In 1779, the 22-year-old Duchess of Devonshire was the most talked about woman in Britain. Her novel "The Fair Lady", which describes a group of friends' sex and indifference, has been printed four times, and she herself has become the prototype of Mrs. Fluffy in the famous dramatist Richard Sheridan's "School of Rumors." Her wax statue was sold together with the portrait of the Prince of Wales; the fan made by the clothing dealers was also decorated with her portrait; when she appeared in public, she was almost crushed by the crowd. Her luxurious costumes, bizarre hats and hair styles—or a sailing boat, or a pasture dotted with flocks and trees—often rise three feet above her head and become popular. topic. She was a confidante of Charles James Fox, the most attractive politician in Britain at the time, and perhaps one of his lovers; she was also the closest friend of the bohemian and hysterical Prince of Wales, calling him "the dearest" Elder brother". All in all, this lively Devonshire lady is a mirror and model of "fashion" and an indisputable leader in the "fashion" social world, where writers, actors, politicians, active aristocrats and all kinds of people are gathered there. The prodigal son, although the number may be less than one thousand, determined all the standards of British taste in the last decades of the 18th century.
Brilliant
beauty and dim lust. This curvaceous and slender brunette Keren is not only a great beauty-except for the slightly convex eyes, it can be said to be exquisite everywhere-but also recognized as the most enthusiastic woman in the kingdom . She is passionate about philanthropy and is generous to her friends. Many people are proud of being visited by her.
The only man who has not been conquered by the Duchess is her slack, tired, reticent, and extremely self-conscious husband-William Cavendish, the fifth Duke of Devonshire. He is one of the wealthiest nobles in the country, with a considerable art collection and many mansions, but his understanding of the good life is to drink and play cards with old friends in the Brooks Club. Year after year, day after day, every night he would enjoy a roast lamb scapula in this premium club.
There are 28 dukes in the United Kingdom whose titles can only be replaced by members of the royal family, and the Duke of Devonshire is one of them. However, as the daughter of the Earl of Spencer and his wife, Miss Georgiana Spencer also has a good background. Like Princess Diana, her great-great-great-great-great-great-grand-niece, she also likes to take risks, she also has a deep sense of insecurity, and she also has a magical affinity for common people, and the light can also cover her indifferent husband. Georgiana's parents are a highly educated and extremely loyal couple. They instilled in their children the kind of cult of emotion that flourished in Europe under the enlightenment of Rousseau and Stern. They encouraged Georgiana's love of acting. Georgiana won the love and joy of her parents with her natural elegance and intelligent talent in learning foreign languages, music, and complicated court etiquette.
Georgiana was 16 when she was engaged to the 24-year-old duke, who was less-spoken. She naively thought that her marriage would become a bond of sharing emotions and pursuits, just like her parents did. However, the god of luck did not favor her. When the Duke took the oath at the wedding, one of his girlfriends who made millinery was breastfeeding their newborn daughter in a country farmhouse. The duchess had no idea about this, and the duke only regarded Georgiana as a good breed for breeding offspring. His understanding of the relationship between husband and wife is to break into the bride's room after the routine fun at the Brooks Club, and create an heir wholeheartedly. For all the setbacks in marriage, any woman with Georgiana's temperament and talent will seek various ways to divert her energy. Georgiana found solace in gambling, especially the popular Farrow card game, which became her favorite pastime.
Friends love to borrow gambling Xiaochou focussed on
gambling for the British aristocracy of the 18th century, the gin is the same as people in lower social layer, it can destroy thousands of families every year, but also often become suicide was motivated . Not only that, there is no role model around the Duchess who can keep her away from the gaming table. Her parents also hired someone to guide them in order to learn the Farrow card winning skills; her beloved sister, Lady Duncannon, is also a gambler who is addicted to gambling.
Less than two years after her marriage, Georgiana had a total debt of 3,000 pounds ($297 thousand now), which is almost equivalent to the allowance that her husband gave her every year. Although the Duke reluctantly paid off these debts, he was often pressured by his brothers and sisters and the greedy Cavendish family to discipline his wife. Georgiana couldn't stand the conflicts, and began to fall into a web of lies and rising debts (often owed by the deception of the dealer), and struggled for the rest of her life in it. The anxiety and depression caused by these debts may have a lot to do with Georgiana's sudden overeating, sudden and complete hunger strike, and her frequent miscarriages. Obviously, the continuation of the Cavendish family's incense is like an obsession with religion for the duke. He married Georgiana for two simple reasons: to protect the interests of the family and to create an heir. And five years of married life shows that no matter which goal it is, Georgiana seems to be incapable of doing it.
