Vanderbilt inherited a boatload of family money and took control of the Vanderbilt railroad empire. And when the duke finally got home from battle, Consuelo had another nasty surprise in store. 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. 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. Except there was just one incredibly shocking thing. When it finally came, it was a high-society tragedy. She was 87 years old when she died. Without Consuelos money his income would have been insufficient to maintain Blenheim Palace, let alone undertake the renovations he had in mind. Consuelo's mother, the irrepressible Alva Vanderbilt, wasted no time in ordering this cradle from Italy. On November 6, 1895, Consuelos nightmare finally became a reality. Born on . In 1894, Alva and William Vanderbilt separate, with unpleasant consequences for Consuelo. Reginald Ailwyn Fellowes (18841953), banker cousin of, Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough, "How American Dollar Princesses Changed British Nobility", Marguerite Sverine Philippine Decazes de Glcksbierg, "Manalapan Estates, Florida: The Churchill Connection - The Churchill Centre", "Casa Alva: From home to club to home again", A Message to the Diocese on the Action of the Vatican Court upon the Marlborough Marriage, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Consuelo_Vanderbilt&oldid=1134148379, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 06:21. She was named for Consuelo Vanderbilt - this part is important later, Consuelo has carved out a life for herself separate from her family's heavy legacy as a singer and entrepreneur. But that friendship was about to endure a horrible shock. It was only when Alva Vanderbilt claimed that her health was being seriously and irretrievably undermined by Consuelo's stubbornness and appeared to be at death's door that the malleable girl acquiesced. 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. And then one day, they took it as far as they could. Eventually, karma came for him. See more ideas about vanderbilt, marlborough, belle epoque. July 5, 2017 11:41AM. Vanderbilt was born to Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt (1880-1925), a railroad heir, and his second wife, Gloria Laura Mercedes Morgan (1904-1965), who was 19 years old when she gave birth. On the glittering surface, Consuelo Vanderbilt looked like she had it all. Consuelo viewed her upcoming nuptials like a funeral marchbut the preparations themselves were just as nightmarish. The Balsans build a villa on the French Riviera but when the Nazis invade France, they are forced to make a daring escape through Spain to Portugal and eventually to the United States where they live the rest of their lives. 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. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. 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. Over the years, the bankrupted dynasty had had to sell off masses of furnishings and possessions, so that now the stately home was only a husk. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. In 1810 he purchased his first . From the beginning, Alva expected her daughter to be nothing short of perfect, and from a young age forced Consuelo to wear a steel rod along the length of her spine to improve her posture. As Peter Pan playwright J M Barrie once put it, I would stand all day in the street to see Consueloget into her carriage. [13] Alva made an astonishing recovery from her entirely phantom illness, and when the wedding took place, Consuelo stood at the altar reportedly weeping behind her veil. 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. The only daughter of railroad millionaire William Vanderbilt and his formidable wife Alva, Consuelo was pre-destined to marry into the British aristocracy like her godmother Consuleo Yznaga who had married the heir to the 7 th Duke of Manchester. When they were married the duke was 23. Consuelo Vanderbilt married the 9th Duke of Marlborough at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York City, on November 6, 1895. Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, a great-great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt and an heiress to the family's tremendous railroad fortune who became a notable breeder of Skye and Silky terriers . He did, however, make sure to show up to the settlement meeting the very next day, where he finalized Consuelos 3-million-dollar dowry. And after all that, Alva still had her cruelest card up her sleeveand she was about to play it. [2] 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. 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. The result of this effort is the Foch Hospital, located in Suresnes, a suburb of Paris, France. He claimed that not only had he married her for her money, but he was also fully in love with another woman and had no intention of developing any kind of romance between the two of themexcept, that is, to produce an heir. 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. 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. By the way I loved the Article. Travel is her escape, Paris her favorite destination, and there she is often able to enjoy the company of her exuberant father. They were blissfully happy together, with Balsan doting on his wife. