Born in 1877, Consuelo Vanderbilt was regarded as the heiress of the family wealth since she was the eldest child and only daughter of the principal Vanderbilt inheritor William, and his wife, Alva. Named after her mother's best friend, famous socialite Consuelo Yznaga, the young lady marked the era of the memorable Gilded Age of America. Yet, for all the wealth and power her family wielded, the Consuelo family had unimaginable secrets. To start with, her mother, Alva, had a dark history. Known as one of the greatest battle axes in history, she resolved to make wealthy families in New York, like the Astors, accept the Vanderbilts into their club. Apart from that, Alva was a Confederate loyalist hailing from Mobile, Alabama, where she had a reputation for being a spoiled little girl who mistreated the enslaved people owned by her family.
She Had A Tough Childhood
Being born into the Vanderbilt family was a privilege for Consuelo; however, she had to live with her mother's ridiculous standards. Alva expected her daughter to be perfect, and anything short of that wasn't acceptable. She made her daughter wear a steel rod along the length of her spine from a young age to maintain her posture.
As if that wasn't enough, Consuelo had no freedom of choice; she had to do what she was told, with no exceptions. She wasn't allowed to choose her clothing, which was seen as an act of rebellion. The punishment wasn't restricted to only her looks; Alva also sought to shape her daughter's personality. Her mother would whip her with a riding crop whenever Consuelo said anything out of line.
With Remarkable Beauty Came Consequences
Consuelo was an incomparable beauty, with an enchanting, slim, tight look which was the in-thing during the Edwardian era. With her charming looks, dark eyes, and long, oval face, it wasn't surprising that she started receiving marriage proposals from every man who met her.
The beauty had her at a disadvantage, though, as her mum had other ideas. Alva wanted her daughter only to consider marrying Prince Francis Joseph of Battenberg, who Consuelo hated with all she had. So while the young lady somehow managed to escape Prince Francis' proposal, her mother was determined to get a prince or a duke for her daughter, nothing less.
She Was Secretly In Love
When Alva was planning the perfect groom for her daughter, Consuelo had already found a lover of the same social standing as the Vanderbilts. The handsome Winthrop Rutherfurd was the lad who stole Consuelo's heart, but because he was no duke or prince, they kept their relationship away from her mother.
On Consuelo's 18th birthday, Rutherford sent her a single rose, but the lovebirds didn't stop there; they were about to do something outrageously rebellious. A couple of days after her birthday, Consuelo met Rutherford, her mother, and a couple of her friends for a bicycle ride in Riverside Park in Manhattan. That's when they withdrew from the rest of the crowd, and Winthrop covertly proposed to Consuelo, and she said yes.
Her Mother Sabotaged Her Romance
Winthrop proposed to Consuelo clandestinely because she was to travel on a European trip with her mother, expand her horizons, and, most importantly, find a husband with a title. Still, Winthrop vowed to follow her to Europe, then elope once they returned home. Well, that didn't happen.
After five months of meeting several nobles and attending parties, Consuelo noticed that Winthrop was nowhere to be seen. He also hadn't made any contact with her, no letters or an effort to keep his promise. There was a good reason for that, though, and that was Alva. Her mum had found out about the prohibited relationship, and she'd banned Winthrop from seeing Consuelo while also intercepting and destroying all the letters he'd written.
There Was Another Potential Suitor
During their trip to Europe, Alva found the suitable person she thought would be the best for her daughter, Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, the ninth Duke of Marlborough. The Dukes of Malbrough had quite an impressive history, and Alva wanted Consuelo to be part of it. Yet, while Consuelo thought Malbrough was somewhat pleasant and intelligent, she didn't like him.
It turns out that the Duke also didn't really love Consuelo for who she was but for what she had. When he inherited the title two years before they met, Charles discovered that he was bankrupt, and in Consuelo, he saw a financial way out. While Consuelo knew what her mum was up to, she didn't expect her to invite the Duke of Marlborough to visit America a couple of months later. That was certainly not good news for Consuelo.
