Come to the Ball

It is truly interesting what fabulous treasures from the past are left behind.  The British Museum houses many of these forgotten treasures that could have been so easily thrown away in their time. 

When viewing the print above from the screen of a computer, it looks like it could have been any sort of print to be displayed in the home or business of a person willing to spend a few shillings.  However this one is a bit more special.  This print was actually a calling card of Harriet, Lady Bessborough.  One the reverse is an invitation to a ball she was holding.  Whoever she invited must have appreciated the gesture enough to save the invitation many years afterward!

Society Sisters

Ever since the royal wedding in April, Pippa Middleton has become a star.  The newly dubbed Duchess of Cambridge has been no stranger to the spotlight for some time now but as soon as her sister, Pippa stepped out in that famous McQueen gown, she too was turning heads.

Now whenever the two Middleton sisters step out together it's a double-duo of celebrity, paparazzi and fabulosity.  So of course, I am reminded of two other society sisters who became celebrities once one married a duke.  Photographs may not have existed in the 1770's but the press and satirical images certainly did.  Georgiana was almost always portrayed with her sister, Harriet who became a celebrity for her associations with her elder sister.  Once again, history repeats itself.

Mother Knows Best

"You have acquired already a reputation as a mother, do not go and lose it for the first little temptation that comes in..."

Lady Spencer to Lady Duncannon
October 1781

Overdraft Fees

With all of Lady Spencer's berating of her eldest daughter you would think she was the only Spencer with skeletons in the closet.  All three of her children had addictions that put them into debt.  Georgiana and Harriet had obscene debts due to their gambling addiction and George's debts pertained to his addiction to books!  Of course the Goddess of Wisdom, Lady Spencer herself, was no innocent, she herself, suffered from a gambling addiction making her no stranger to debt as well.

Country Homes: Althorp

Location: Lincolnshire
Famous Inhabitants: Lady Spencer, Harriet Countess of Bessborough, and of course, Georgiana
Website: www.althorp.com

Devonshire Progeny: Caro Ponsonby (Lamb)

One of the pitter-pattering sets of little feet scampering around Devonshire House were those of the future Lady Caroline Lamb. Caro was the youngest child of Harriet, Georgiana's beloved sister. Therefore much of Caro's childhood was spent with Aunt Georgiana, Uncle William and the rest of the Devonshire Progeny.

Caro's odd behaviour, which was to make her notorious, didn't just spring up in adult-hood. There was always something a bit off about the child. First of all, she differed greatly (in fact, she looked impish), in appearance and otherwise, from her two brothers; which is likely due to her actually being their half-sister. Although this cannot be solidly proved, it is a likely explanation for the differing personalities.

The formidable Lady Spencer described her granddaughter as "one of the most difficult children to manage." She was bratty, unpredictable, and needed constant attention or else she would become increasingly difficult in order to achieve it, asking silly questions and so forth. At least one time this earned her a spanking from grandma! Even Georgiana recorded that she was tempted to slap Caro after she was rude to Harriet on one ocassion.

A lovely reader, Kristi, and I have discussed Caroline's unique personality and she brought up how Caro had many autistic traits, which I found to be a brilliant theory and one that made a lot of sense. Once when Caro was a young teen, she was traveling by carriage with her parents. Somehow the party got lost in the dark and like many a family vacation of mine, Bessborough (Caro's er...Dad) got angry at Harriet and Caro for being frightened. Shortly afterward the horses got spooked and while Bessborough went to calm them, Harriet realized they were about to fall down a pit, hence the frantic horses. When the dust cleared, figuratively speaking, Caro was gone. She was running through the dark fields to the closest town to get help. The papers had a field day.

Caro was very close to her mother and her dutiful brothers were protective of her. Her unpredictable personality made it difficult for her to make friends. The closest Caro seemed to come with childhood friends was Georgiana's daughter Harryo and Bess' daughter Caroline St Jules, who were all very close in age. Both girls had little patience for Caro's antics and commonly found themselves stuck with Caro on long trips across the continent. It was noticed that Caro seemed to behave better when around Caro St Jules' good influence.

