Georgiana writes to her mother...

"...The Dss of Portland* has mortify'd me by her humility in saying that tho' Dr Georgiana was a very pretty child she was afraid she has too Cavendish a face to be a handsome woman..."

-Georgiana to Lady Spencer, June 17, 1784

*Georgiana's sister-in-law

Georgiana's Grandchildren

When Georgiana died in 1806 only one of her three (four, including her illegitimate daughter Eliza Courtney) children were married.  Georgiana lived to see her eldest daughter, Little G, marry and begin having children.  Little G would end up bearing twelve children, all who would survive until adulthood.  Quite amazing, especially when one considers how difficult it had been for her mother to have children.  Georgiana got to play the proud grandmother to Little G's first four children but was never to meet her other sixteen grandchildren.

Little G's Boundless fertility made up for her brother's lack of any offspring; Hart never married.  Harryo, the middle child, would have four children with her husband.  Her illegitimate daughter, Eliza Courtney married well and had four surviving children.  Let's meet some of them.

George Howard (1802-1864) followed in his uncle's footsteps and was more interested in his books and achievements than settling down to married life.

Lady Georgiana Howard (1804-1860) married a hunk.

Lady Harriet Elizabeth Georgiana Howard (1806-1868) was born shortly after her grandmother's death and seems to of inherited many of her grandmother's qualities.  She was a society hostess and BFF to Queen Victoria, serving as one of her Mistresses of the Robes.

Lady Blanche Georgiana Howard (1812- 1840) would follow in her grandmother's footsteps by marrying a future Duke of Devonshire.  Sadly though, she didn't live to become a Duchess of Devonshire for her husband received the title after her death.  Her uncle Hart outlived her.

Lady Elizabeth Dorothy Anne Howard (1816-1891) married the son of Earl Grey, Georgiana's former lover.

Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville (1815-1891) became a famous politician whose career spanned over half a century.  Not too surprising, when you consider his lineage. 

Eliza Ellice (1818-1899) despite being descended from an illegitimate child found herself a peeress as the Viscountess Hampden of Glynde.

Sir Charles Henry Ellice (1823-1888) was a successful army general.

Country Homes: Castle Howard

Location: Yorkshire
Famous Inhabitants: Little G
Website: www.castlehoward.co.uk

The Death of a Duchess

Today marks the 203rd anniversary of Georgiana's death. Much of Georgiana's 48 years of life were marked with health issues and in the second week of March 1806 it appeared that she had contracted jaundice. Rather than her health improving over the next few days, Georgiana grew worse and everyone became more and more concerned. The yellow/orange colour of skin was not due to jaundice but another liver ailment. Unbeknownst to the doctors an abscess had formed on her liver and was killing her. Harriet moved into Devonshire House to tend to her sister and "crowds" of people came to inquire daily after the state of Georgiana's health. Doctors felt that the sickness would pass but her friends and family were gravely concerned.

By the 26th, Georgiana was seizing for eight hours. The doctors shaved off all her lovely hair and put blister plasters on her skin which did nothing but cause her more pain. Amanda Foreman writes that,

"By the twenty-seventh everyone in Devonshire House knew that Georgiana was dying. The family, friends, and servants waited for the end to come. The crowd outside the gates grew in size."

Harriet watched as her sister struggled to speak and constantly seized for days, feeling as though she was dying with her. At 3:30 in the morning of 30 March Georgiana died surround by some of the most important people in her life, her husband, mother, sister, Bess, and Little G.

Reactions
The loss of Georgiana shook everyone. The crowds continued to visit Devonshire House to pay their respects, but those closest to Georgiana were the most effected. Charles Fox sat by himself at his former canvasser's home with big, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Little G wrote that she wished she could strew violets over her dying bed as Georgiana had strewn sweets over her life. The Prince of Wales was in a state of shock, almost not believing that she was gone. Lady Spencer had to deal with watching her favourite child die. Bess was devastated as well and also concerned that her friends' death meant that she had no valid reason to be living with the Cavendishes. She and Harriet bonded to each other in a means of support for the devastating loss

But perhaps the most affected person may be the most shocking. The Duke of Devonshire was inconsolable. In the final years of Georgiana's life the two had finally become close, and dare I say, even loving. Of course they would have their typical married-people bickering but it was if the calmer, more matronly Georgiana was the wife that Canis had always wanted. Her loss was a blow that the Duke, with his famous countenance, never really recovered from and put him in a sort of numb state until his own death. Guilt as well as the realization that Georgiana would not be holding his hand on his deathbed ate away at him. He locked himself in his room and then one night snapped. Bess stayed up all night with him and described the Duke as "hysterical." He never truly recovered from the blow.

"A woman more exalted in every accomplishment of rapturous beauty, of elevated genius, and of angelic temper, has not adorned the present age..."

The Morning Chronicle, 31 March 1806

Devonshire Progeny: Little G

After many years of miscarriages, Georgiana was finally round with a nine-month pregnancy. Her sister Harriet had given birth to her second boy a week before and Georgiana was hoping for the same thing, or at least for a healthy delivery. The Duke was less than optimistic and had already convinced himself that the much-awaited for child would be a girl. His premonition proved to be correct and on July 12, 1783 a healthy baby girl was born to the couple. The labour was stressful for both, and while the Duke watched, Georgiana was in near hysterics after thinking she had delivered a dead baby. Georgiana Dorothy Cavendish was born to her mother's cries of, "only let it be alive!" Despite Little G, as she was to be called, not being the heir that both parents wished for, they both doted on her, especially Georgiana. At first, a wet nurse had been hired but when she came to work after a bender and puked and fell down the stairs, Georgiana thought it best if she breastfed her child herself, something extremely unusual among the aristocracy.

Little G may have been her mother's namesake but she never seemed to inherit her mother's outgoing nature. She was more introverted like her father and this seemed to translate into quiet shyness. Her mother's exile after the affair with Charles Grey also seemed to have a damaging impact on Little G. Georgiana returned to find her even more reserved and now insecure; she followed Georgiana wherever she went, worried that she would disappear again if left out of her sight. She had also developed a crippling fear of being sinful. Despite these reserves she was a clever girl and a bibliophile. She was probably her mother's favourite child of her three/four.

After Little G's coming out, she had two notable admirers, The Duke of Bedford and the young Lord Morpeth. The 35 year old Bedford was a Whig, which recommended him to Georgiana, but he already had a slew of illegitimate children and kept two mistresses, one being Lady Melbourne. Morpeth, at 27, was a fine choice, but Georgiana had a difficult time envisioning her favourite child married off to a Tory. In the end, the Tory won the heart and hand of Little G and she became the Countess of Carlisle. As it turned out, Little G spent her marriage in much different way than her mother: having lots of children and avoiding the spotlight. One of her daughters even married a son of Charles Grey....kind of weird.

Georgiana's death in 1806 devastated her daughter, who seemed to have codependency issues and also saw her mother as her best friend. In her portrait above she holds a miniature of her beloved mother and looks to her in the heavens.