She Was Detained Even When Friends Visited
Knowing that her daughter would make a run for it if she got an opening, Alva ensured that didn't happen by locking her up in her room. As a result, Consuelo was isolated, and even when her friends visited, Alva told them she wasn't around. Still, despite the confinement, her mum allowed Consuelo to attend the society balls, and as fate would have it, she met Winthrop at one of the events.
The two danced together, and Winthrop explained what had happened without wasting time and told her that he still wanted to elope. Alva was keeping an eye on the situation, though, and as soon as she saw the two lovers talking, she separated them, ruining all the plans they'd made. Immediately after they got home from the party, Alva summoned Consuelo to her room, where she let her have it.
They Had A Heated Argument With Dire Ramifications
Knowing what her mother's opinion would be, Consuelo, who was known to be mild-mannered and timid, stood her ground and stated her desire to get hitched to Winthrop Rutherfurd. Nonetheless, while some parents would yield to their children's demands, Alva differed. She angrily told off Consuelo and Winthrop, accusing them of being stupid. Alva even insinuated that she wouldn't hesitate to "shoot a man if I thought he might ruin your life."
After hours of a heated argument, Consuelo left her mother's room, tired, but something terrible was about to happen. When she woke up the following day, she was informed that her rebellion had caused Alva to have a heart attack. Heartbroken, Consuelo asked to see her mother, but the assistants told her it would be a bad idea, considering the past night's events.
She Cancelled Her Engagement
The thought of harming her mother through her actions haunted Consuelo, so she resolved to get rid of anything that would cause further stress, including her engagement. Unfortunately, at the time, she was still a teenager, and instead of standing her ground, she sent word to Winthrop that she'd canceled their engagement and wouldn't be able to marry him.
With the heartbreaking news, Winthrop left town, and Consuelo was left all alone, as she was also isolated from her friends. Then, her mother struck again, miraculously making a full recovery after she was told of the broken engagement. Of course, Alva planned this all along, playing a dirty trick on her daughter, and she was about to get her wish.
The Engagement Finally Happened
In 1895, around late August, with everything in motion, Alva welcomed the much-awaited Duke of Marlborough. She immediately started talking publicly about the marriage between her daughter and the British lad, and soon, many people were expecting an engagement. Of course, it also didn't help Consuelo's case that she was forced to attend lavish balls alongside the Duke.
The engagement finally happened but wasn't full of pomp and color. The Duke proposed to Consuelo at the family's cottage, but it was like a duty he had to fulfill; there was no passion or love whatsoever. To make matters worse, when Consuelo told her younger brothers about the espousal, she couldn't hold back her tears of anguish. The whole thing was a societal disaster.
She Was Hugely Abashed
Even though Consuelo was not the least happy about the engagement, the wedding plans were also dramatic. Regardless of being coerced into being engaged to someone she didn't love, she bore the brunt of the media, which ruthlessly attacked her character, describing her as another "million dollar duchess," an American heiress who traded her wealth for a European title.
The press didn't hold back in their humiliation, but the one that stunned Consuelo most was her fiance. As the plans for the big day were underway, the bride-to-be and her mother held a rehearsal to ensure that everyone knew what they were supposed to do. Yet, in his "wisdom," the Duke decided to skip the rehearsal because he thought the American customs were unrefined. Nonetheless, he showed up for the dowry settlement meeting the next day, where he completed Consuelo's $3 million dowry payment.
It Was A Sombre Wedding
Finally, against her wishes, Consuelo walked down the aisle on November 6, 1895. The wedding had her mother's fingerprints all over, as the bride wore the dress Alva chose and walked beside the bridesmaids her mother handpicked to marry the man her mother wanted. That wasn't the only surprising thing to happen; Consuelo walked down the aisle with her father, whom Alva only allowed to attend to keep up appearances, and William left soon after.
Although other people enjoyed the ceremony, Consuelo was heartbroken and spent most of it sobbing. To the outside world, though, the wedding looked like a triumphant event for the two families.
Cracks In Their Marriage Appeared Immediately
Even though Consuelo wasn't attracted to her now-husband before they married, she knew that her feelings wouldn't change after the marriage. She was to discover the Duke's real intentions, though, as, during their honeymoon, she found out that her husband was vain and shallow after she watched him tidy up the congratulatory messages they'd received.