When Harryo got married she neglected to invite Caro, who was very put out. Meanwhile Caro St Jules would forever be glued to her foil when the two both married the Lamb brothers. But that part of Caroline's story is of a more tartly nature.

Quotables

"I should not have selected, for so gentle and very amiable a man, a sister of the empress of fashion, nor a daughter of the goddess of wisdom."

-Horace Walpole, on Frederick Viscount Duncannon's marriage to Harriet Spencer

A Toiling Schedule

No one ever said it was easy being a fashionable duchess! Take for example the week of 14 February, 1785. Georgiana was just swamped with social events!

Monday

On that day (a Monday) Georgiana wrote her daily letter to her mother before going out. She reassured Lady Spencer that although she was going to many balls she was never out after midnight and that dancing was a good distraction from the temptations of gambling. Well, there was a lot of distraction this week,

"There is a ball tonight at Ly Beauchamp's, Tuesday Ly Lucan's, (I GO upon PARTICULAR invitation), Wednesday Princes, Thursday D'Adhemar's, Friday Mrs. Poole (who was Miss Forbes), Saturday, the Prince, and Monday the survivors dance Scotch reels at the Dss of Gordon's..."

The Duchess of Gordon's? Georgiana's foil? I predict some major dramz!

Tuesday Night

Georgiana wrote that the Duchess of Gordon "made a great riot at the Opera." She was tricked into thinking that in France it was a proper mark of respect to kiss a blood royal upon introduction. So when introduced to Louis, the Duke of Chartes (future Duke of Orleans and Louis Egalite) Jane laid a big one on him! Oh the laughs that must have followed... Georgiana also reported that

"Ly Lucan's was a very pretty ball...Nannette's dancing is vastly pretty, but my sister is without question the best. I sup'd and was home about 3."

What happened to 'before midnight' Cinderella?

Wednesday

The Prince of Wales' ball at Carlton House was a hit. Georgiana spent most of the letter gushing that her and her sister's outfits which were "very smart." She went into detail,

"Our gowns were night gowns of my invention. The body and sleeves black velvet bound with pink and fasten'd with silver buttons. The pettycoat light pink, and the skirt, apron and handkerchief crape bound with light pink, large chip hats with feathers and pinks."

If that doesn't sound absolutely fabulous, I don't know what is! She added, "My shape look'd very decent." After describing the rooms, Georgiana went back to talking some smack on the Duchess of Gordon,

"[She] was drest in the Prince's uniform [what a suck-up!], blue and buff, and his buttons. They persecuted her by pinning foxes' tails to her back..."

The moral of that story, Mrs. Gordan: stick to your roots because no one likes a sycophant!

Madame Recamier: The Living Image

Here is a story that Andy Warhol would have thoroughly enjoyed.

An iconic image of regency France, or France in the time of Napoleon, is David's portrait of Madame Recamier, the famous society hostess. In 1800 David portrayed her as the ideal post-revolutionary woman: in the Classical gown (or negligee) of a citroyen, at ease with the non-monarchical state. She is so Enlightened, she can't even be bothered to wear shoes while she lounges on her chaise. How ancient Roman, no, how French nouveaux!

Well, when Harriet Lady Bessborough was in France, she decided to drop in on the icon that was Juliette Recamier. To her surprise, she found Madame exactly as she pictured her. Madame Recamier was in her skimpy white gown lounging in bed. Just like the painting! The only difference, Harriet noted, was that this time she was surrounded by men. How utterly scandalous! What would Lady Spencer say?! Harriet thought the whole thing was too ironic and decided to drop in on her again when she wasn't so exposed imposed. The second time, it was the same thing; Madame Recamier in bed, surrounded by men, her "beautiful white shoulders exposed and perfectly uncovered to view - in short, completely undressed and in bed." Harriet, who had a history being shocked by French aristocrats' blatant sexuality, asked if Madame was indisposed. Out of the graceful pink lips came, not the sweet voice of a Muse, but the shrill protests of big-mouth attention seeker. To Harriet's prudish horror, Madame Recamier proclaimed to everyone in the room that she was not indisposed and she was not pregnant either (if that's what you mean you cheeky Brit!).

