to renovate the 'decrepit heap' that was Blenheim, at the time of her marriage. In a flurry, he told Consuelo he still loved her and wanted to elope. Consuelo and the Duke separated in 1906. Consuelo's stunning beauty. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. The days of her notoriety are behind her but she has apparently not lost her aristocratic tastes. 161 likes. Two governesses, one German, one French, have her reading both languages by the age of eight. NEW YORK Sir Winston Churchill's mother was one of the liveliest and most controversial women of her time. Consuelo Vanderbilt Height, Weight & Measurements At 87 years old, Consuelo Vanderbilt height not available right now. Nonetheless, she was the Duchess of Marlborough now, and she laid back and thought of America. It is the original Idle Hour that Consuelo loves. To the world outside of that church, though, the marriage still looked like a triumph. Consuelo knew just what to do. 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. And after all that, Alva still had her cruelest card up her sleeveand she was about to play it. The hospital also includes a school of nursing and is one of the top ranked hospitals in France, especially for renal transplants. [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. But, her parents had divorced in 1895 when Consuelo was only 18 and this drastically changed her fate. She was 88 years old. 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. Guest and Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, Facemasks required while inside any Museum building, 17 Meeting House Lane / PO Box 303, Southampton, NY 11968. 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 was the richest American heiress to marry into British aristocracy. Born on . For another, she was one of the wealthiest young women in the United. Apparently, he felt too attached to her to elope. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. [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. [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]. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Consuelo fit the bill: her father had come into a $50 million legacy, the equivalent of $1.3 billion today. July 27, 2021. In marrying the Duke, Consuelo became the cousin of Winston Churchill, who would remain a dear friend and confidant to her throughout her life. A separation was one thing, but Consuelo and the duke wanted to go whole hog and file for divorce. With her went some of the last living memories of the Gilded Age of America. With all these traits, you might have thought that she could have easily married for love. 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. [1] The Duke obtained a large dowry by the marriage, and reportedly told her just after the marriage that he married her in order to "save Blenheim Palace", his ancestral home.[2]. And the worst was yet to come. Once, while Marlborough was away fighting in the Boer War, Consuelo took up with his cousin Freddie Guestwho was, in fact, staying at Blenheim as a guest. Consuelo's second marriage, on July 4, 1921, was to Lt. Col. Jacques Balsan, a record-breaking pioneer French balloon, aircraft, and hydroplane pilot who once worked with the Wright Brothers. Moderate. Travel is her escape, Paris her favorite destination, and there she is often able to enjoy the company of her exuberant father. Perhaps most harsh, Alva orders creation of a steel brace to run from Consuelos forehead to her waist to ensure correct posture, and, indeed, Consuelo is often praised for her regal carriage. In truth, Alva had known about his mistress Nellie Neustretter for years. 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. The matchmaker was a minor American heiress turned major English hostess, Lady Paget, the wife of Sir Arthur Paget. It was ghostwritten by Stuart Preston, an American writer who was an art critic for The New York Times. 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 say that Consuelo does not share her mothers enthusiasm is an understatement. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? Consuelo may not have had much attraction to her husband, but she certainly seemed to like his family line. In the interim between proposing and Consuelo visiting, he had apparently gotten a major case of buyers remorse and presented her with one of the worst excuses for not marrying her. 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. Alva Vanderbilt got her wish, and Consuelo and the Duke became engaged in September of 1895. 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. 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. For one thing, she was astonishingly beautiful. Cstoria ei cu Charles Spencer-Churchill, al 9-lea Duce de Marlborough a devenit o emblem internaional a cstoriilor . 3 /5. Consuelo found him to be cold, snobbish, and image-obsessed. Belmont. Consuelo Vanderbilt was born on March 2, 1877 in New York City, New York, USA. Is Consuelo Vanderbilt still alive? 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. Because soon, Alva was using this as another weapon against her. He too married his mistress, Gladys Deacon, just weeks after the divorce. Consuelo lived in Greenwich, Connecticut 06836, USA. After their agonizing will-they, wont-they back and forth, she eventually did hook up with Winthrop Rutherfurd shortly after her marriage. It all started, perhaps, with a high society invitation. 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. A reasonable enough goalexcept Alva was something of a true brute. So yes, our poor, naive Consuelo was being forced into marriage by a family who didnt know matrimonial happiness in the slightest. Still, she manages to escape the splendor occasionally to have some fun at a nearby farm. 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. 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. small-scale classes for girls. 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. 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 and her friends were the inspiration for Edith Wharton's unfinished novel The Buccaneers. Aliases: Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough; Winston Churchill's BFF. In April 2015, she filmed a music video at the Vanderbilt Mansion. "[23] In later years, Consuelo and her mother enjoyed a closer, easier relationship. 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. It wasnt that Consuelo disliked Marlborough; its that she had almost no opinion of him at all. It has remained true to its origins and stayed a private not-for-profit institution that still serves the Paris community. 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. The dream home of 26,000 square feet is called Casa Alva, in honour of her mother. 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. [15] Consuelo's father built a mansion for her in London, Sunderland House in Curzon Street. Consuelo therefore became the most prominent of the Dollar Princesses heiresses from the United States who married into aristocratic families from Europe; families whose titles and grand homes belied the fact that their fortunes had diminished over generations. 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. Portrait of Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, 1931. #Royals Consuelo Vanderbilt contrajo matrimonio con Charles Spencer-Churchill, Duque Marlborough el 6 de noviembre de 1895, su vestido, que era una creacin de la casa Worth es considerado un icono dentro de la historia de la alta costura #consuelovanderbilt #vanderbilts #royalwedding #highsociety #houseofworth # . Consuelo and the Duke had a second son in 1898 and she is said to have coined the phrase an heir and a spare. After five months, her fianc Winthrop still hadnt shown up. In fact, such transactions occur with such frequency in the Gilded Age that the New York Times periodically prints a list of the sums changing hands. Consuelo spent her remaining years living like a ghost of a bygone agewhich, in all honesty, she was. While Alva planned out her daughters titles and nuptials, Consuelo had a much different idea for a groom. Everyone expected an engagement at any moment. The Vanderbilt family fortune was once equal to $185 billion. The less heartwarming part? Perfect for readers of Jennifer Robson and lovers of Downton Abbey. The son of an impoverished farmer and boatman, Vanderbilt quit school at age 11 to work on the waterfront. 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. Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, a great-great-granddaughter of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, died on Monday, February 21, 2011 at her home at the age of 107. In 1902, she is one of four duchesses chosen to bear the canopy of Queen Alexandra at the coronation of Edward the VII. The eldest child and only daughter of the main Vanderbilt heir William and his wife Alva, Consuelo was all the hopes of the Gilded Age of America rolled into one. 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.