That aside, Consuelo wasn't prepared for what was to come. Their honeymoon had barely started when the Duke came clean about his intentions, telling her that he only married her to "save Blenheim," his homeland, with her finances. That was not all, though. The Duke also confessed that he was in love with someone else and had no intention of getting intimate with Consuelo except to produce an heir. By the time they arrived at Blenheim Palace, Consuelo was a shell of herself.
She Was a Fast Learner
As much as the marriage was on the rocks a couple of weeks in, the Duke was scared that his American wife might appear ignorant and embarrass him. As a result, he spent most of their honeymoon teaching Consuelo about his country's Spencer-Churchill family tree and other noble figures.
Consuelo was a fast learner, and in a short time, she'd figured it all out. When they set foot in Blenheim, she quickly became the people's Duchess and was loved by aristocrats and commoners. Nonetheless, a visit to the palace promptly proved to her that the Duke of Marlborough wasn't lying about wanting to save his ancestral home. Unfortunately, the court was a mess, and because the dynasty was broke, they had to sell some furnishings and property. As a result, Consuelo's new home was a shell of its former self, an utter disappointment.
She Was Betrayed Despite Playing Her Part Well
Consuelo was now the Duchess of Marlborough, but she detested that she had to share a bed with someone she didn't love, or worse yet, who openly humiliated her. Yet, she didn't want to let herself down, and soon enough, she bore a son, John Spencer-Churchill. You'd think that once she'd produced an heir as everyone expected, she'd retreat to a calmer life, but that wasn't the case.
As fate would have it, there was a new American heiress in the market, Gladys Deacon, who got herself invited to the Blenheim palace. She immediately struck a friendship with Consuelo, who didn't expect that a betrayal was around the corner. Gladys began mingling with the Duke of Marlborough, and they had a sweltering affair that lasted for over a decade. With all that had happened before, Consuela wasn't catching a break.
An Old Lover And An Illegitimate Child Involved
You'd think that after Consuelo found out about her husband and best friend's affair, she'd be angry, but that's far from it. She wasn't bothered by the escapade, and it's because she was also not faithful, and she had hooked up with her first love, Winthrop Rutherfurd, a couple of months after she was married.
Her case of disloyalty had some consequences, though, as, in 1898, Consuelo gave birth to another son, Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill, and with that, she had completed her duty of providing the Duke with two sons. There was a slight problem, though, as the boy didn't look like the Duke or his older brother. As a result, many people speculated that Rutherfurd was Ivor's father.
She Almost Escaped Her Dreadful Marriage
During her affair with Winthrop, it seemed that Consuelo could finally be free from her husband and be with the love of her life. Then, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, Rutherfurd proposed that they elope, and Consuelo immediately confessed everything to her husband.
The move worked, as the Duke allowed her, albeit bitterly, to go and talk to her lover, Rutherfurd, and decide what she wanted to do. The following morning, Consuelo rushed into the arms of Winthrop, hoping to have a forever, better after, but that wasn't to happen. Winthrop dealt her an unforgettable blow, and as soon as Consuelo arrived, he told her they couldn't get married. His reason is that he felt "too attached to her" to elope. That was a ridiculous excuse, and Consuelo was humiliated as she returned to Marlborough.
She Had An Affair With Her Husband's Cousin
The Duchess of Marlborough might not have liked her husband, but she developed an attraction for some of his family members. One time when the Duke was out fighting in the Boer War, Consuelo romanced his cousin, Freddie Guest, who was staying at the Bleinheim Palace, as a guest.
To rub her affair in her husband's face, Consuelo calmly told him that she'd been sleeping with his cousin when Malborough returned home from the war. Yet, that wasn't all; she banned her husband from her bedroom, choosing to stay with Freddie instead. By now, Consuelo had made peace with her marital status and was doing everything she could to hurt her husband.
She Kept The Affairs In The Family
During the entirety of her loveless marriage, Consuelo had affairs with not less than three of her husband's cousins, much to the shock and dismay of the respectable Spencer-Churchill family. Naturally, her promiscuity raised eyebrows, but no one thought of it as a consequence of her miserable union.