Obviously Harriet was not hip with the times.

The Curious Case of Caroline Ponsonby

Lady Harriet Duncannon had already produced a heir and a spare by the time she found comfort in the rake, Charles Wyndham's arms. Her next child, born in 1785 proved different from the others right away. She was a frail and sickly infant; the complete opposite of her brothers when they were born. She also looked slightly different too...a little impish, in fact. Truth be told, Harriet was sleeping with both her husband and Charles Wyndham around the time of her daughter, Caroline's, conception.

A few years earlier Lady Melbourne was conducting one of her own affairs; one of many. This one was with the Earl of Egremont, George Wyndham. Lord Egremont just happened to be the father of Charles Wyndham-the possible father of Caroline. Lord Egremont was also probably the father of Lady Melbourne's son whom she had at the time of the affair, William Lamb.

How ironic, then, that these two probable results of affairs, Caro and William Lamb, would fall in love and get married. As Harriet's biographer, Janet Gleeson points out, if these two were, in fact, not fathered by their mother's husbands, then Caro was actually marrying her uncle. Oh dear.

While there is no direct proof of the parentage, Caro's difficulty in pregnancies offer strong evidence for inbreeding. Caro suffered many pregnancies before finally delivering a sickly child, who would die prematurely.

Tart of the Week: Elizabeth Lady Holland

This wild beauty was born in Jamaica in 1771, the only child to the extremely wealthy Richard Vassall. As was common in rich families who only had a daughter, anyone who was to marry their precious Elizabeth would have to take their last name in order to receive the money that came with her. It also ensured that the family name would be carried on. Because of her upbringing on the tropical island, Elizabeth developed a fondness for the exotic and penchant for discovery. She "devoured" books and was absolutely fascinated by science; specifically geology and chemistry. Elizabeth also had a sunny personality but was known to be blunt in her opinions and ambitious. Her one weakness was thunderstorms which she remained deathly afraid of throughout her life. Even lighting many candles and not even having one inch of widow showing in order to avoid seeing lightning.

When it came time for Elizabeth to marry, her parents settled upon a baronet in England, Sir Geoffrey Webster who just happened to be 23 years older than fifteen year old Elizabeth. The teen was carted away to the opposite hemisphere to become mistress to the imposing Battle Abbey, it must have been quite the shell shock for a plantation girl from Jamaica.

Sir Geoffrey himself was no prize. He was a depressed fellow (quite opposite from his young bride) who was prone to jealousy, drink, and gambling. Children followed the marriage but so too did physical abuse. It wouldn't be risky to say this could have been the result of Elizabeth's stubborn, acid-tongue ways. She was not the type of lady to refrain from defending herself or at least stating her opinions! Sir Geoff also came with baggage: his mother. Elizabeth hated the old bag. The feeling was reciprocated. Open warfare soon developed between the two Lady Websters. Elizabeth would inquire daily as to whether the "old hag was dead yet." Harsh! She would also try and scare her out of the house with ghostly pranks. There is even a story of Elizabeth going so far as to stage a prank that the French had invaded the cost, employing friends and such, dressed as commoners, to run toward the abbey with carts, screaming bloody murder. The dowager Webster invited them in for food and drink and told them to let the French know they would be treated the same and she could be found there until her death. Ha!

Is it any surprise then, that Elizabeth was always begging her husband to travel? He was a stick in the mud, and therefore never interested as leaving the house which Elizabeth saw as her prison. By 1791 Elizabeth was finally satisfying her need to travel, sometimes with her husband and sometimes without. It was in her travels on the continent that she met up with Harriet Lady Duncannon and the two women became fast friends. Despite their different temperaments they had a common interest in (Whig) politics and partying. While abroad the broads traveled, partied, and flirted together in what appears to have been a really fun time. It also just happened to be where they both met the men they would come to cheat on their husbands with.