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. At the time, Winston, as she later described him, was the life and soul of the young and brilliant circle that gathered round him at BlenheimWhether it was his American blood or his boyish enthusiasm and spontaneity, qualities sadly lacking in my husband, I delighted in his companionship.. Feb 11, 2018 - Explore Kathy B Gainey's board "Consuelo Vanderbilt" on Pinterest. For her part, Consuelo was given little opportunity to express her own opinion on the matter. John Singer Sargents portrait of the 9th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and their two sons, painted in 1905. May 8, 2019 - Explore Marie's board "Consuelo Vanderbilt", followed by 236 people on Pinterest. Besides basically telling her that she amounted only to a big bank account, Consuelos new husband revealed his real feelings. NEW YORK Sir Winston Churchill's mother was one of the liveliest and most controversial women of her time. Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, the last surviving child of William K. Vanderbilt II, builder of the Eagle's Nest estate in Centerport where she spent summers growing up, has died. William Morris Hunt pulled out all the stops on this extravagant showplace designed to allow Alva to display her wealth and high-end francophilia to the world. November 28, 2009 at 2:48 AM . Her youngest son, Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill, developed a brain tumor, and his health quickly went downhill. Blenheimis the one thing the Duke appearsto really care about and he is determined to restore it to its original glory. The Duke is said to have collected $2.5 million (more than $25 million today), delivered in valuable railroad stock. I have always had absolute power over my daughter. In 1954, they begin summering in Southampton in the shingled cottage on Ox Pasture Road variously known as Gardenside and Cara Mia. At the time Consuelo Vanderbilt married the 9th Duke of Marlborough in 1895, she was worth an estimated $4 billion in today's money. Could You Have Endured Consuelo Vanderbilt's Upbringing? Pastel on canvas. 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. Consuelo was named in honor of her godmother, Consuelo Yzanaga, a half . Rate the pronunciation difficulty of consuelo. She loves the time spent there with her warm-hearted but seldom available father, but even the normally unbending Alva loosens up a bit at Idle Hour. Consuelo and the Duke had a second son in 1898 and she is said to have coined the phrase an heir and a spare. We will update Consuelo Vanderbilt's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Thats because she was far from faithful herselfand one of her first lovers was scandalous. At the Paris races in 1905 with her father. Catching Up With Morgan Englund. Although Balsan sold her home in 1957, it still exists. In 1921, when the Duke marries Gladys there is finally a divorce and that same year, 27 years after that first encounter, Consuelo and Balsan are married--finally a marriage of love. Earl, a breeder. It was only a matter of time before it spiraled. Many believed Ivor was actually Winthrop Rutherfurds son, given that the boy had very little resemblance to either the duke or his older brother. But this American princess and million dollar duchess didnt get a happy endingshe got an utter nightmare. It was designed as a love nest by Maurice Fatio. But unlike Consuelo, his second marriage was far from blissful. She wasnt. In April 2015, she filmed a music video at the Vanderbilt Mansion. Consuelo Vanderbilt was young, beautiful, and heir to a vast fortune. Slowed down footage to a natural rate and added. It was all Winthrop needed. 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). And as Consuelo grew up, an enormous problem began developing. A cartoon in the New York papers satirising the wedding showed Consuelo kneeling next to the Duke in her wedding gown with her hands handcuffed behind her back and attached to a chain being held by her mother. No, it made absolutely no sense. Mrs. Earl was a long-time resident of Ridgefield, CT. Commodore Vanderbilt was an American financier who. Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877-1964) was married to one of the Dukes of Marlborough (that made her the Duchess of Marlborough) and was Winston Churchill's cousin by marriage. Instead, the exact opposite happened. [12] Still she refused. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. But before she could do anything about it, her mother went to horrific new lows. Consuelo V Earl in U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Consuelo V Earl was born on November 23 1903. As for Consuelos feelings on the matter? [16] They had two sons, John Albert William Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (who became 10th Duke of Marlborough), and Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill. Soap Opera Digest: After you left GL in 1995, aside from Dylan's occasional visits, you kind of dropped off the acting map. In the wake of her canceled engagement, Consuelo was almost completely alone. Thanks for your time! 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. The son of an impoverished farmer and boatman, Vanderbilt quit school at age 11 to work on the waterfront. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Alva Vanderbilt got her wish, and Consuelo and the Duke became engaged in September of 1895. 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. The influx of Consuelos fortune allowed him to restore Blenheim to the glory that the great house still exhibits today. Consuelo grew up a beauty, tall, slim, with a famously long neck captured in paintings, among them by Paul Csar Helleu, rumoured to be a lover of Consuelo during her unhappy marriage with the Duke. Two governesses, one German, one French, have her reading both languages by the age of eight. 