Consuelo's lovers varied, she met some good and some bad men, and one of the latter was Charles, Viscount Castlereagh, who was worse than the Duke himself. Nonetheless, Charles had no shame; he would send Consuelo love letters, attach notes to his other girlfriends, and ask Consuelo to forward them. Talk about being gutsy.
She Had An Influential Friend
Consuelo and the Duke of Marlborough's marriage altered history in many ways, but the main change was when the famous Winston Churchill came into the picture. Winston was next in line to inherit Bleinheim. Still, when Consuelo gave birth to two sons, he was free to pursue his political career and eternally grateful to Consuelo. That is how they became best friends.
After years of suffering in an unhappy marriage, Consuelo Vanderbilt and Duke of Marlborough got fed up, and in 1906, the pair publicly separated. The world was shocked, and the divorce was even more scandalous than that of Consuelo's mother, Alva.
A Long Legal Battle And A Mother's Confession
Consuelo and the Duke had had enough and wanted to divorce officially. Regardless, this wasn't easy; it took years of back and forth in the courtrooms before it was finalized. Then, during one of those court proceedings, Alva, Consuelo's mum, made a chilling confession.
Alva had become somewhat of a women's rights activist, which was ironic because of her history of violence and controlling her daughter. Still, it seemed like she had changed, and she took the stand during Consuelo's divorce, confessing that she forced her into the marriage and begged the judge to grant the divorce. Finally, in 1921, Consuelo was a free woman.
She Immediately Got Married, Again
A couple of weeks after her divorce had been finalized, Consuela was back into the dating pool, and this time, it was with someone who fell in love with her when she was still a teen. On July 4, 1921, she tied the knot with Jacques Balsan, a french pilot she'd started dating before her official divorce.
It was love at first sight for Balsan, who first laid his eyes on Consuelo on her 18th birthday, but there was a slight problem. The two had a huge age difference, with Consuelo a decade younger than her now-husband. Still, that didn't prevent them from experiencing their romance.
She Penned A Memoir, And Her Ex Wasn't Happy
As years passed by, Consuelo enlisted the help of a ghostwriter to write a tell-all memoir titled The Glitter and the Gold. The 'glitter' stood for her tumultuous marriage to the Duke of Marlborough and all the emptiness she endured, while 'gold' represented her happy marriage to Balsan. Finally, Consuelo was in a blissful, romantic relationship, but the same couldn't be said for her ex-husband.
Like Consuelo, immediately after the divorce, the Duke remarried, and he went for his mistress Gladys Deacon. Unfortunately, that proved a mistake, as while Gladys was charming, she was also massively narcissistic. Shortly after moving into the Blenheim palace, Gladys redecorated the place, painting a massive mural of her sparkling green eyes on the front hall ceiling.
The Duke Had A Sad Marriage
While Consuelo and her new husband, Balsan, were having the best time of their lives with Balsan doting over his wife, things weren't smooth for the Duke. He was miserable with Gladys, and all they did was torment each other.
Things got so bad that it's reported that Gladys kept a gun in her bedroom to keep Marlborough from ever entering. Finally, after suffering at the hands of her second wife, the Duke evicted Gladys from the premises. In 1934, the Duke of Malborough passed on, totally alienated from his wife.
She Maintained Her Influential Friendships
Even though Consuelo's marriage to the Duke of Malborough lasted a few years before falling apart, her friendship with his cousin Winston Churchill withstood the test of time. The two remained best friends, and Churchill frequently visited her in Paris for the next two decades, up to the late 1930s.
Consuelo was happy with where life had taken her; she was in a content marriage where the love was mutual; what more could she wish for? Yet, her joy aside, disaster was looming.
She Suffered a Double Tragedy
1956 was a challenging year for Consuelo, as she suffered a double tragedy. To start with, she received news that her son Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill had developed a brain tumor, and unfortunately, the doctors could not operate on it. So Consuelo helplessly watched as her child succumbed to the illness in September of that year.
As if that was not enough pain, Consuelo had to endure another loss when her husband, now frail and 88 years old, passed on in November. Within two months, she had lost two of the people she held dear, and she was pretty lonely for the first time in her life.