At first it was Granville Leveson-Gower who was constantly flirting with Elizabeth. But when his attention was turned to Harriet, Elizabeth began paying more attention to her suitor, Henry Richard Fox, Baron Holland. Like Caroline Lennox with Henry's grandfather before him, Elizabeth initially found Henry to be "not in the least bit handsome" and with many "personal defects." But you know how those Foxes are, women can't resist them! Henry's rakish father died when he was a baby so he was raised by his uncle, Charles James Fox, which should be explanation enough into his personality. Soon the gay party (Elizabeth, Harriet and the boys) were taking fun day trips and exploring together, prompting love to bloom between the couples. When Elizabeth finally was ready to return to England and her husband in 1796 she was accompanied by Henry. Later that year she gave birth to his baby and soon a divorce proceeding was underway.

At first Sir Geoffrey was enraged about being cuckolded. Then he would claim that he would go through with the proceedings, then he would be angry again, then he would claim he still loved Elizabeth. It just got ridiculous when he began considering a duel with Henry, not for banging his wife but for commissioning Romney to paint a portrait of her. At last it was decided that he would divorce Elizabeth, and what a doosey he presented her. She had to give up her whole fortune and children, only to receive a mere £800 a year and that was on top of suing Henry for £10,000 in damages (which was later decreased). Perhaps anticipating the disastrous divorce, Elizabeth had written to her husband on her way back from the continent to inform him that their daughter Harriet had died of measles. This was a desperate act of a mother, done in order to stay with her two year old daughter. The trick worked but Elizabeth was in constant fear of discovery. Meanwhile, she was denied any access to her other children.

Now a fallen woman Elizabeth was scared at her prospects and that of her baby. Luckily, Henry loved her and married her. Polite society excommunicated Elizabeth but as they tended to do with their fallen friends, Harriet and Georgiana remained loyal and continued to see Elizabeth. Eventually her home, Holland House, became the next Devonshire House, a political epicentre. Like a captain running a tight ship, Elizabeth relished her role as political hostess, and even began to rival Georgiana. The scandalous couple, in the tradition of all Foxes, had a happy marriage and threw fabulous parties. She died five years after her husband, in 1845 after bearing tremendous death pains for three days. Proving, once again, that she was a tough broad even up to the end.

Devonshire Progeny: Harryo

When Georgiana gave birth to her second child in 1785 everything was set up grandly for the birth of the Devonshire heir. What came out was another girl, to be named after her aunt, Harriet; although she would henceforth almost always be referred to as 'Harryo.' Not only was a girl born but a typical middle child. Harryo lacked the physical charms of her famous mother. She may have been fashionably pale but she lacked her mother's figure and her chubbiness was constantly commented on. She also decided to lack her mother's love of fashion, but this was more an act of defiance. In fact, Harryo seemed to be more cynical and perhaps a little bitter than her siblings Little G and Hart were. What physical charms Harryo lacked she made up with her cleverness and intelligence. Many would comment through the years on her interesting conversation and obvious smarts. Put all these aspects together and we have some very interesting perspectives on living with the Devonshires. We also have a big Bess-hater. All in all, Harryo's appeal and complexity lies in her contemporary edge. Clearly, she was born in the wrong century.

Every Cavendish reacted to their mother's exile in a different way. Harryo reacted with typical teenage bitchiness. She managed to make peace with her mother before her death in 1806 but afterward was left feeling alone and isolated. To make matters worse she was trapped in her home without her siblings and with her father and...Bess. Bess whom Harryo claimed to always hate despite her always being around. To make matters worse, Bess took over Georgiana's place, sitting at the head of the table; a position reserved for the next lady of the household, not the head of the household's mistress. Aunt Harriet took pity on Harryo and spent more time with her to rescue her from her bad home life. Bess was also attempting to aid Harryo in finding a husband. Bess' choice was Granville Leveson-Gower, a man who had been involved with Harriet and was the father of two of her children. Harryo sneered at the match, despite Granville's good looks. Instead, she went through a series of other suitors, the first being Harriet's son, John. Just as Harryo began to fall in love with the cousin he became interested in Lady Jersey's daughter, Elizabeth. Harriet, hating the idea of becoming in laws with such a woman, tried to convince him to go for his cousin.

