Whigs in the Air

In the early 1780s everyone had hot air balloon fever. Prints, jewelery, and decor all reflected the public's new found love for aeronautics. Always the excellent PR agent, Georgiana wondered if she could woo the public on behalf of the Whigs by giving them a balloon show. First Georgiana had to woo the aeronautic Jean-Pierre Blanchard and once he was under her finger she offered to sponsor a public balloon display in Grosvenor Square.

Every self-respecting Whig gathered in the chilly December air to witness the hot air balloon decked out in blue and buff. Georgiana herself released the tethers and the balloon was later dubbed the Devonshire Aerial Yacht. For a moment the streets of London came to a standstill while everyone raised their eyes to the sky to see the ship that could defy Newton's law. Georgiana's PR feat was a success. She now knew that the key ingredient to getting positive political attention was to distract with something everyone liked, no matter how un-related the two items were.