She Was One Of A Kind
After losing her husband and child, Consuelo spent the following years living like a shell of her former self, and who could blame her? Finally, she was all alone and lived out the next decade of her life in Long Island, New York, before her demise on December 6, 1964, at 87 years.
Consuelo was the last of her kind, and her passing marked the end of the memorable Gilded Age of America, full of endless affairs, hatred, jilted lovers, wealth, and worldwide idle rumor.
Pretty Hurst: The Tragic Story Of Gladys Deacon
During her glory days, Gladys Marie Deacon was considered to be one of the most beautiful women in Europe. By her 20s, she had the man, the status, and the looks, what more could a woman want?
Ultimately, her insecurities robbed her of everything that she had and left her no choice but to run and hide. Here are 35 facts about the life of the Duchess of Marlborough, from the beginning to the end and everything in between.
Born Into Wealth and Status
Many people work towards achieving a life of wealth and status and others are born into it. Gladys Deacon was the latter. On February 7, 1881, her parents welcomed their healthy baby girl into the world.
Gladys was born to wealthy American aristocratic parents, Edward and Florence Deacon. However, not all of her status came from them, it also came from being the granddaughter of American admiral Charles H. Baldwin. At the time of her birth, Gladys was healthy, however, her parent's marriage was not. While there may have been many reasons why it probably had something to do with her mother’s appetite for everything French.
Finding Comfort in the Arms of Another Man
A big part of being a socialite means keeping up appearances, which is exactly what Gladys’s parents did. They were able to make onlookers believe that they were happily married when in reality, they were miserable. Florence had needs that simply weren’t being met by her husband, but they were being met by Emile Abeille.
Jealousy makes people do crazy things, and Edward Deacon is a prime example. Instead of confronting his wife about her extramarital affairs, he decided to wait and confront her lover as well. Needless to say, it did not end well for anyone involved.
Edward Was Armed and Dangerous
Florence was looking forward to a weekend of love and romance with Abeille. Intoxicated with the thoughts of what the weekend held, she didn’t notice that her husband had been following her. It was only when she reached their hotel in Cannes that Edward showed himself. Only, he wasn’t alone.
Edward had brought a revolver to the party and it was clear that he planned on using it. Unfortunately, the only love that Abeille got that day was from three bullets to the chest. As he staggered out of the room, Edward handed himself over to the police. This left Florence with a young child, a husband behind bars, and a dead lover. If that’s not a recipe for disaster, then we don’t know what is.
Gladys Was Too Much to Handle
Being caught with your pants down is one thing. Having to then watch your husband kill your lover is something a little different. As you can imagine, dealing with this and a young child was simply too much for Florence to handle. Without a husband to help raise her daughter, she decided to find somewhere else for her daughter to stay.
After much deliberation, Florence chose to send Gladys to the Convent de l’Assomption in Auteuil in France. Living in a nunnery was very different from the life that Gladys was used to and (to no surprise) she hated it. Little did she know that her stay would be cut short.
Caught in an Ongoing Custody Battle
Imagine killing your wife’s lover and only serving one year in prison for your crime. Well, that’s the time that a “crime of passion” got you in the 19th century. After just 12 months, Edward was out of prison and had won custody of his children. It was a loss that Florence wasn’t about to take lying down.
Instead, she came up with a plan to abduct her children. After realizing that Florence meant business, Edward got his children back and took them far away. After moving into their United States home, Gladys finally thought that she had a chance at living a normal life. Only, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
A Little Girl With Big Dreams
Throughout their custody battle, neither of her parents had bothered to ask Gladys what she wanted. If they had, they would have known that she never wanted to leave Europe. Instead, she spent all of her time in the United States dreaming of the day that she would return. Dreaming, in particular, of the day she managed to win over the handsome 9th Duke of Marlborough, Charles Spencer-Churchill.
Not only was he 10 years her senior, but he was also married. When Gladys heard the news, she was devastated and was sure to tell her mother all about it. In a letter, she wrote, “If only I were a little older, I might catch him yet. I am too young though mature in the arts of woman’s witchcraft and what is the use of one without the other?”