Eventually, John's indecisiveness lost him the option of Harryo who moved on to various other suitors including other cousins and friends of her brother. But it all came back to her aunt's boyfriend, Granville. The tall dark and handsome had taken an interest in the short and "stout" Cavendish spinster but she still talked about him with disdain. Although, it was becoming apparent that this disdain was only a facade to mask her true feelings. The truth was Harryo attempted to hate him because she knew he was attached to Aunt Harriet. One time Bess was giving a dinner with the Bessboroughs and invited Granville too. Lord Bessborough and his youngest son showed up but all waited for Harriet and Granville to appear. Things became more and more awkward while everyone waited and Bess continued to wink at Harryo across the table. Finally, a note came saying neither would show up. The men were cranky but Bess and Harryo were enraged, knowing the cause of the no-shows.

Eventually Granville began showing more interested in Harryo (after all he needed a wife) than in Harriet. At first Harriet was unhappy with this, but she slowly began to realize she would rather have him marry someone she loved than any ol' snotty heiress. After a roller coaster of a courtship Granville nervously got on one knee and asked Harryo to be his wife, and she gladly accepted. Granville and Harriet were never to renew their romantic relationship again, but she forever remained his trusted friend and correspondent. Harryo quickly began having children and even accepted her aunt's illegitimate children with her husband into her family where they were raised lovingly. Granville continued to get ambassador positions across Europe, including Paris and the Hague, good thing Harryo was fluent in other languages! In the end, Harryo turned out to be quite like her mother, hosting fabulous get-togethers in whatever city she was stationed in and inspiring all with her intriguing conversation.

Kauffman and the Spencers

Angelica Kauffman was no stranger to the Spencer brood. In 1774 she painted a portrait of Georgiana, Harriet, and George. In it she captures the young siblings before marriages, gambling problems, political careers, and celebrity. You can also see how much attention surrounded Georgiana, with the way both of her siblings are focused on her while she, herself, makes eye contact with the viewer. Years later, Kauffman returned to paint both Spencer sisters again in complimenting portraits. They are portrayed in the NeoClassical style that Kauffman loved. Both ladies are older now. They have loved and lost, had children, and lived the celebrity lifestyle. Instead of the young, starry-eyed beauties we now see matronly graces in more simple settings.

Tart of the Week: Lady Caroline Lamb

The notorious name of Caroline Lamb has graced this blog many times. Now it is time to expand about this curious creature who unfortunately has gone down in history as a spurned lover. Lady Caroline was the third child of Harriet, Countess of Bessborough but not necessarily the daughter of the Earl of Bessborough, but that is a story for another time. Because Caroline Ponsoby was Georgiana's niece by way of her sister she is considered by way of this blog, to be Devonshire Progeny. This elite little group means each member gets their own nickname, in Caroline's case, Caro.

In 1802 the reckless teenage Caro's attention fell on the Honourable William Lamb. William was the son of Lady Melbourne (former leader of the ton and great friend to Georgiana) but not necessarily of Lord Melbourne. William reciprocated Caroline's attention and the two fell for each other. Caro's mother was not pleased with the potential match. She was not a big fan of Lady Melbourne and wanted to avoid united the families with marriage. Harriet was also concerned about loosing her only daughter, who consumed much of her attention and was not the easiest child to raise. Caro was determined though, and in 1805 she married William who soon afterward succeeded his brother as Viscount Melbourne.

The marriage was rough from the start. Caroline and William had a difficult time conceiving and giving birth to a healthy baby. William also was really involved in his political career which meant less time giving Caroline attention, and if Caro couldn't get the attention she needed immediately she was going to seek other means of getting it. This meant a series of lovers. It also meant being a party monster. The Lambs (who were never saints) were outraged and demanded William separate from Caro. He always seemed to prefer being either ignorant of her antics or remain quiet. I'm sure this only made things worse.

In 1812 the 27 year old Caroline met the dashing 24 year old poet Lord Byron. He sought her out at a party, she played hard to get, a torrid affair began. After the chauvinist Byron had amused himself by successfully capturing Caro's heart he grew bored and then amused himself with seeing how far she would go with ruining her marriage. He was more in love with the challenges their affair presented than Caro herself. Caro, in turn, became obsessively in love with him and when he dumped her, she did not take it well...at all. First she went a little crazy, and then even her mother got involved, but eventually it was able to simmer down to the two making catty remarks. He called her a skeleton, she made fun of his club foot; all in all there were some great insults exchanged.