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. I therefore did not beg, but ordered her to marry the Duke.. Consuelo Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family, a family of Dutch origin who gained prominence during the Gilded Age because of her great grandfather Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had great success with shipping and railroads and built an empire. small-scale classes for girls. And the hands of fate had even more cruelties to dish out. 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. Also a textile manufacturing heir, Balsan was a younger brother of tienne Balsan, who was an early lover of Coco Chanel. Its tracks stretched Vanderbilt's empire across the United States and gave him a monopoly for all rail service in and out of New York city. But if she thought that was the worst thing shed find out on her honeymoon, she was very, very wrong. All Rights Reserved. But for once, Alva Vanderbilt got far more than she bargained for. A product of the 1960's and 70's, he is influenced by the music of the times. Consuelo was reasonably successful in English society and in her duties as a Duchess, but the simple truth was that she and the Duke were poorly matched in terms of temperament. Estimate: $300,000-500,000. 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. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Consuelo bears two treasured sons and forges a deep friendship with the young Winston Churchill, her husbands cousin, who would, in fact, have succeeded her husband as the next duke, had she failed to produce a son. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. 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. 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. CONSUELO VANDERBILT BALSAN (1877-1964) - THE PAWN. Home page of Morgan Englund Music, an indie artist from Los Angeles. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. His lyrics speak to the heart through If only this is what happened. 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. She went on to marry the wealthy French aviator Jacques Balsan and continued her charitable endeavours. Privacy Policy, The former director of the Fricks personal collection is to be offered as a highlight of the Old Masters sale in New York, The legends of the sky god who lost an eye, the unborn child who was sewn into his fathers thigh, and more, The story of American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilts celebrity wedding in 1895 and a very personal portrait that she kept until her death, Paul Csar Helleu (French, 1859-1927), Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, circa 1900. Her duty done, Consuelo might have settled into a quiet, unassuming life. In marrying the Duke, Consuelo became the cousin of Winston Churchill, who would remain a dear friend and confidant to her throughout her life. She was buried alongside her younger son, Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill, in the churchyard at St Martin's Church, Bladon, Oxfordshire, England, near her former home, Blenheim Palace. Is Consuelo Vanderbilt still alive? She lends her support to causes relating to child welfare and womens higher education, and comes out strongly for womens suffrage. [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. The day that Winthrop Rutherfurd made Consuelo Vanderbilt his fiance, the young girl was on the edge of heading out on a long European sojourn with her mother, ostensibly to broaden her horizons but really to catch her a husband with a title. In her newfound freedom, she is also able to take activist stands on issues important to her. 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. Consuelo spent her remaining years living like a ghost of a bygone agewhich, in all honesty, she was. Consuelo Vanderbilt March 2, 1877 - December 6, 1964. Consuelo may not have had much attraction to her husband, but she certainly seemed to like his family line. 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. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Except her mother was just getting started. In the span of two months, Consuelo had lost two of the people she loved the most, and she was well and truly alone for the first time in her life. Consuelos course of instruction, supervised by her mother, has always bordered on cruelty. It is only a matter of time before Consuelo and the Duke have a marriage in name only. The beautiful heiress to the massive Vanderbilt wealth, her future had shone like a diamond from the moment she was born. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. She later became involved with other philanthropic projects and was particularly interested in those that affected mothers and children. And really, this was just a tiny sign of the deranged acts to come. 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. Said to have coined the phrase an heir and a spare with consequences. Paris her favorite destination, and generation from generation on November 6, 1895, Consuelos husband! Youngest son, Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill, developed a brain tumor, his. Enjoy the company of her first lovers was scandalous the deranged acts to come a happy endingshe got an nightmare... 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