Sixteen and Chasing Her Dream
Gladys so badly wanted to go back to Europe. Apparently, she wasn’t the type to sit around and wait, so she made it happen. As soon as she was back, she wasted no time getting back into all the right social circles. Against all odds, she had made her way back to Europe, now it was time to get the man.
For her 16th birthday, Gladys took a trip to London where she officially met the Duke of Marlborough. His age and marital status didn’t bother Gladys (even though it really should have) and apparently, it didn’t bother him either. Not long after their meeting, Gladys received the invitation she had waited her whole life for. The Duke had invited her to his mansion, Blenheim Palace.
Unwanted Attention From a Prince
During her time at the palace, Gladys was focused on getting the attention of one man. Only, while she focused on the Duke, someone else was focusing on her. As soon as he laid eyes on her, the Crown Prince of Prussia, Wilhelm was captivated by her beauty. No matter who was watching or where they were, he sat and stared at Gladys.
Knowing where her affection lay, it’s safe to say that Gladys was far from interested in anything that he had to offer. Not even a proposal with a big diamond ring was enough to tear her away from the Duke. Nothing could and nothing would, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t have fun.
Her Beauty Was Intoxicating
During her visit to the Duke’s mansion, Gladys started building a relationship with him. While it wasn’t a romantic one just yet, she could feel that one day it would be. The Crown Prince of Prussia, on the other hand, never heard from Gladys again.
As Gladys’s feelings for the Duke grew, so did Europe's obsession with her. She had grown more and more beautiful with each passing day. Like the Crown Prince, people couldn’t keep their eyes off of her. Unlike him, Gladys accepted many of their advances.
Men Were Lining Up
At one point, Gladys’s name was on everyone’s lips. According to French writer Marcel Proust, “I never saw a girl with such beauty, such magnificent intelligence, such goodness, and charm.” Gladys never gave up on her dream of being with the Duke. However, he was married and she currently had a long line of suitors waiting to get her attention.
She knew that she was beautiful and that she had these men wrapped around her finger…exactly where she wanted them. According to Gladys, during this time she slept with “every prime minister in Europe and many kings.” While her love life was looking up, her father’s health was going down.
Saying Goodbye to Her First Love
While Gladys moved back to Europe, her father stayed put in the United States. He hadn’t been the model father but one thing was for certain- he loved his children. Gladys knew that but was too distracted by her own life’s happenings to reach out to him.
Sadly, there may have been a reason apart from jealousy that caused Edward’s outburst so many years ago. He had been suffering from “paralysis of the brain,” or what is today known as neurosyphilis. This happens when syphilis moves through the body and infects the spinal cord and brain. In 1901, Edward’s suffering came to an end just as Gladys’s life was taking off.
The Trip That Changed Her Life
Her father had just passed away and Gladys was devastated. However, she didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity, she had to get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Around the same time as her father’s passing, Gladys received another invitation from the Duke of Marlborough.
Only this time, it wasn’t for an event, it was for six months. Gladys knew that this was her chance to get close to the Duke and lay it all on the line. But there was one problem…he was still married!
In It for the Long Haul
Despite knowing that he was still married, Gladys accepted the Duke’s invitation. What Gladys found on arrival made her even more hopeful that she could win him over. The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough’s marriage wasn’t founded on love. Rather, it was founded on a political alliance with business contracts and financial obligations.
They weren’t happy and Gladys knew that she could use that to her advantage. While she had befriended the Duchess, Gladys had no problem sleeping with her husband. This started a 20-year long affair with the Duke. and while she had finally caught him, it wasn’t quite the outcome that she had been hoping for.
A Wedding That Was Long Overdue
Gladys had finally won over the Duke. Unfortunately, that didn’t automatically change his marital status. He had fallen for her charms, so surely it wouldn’t be long before he left his wife for her? Wrong! It took the Duke 20 years to muster up the courage to divorce his wife. And yes, Gladys was there through it all. For two decades she had been his piece on the side and finally, it was her time to shine.
Since she could remember, Gladys had dreamed of marrying the Duke. In 1921, that dream finally became a reality and she wasn’t holding back. Not only was her wedding dress made of priceless lace but with pieces of gold tissue as well! If only her future could have been as glorious as her wedding day.