Sadly though, Caro's scars were more than skin deep. She still sought revenge and began exhibiting more abnormal behaviors. The Melbournes were not only telling William to get a separation from Caroline, they were also trying to convince him to get her institutionalized. Soon, her Aunt Lavinia jumped on the bandwagon and when Caro found out she was hurt and angry. Meanwhile Byron wasn't doing so hot either; rumors of sodomy, incest, and exile were all the talk. But this still didn't lighten Caroline's spirits. Soon afterward she lost her temper at a servant and threw something at him which nailed him in the head. She then panicked, thinking she had killed him; but luckily he survived the assault.

Caroline found a brief solace in taking on a literary career. Her 1816 Gothic novel, Glenarvon was published anonymously but everyone knew who wrote it based on the fact it was based on those in Caro's life, especially Byron. The book was a huge commercial success but it further alienated Caro from her family and friends. Caro St Jules was disgusted by how it insulted William, and Lady Melbourne couldn't even finish the book. This just made Caroline sink into a depression again. She just couldn't win.

A series of deaths further deteriorated Caro's fragile state. When her mother died in 1821 her brothers and friends rushed to her side knowing that it was Harriet who kept Caro balanced for many years. Then, three years later, Caro accidentally came across Byron's funeral cortège and that really sent her over the edge. She suffered a nervous breakdown and spent her remaining years in rumored insanity at her home, Brocket Hall. This tragic heroine died in 1828.

Mother Knows Best

"Has John ever had any real symptoms of worms? If he has I imagine they might easily be got rid of."

Lady Spencer
20 September 1784

Tart of the Week: Harriet Lady Bessborough

I have been waiting quite a while to present this much-awaited tart her week. The youngest child of Lord and Lady Spencer was born in Wimbleton 16 June 1761 and named Henrietta Frances Spencer. Although her birth name was Henrietta, she was rarely ever referred to as such and was known as Harriet throughout her life. The Spencer household was very devoted to their children, however Harriet did not receive as much attention as her older brother and sister. Georgiana, the eldest was her mother's favorite, and George, as the Spencer heir also was doted upon. So the youngest Spencer child was commonly left out of many things including certain family vacations. Despite her lack of family contact, Lady Spencer made sure Harriet had the best education. Instead of being schooled at home like her siblings, Harriet was sent to convents in France for her education where she met the dauphine, Marie Antoinette. Still, Harriet grew up to be rather frail and quite soft spoken and always looking for love and approval.

By the time Harriet came of age she was a ravishing beauty with connections to the Devonshires, a very good match for any suitor. The man who won her hand in marriage was a cousin of the Duke of Devonshire, Frederick Ponsonby, the Viscount Duncannon. The naive Harriet was happy with her husband at first and children followed promptly. As time went on Duncannon's true nature appeared. He was extremely jealous of the attentions his wife attracted from other men and would sometimes degrade her in public. At home, the abuse continued and family members worried it was physical. Harriet was already under a lot of strain due to poor health and this increased every time she had a child. It is also quite possible she may have made a failed suicide attempt at one point which left her partially incapacitated. Meanwhile debts began to pile up around her because of both her and her husband's gambling habits.

It may come as no surprise to you that all these stresses caused Harriet to find relief in other men's arms and there was no shortage of other men. Harriet's beauty and charm along with her weak disposition made her irresistible to many men. The first of her many affairs was Lord John Townsend, a Foxite. He was soon followed by the rakish Charles Wydham, a friend of the Prince of Wales. Her affair with Wydham culminated at the same time as Harriet's third pregnancy which would produce the future Caroline Lamb. Given the different attitudes and appearances of brothers and their sister, it is highly probably this was not her husband's legitimate daughter. Naughty must run in the family!

It was her affair with the unpredictable Richard Brinsley Sheridan that Harriet found herself in way over her head. The two were friends before lovers but their affair but Sheridan haunted Harriet over, years after the affair had ended. Sheridan was known to show up to her unannounced and make demands. Their relationship was also the final blow to Sheridan's lovely wife, Elizabeth who soon died (prematurely) afterward, likely of a broken heart. The affair was exposed to the public and Duncannon instantly flew into a rage. He threatened to divorce Harriet and leave her to a life of social ostracism. Harriet was horrified but was saved by her brother in law, the Duke of Devonshire, who cooled his cousin's rage. William always did seem to like Harriet.

It was a while before Harriet had another affair. In the meantime she still suffered through bad health and her daughter, Caroline or Caro proved to be quite a handful. Her next affair was with the much younger Tory, Granville Leveson-Gower. This one lasted over 15 years and was deep-rooted, loving relationship that withstood Granville's many ambassadorial missions to far away countries. The two were each other's confidants and trusted advisers. Two children were the result of the relationship, they both conveniently slipped under Duncannon, now Lord Bessborough's radar. Dummy. When it came time to for Granville to marry the affair instantly ended and Granville's bride to be was none other than Harriet's niece and namesake, Harryo, Georgiana's second daughter.

Granville's marriage to Harryo was a happy one. Eventually, Harriet and Granville's children became part of Granville and Harryo's family. Harriet dealt with the loss of her true love stoically and settled down to being a grandmother and even made amends with her stupid husband. When she died in 1821, she requested her eternal resting place to be next to the person she loved the most in life, her sister, Georgiana.

Book Review: Pivilege and Scandal

Amanda Foreman has said more than once that if she were to write Georgiana's biography at this point in her life she would have taken then same angle The Duchess has taken in emphasizing Georgiana's affair with Charles Grey. Although I am personally glad Foreman did not take that approach, fellow author Janet Gleeson did for her biography of Georgiana's sister: Privilege and Scandal: The Remarkable Life of Harriet Spencer, Sister to Georgiana. In fact the paperback form in the UK goes under the name of An Aristocratic Affair. Although Harriet's decade-long affair doesn't define who she is (which Gleeson never infers, of course), it is interesting to see the different vantages of the two books, seeing as the two women did have similar lives.

Harriet was the shy, younger Ashlee Simpson to Georgiana's Jessica. As much as this book doesn't spend all its time comparing the two, I automatically did with both the sisters as well as the books. Awful, I know; so please excuse any further comparisons! Despite being shy, Harriet shared many of the same interests as Georgiana, especially politics. Unlike her sister she quickly birthed an heir and spare to her abusive husband. Harriet's life was filled with suffering due to ill health and stupid men...oh and her daughter Caroline Lamb did not make things very easy either. Many who know the story of Georgiana know that the sisters were very close but will be surprised at just how close the two were. I was surprised to find that Harriet requested to be buried alongside her beloved sister when she succumbed to illness years later.

Gleeson's book gives voice to a fascinating woman who is commonly disregarded in history. You find yourself loving Harriet, despite her human faults, and wondering what could possibly happen next. The writing has a clear, even flow which gives understanding to topics that could be somewhat confusing, such as politics and elections. It is amazing how much information Gleeson was able to procure since most of Harriet's personal letters were burnt. I would highly recommend adding this book to your reading list. It gives a different and interesting perspective to the Spencer and Devonshire families and expands upon the Devonshire House set. So let Harriet take center stage in your reading repertoire and pick up this fabulous book!

The Westminister Election of 1784

Every liberal mind revolts at the wretched abuse now leveled at the most amiable of our country women! The base and blurring hand of calumny, however, is raised in vain against the lovely DEVON and her SISTER PATRIOTS, who at this juncture, so much resemble the fair celestials of the Grecian bard, whose attributes of divinity never appeared so brilliant as when forming a shield for the HEROIC LEADER of the OPRESSED PEOPLE!

The Morning Herald and Daily Advertiser, 24 April 1784

As the world watches in anticipation of the US election (I know that sounds pompous but unfortunately is true), I thought today would be an appropriate day to talk of an election that was very important to Georgiana. This election went down in infamy because, for the first time, it appeared as if women could make an impact in politics.

The 1783 election of Pitt as Prime Minister sent the Whigs scrambling to secure a dominance over the the Tory MPs. Charles Fox, perhaps the biggest Whig of all, decided a good way to do this would be to run for a seat in the borough of Westminster. Westminster was perhaps the most coveted borough due to its voter size and the fact that it could boast that every male homeowner could vote, unlike other boroughs. Two seats were up for grabs, and there were only three candidates: Fox; the naval hero, Lord Hood; and the rich landowner, Sir Cecil Wray. It was one Whig verses two Pittites and Fox needed all the help he could get.

Of course, this is the 18th century, so things were done a little differently...and maybe, were a little more fun. If you went to the theatre at this time you may have gone just for the circus of the elections. On one side the Duchess of Rutland would be screaming from her opera box, "Damn Fox!" while Lady Maria Waldengrave would retort with, "Damn Pitt!" Ladies, ladies, please; I am trying to enjoy La Reine de Golconde! Obviously, aristocratic women were getting more passionate about politics, despite not being able to vote.

Georgiana loved this circus and decided to put herself right in the middle of it. One can only wonder if she knew what she was getting involved in. She became the ringleader of aristocratic ladies canvassing night and day for Fox. Walking through the cobbled streets with foxtails in her hat, Georgiana would hand out medals to those who professed their support to Fox. Sometimes she would even go door to door into the middle and working class homes to talk to the voters who were on the fence. Her Grace was even known to thrown down a beer with Joe the Plumber Butcher and talk politics. The people of Westminster found that the tall, fashionable, celebrity wasn't all just feathers and faro; she actually presented some really good points. In the process the new mother worked herself to absolute exhaustion.

Georgiana wasn't the only one working her butt off. The person who was by her side almost every day was her devoted sister (to both her and the Whigs), Harriet. Other canvassing team leaders were Mrs. Crewe and Mrs. Damer. The women/tarts who made up these teams consisted of, The Duchess of Portland, the three Ladies Waldengrave, Lady Jersey, Lady Carlisle, Mrs. Bouverie, Lady Worsley, Mrs. Robinson, and Lady Archer.

Of course, being a woman in a man's world and a man's race made Georgiana the target for scathing lies about her methods of securing votes. When rumours came about that Georgiana had exchanged a kiss with a butcher for a vote for Fox, the press ran away with it. Although, Harriet (and maybe the other canvassers) did this, Georgiana always fervently denied doing it. In fact, a bunch of Hood supporters cornered her when she was in their shop canvassing, and demanded kisses of the frightened duchess. The male-driven press and opposing party just couldn't accept that Georgiana's wit and charisma were winning votes, and not her sexual abilities. In satirical prints, and all-out war erupted, with one side criticizing her for kissing butchers, and the other hailing her as an allegory for politics and justice. Hundreds of these prints were published (and are on my broken laptop) but what was and is noticeable is the absence of criticism of the few Tory women-canvassers. Apparently, the campaign was also a celebrity-competition.

After all the criticism and exhaustion Georgiana retired from canvassing. But the votes were so close she was begged to come back. Against her mother's wishes, she returned to canvassing and not a minute too soon too, Fox won the second seat over Wray by 200 votes. Georgiana and the other ladies' efforts did not go to waste.

I will make the argument that without these patriotic women's help, Fox would not have won the election. He was criticized for being quite lazy in the process while his canvassers blistered their feet campaigning for him. He also was behind in the polls many times, and would sulk and become a recluse at Brooks as a reaction, all while his supporters tireless converted voters. The 1784 Westminster Election upset many because it proved that women (shock!) could change the results of an election.

Quotables

"Nothing ever equalled the crowd, one heard nothing but screams and women carrying out in fits. The whole ground was strewed with different coloured foil, and pearls and diamonds crumbled to pieces."

-Harriet, Countess of Bessborough on the Queen's Drawing Room event after the King's recovery

Where is Harriet?

As I discussed in one of my reviews for The Duchess, there is a noticeable absence of a very important figure in Georgiana's life: Harriet. It seems that other people have been bothered by this as well (as they should be!). Then I remembered that IMDB had listed her in the cast. Low and behold, her name is still there, as played by Emily Cohen. So what happened to Harriet?