At this moment, Miss Elizabeth Foster (all friends call her Beth) appeared in the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. She is the second daughter of the notoriously greedy Earl of Bristol Bishop, and had an unfortunate marriage with a stray Irish MP when she was a teenager. When Beth learned that her husband had seduced her maid, the two broke up. According to the law at the time, she found that she had nothing and was deprived of the right to visit her two sons. This beauty who speaks fluent French and Italian, has a black hair that outlines a small oval face, and gives a helpless look and charm unique to a weak woman, makes any man "irresistible." ".
They met in the summer of 1772, when the Duke of Devonshire and his wife were in Bath to quit gambling. Beth first attracted the sympathy of Georgiana, who was tender and generous, and she soon persuaded the Duke to accept Beth. So, a few months after they met, Beth moved into the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, partly as a best friend and confidant, and partly as a paid female companion. When she is with the duke who likes to have two women competing to grab his attention at the same time, she is obliged to be frivolous; when she is with her jealous and respectful duchess, she will always be caring and considerate. In every possible way, the passion she gave was something Georgiana had never enjoyed when she was with men. Because the Duke of Devonshire often sent her to the European continent to recuperate and take care of the duke's illegitimate daughter, Beth traveled frequently, but she obviously promoted the couple's family life. In 1783, the Duchess finally gave birth to a baby after nine years of marriage. well! It's a pity that it's a girl. But she at least reawakened the Duke's hope for male heirs.
The relationship between the three of them developed rapidly, so two years after the birth of Georgiana's eldest daughter, both women were pregnant with the Duke's child. Beth realized with pain that she and the duchess must have conceived at the same time within a few days or hours, so she was sent to France by the duke. When parting with her "dearest, dearest in this life" friend, Georgiana, unaware and carefree, wrote: "Oh Beth, every feeling of mine will only increase. My admiration for you." Could it be that Georgiana and Beth are the kind of lovers in the gay sense? The letters of the two women have been scrutinized by future generations, and perhaps there will never be an answer to this question.
Get involved in politics, the public lady
People should not ignore the content of Georgiana's activities in the Whig Party. The Cavendish family has always been the leader of the Whig party. Coupled with the persuasion of the Duke’s friend Charles Fox, a short and fat Whig liberal star, the young Georgiana began to actively get involved in political affairs.
In the 1784 election, the Whigs hoped to be able to regain power and regain power. Georgiana actively lobbied for Fox's election for Westminster parliament. She and merchants tasted malt and gin while chatting; she hugged women and children on the street; she also became godmother to dozens of babies in exchange for political support. The civilian strategy she adopted was unheard of for people of her class and gender. Although it may be an exaggeration to say that she is the first woman to engage in modern campaigns, the enthusiasm and intimacy shown by Georgiana has made her the object of ridicule in dozens of cartoons, suggesting that she is using Gender advantage in exchange for votes.
However, Georgiana's outstanding performance in the political arena did not heal the anxiety of the family of the Duke of Devonshire. In 1788, when the Duchess was married for 14 years, Beth was sent abroad again and gave birth to a baby boy from a Devonshire family. As a result, the question of having a male heir became more and more urgent for the Duchess. This time, Beth traveled under Georgiana's silent acquiescence. Georgiana has fallen in love with the rising political star Charles Gray. The following year, Georgiana was also pregnant with the Duke's child, and she must have felt that the stakes this time were extraordinary. At this point, even Beth eagerly hopes that Georgiana can give birth to a legal heir, because she knows very well that only the marriage of the Duke of Devonshire can maintain her own future. Fearing that pressure from her British creditors would cause her to miscarry, Georgiana decided to go to France to give birth to a child, even though France was in the turmoil of the Revolution.
In May 1790, revolutionary enthusiasm continued to rise throughout France, while at this time, the duke's family was waiting for the birth of a child at a friend's house outside of Paris. When the Marquis of Huntington, the future sixth Duke of Devonshire, was born, even the hardest-hearted readers could not help but cheer. He later inherited all of his father's glorious family property and never married. Like his mother Georgiana, he has also become a beloved salon owner and art patron. He also had a close friendship with members of the salon of the same sex, and had a life-long friendship with Joseph Parks, an outstanding architect and horticulturist of the century.
Twilight, passion, legendary life
Georgiana's last decade was the darkest period in her life. In 1891, the Duke learned that Georgiana had Charles Gray's child, and in a rage, he drove Georgiana and Beth out of the house together. Under Beth's care, Georgiana gave birth to a daughter in France. The anger of Lord Duke lasted for two years. It was a hard time for the two women. They suffered a lot because they couldn't see their children. Soon after returning home, Georgiana learned with great pain that the future Earl Grey, the prime minister who was going to pass the "Great Reform Act of 1832" to expand voting rights, was about to marry the young heiress Mary Ponsonby. Georgiana couldn't find a better way to comfort her heartbroken lover, so she had to treat her lover's wife as a confidant in her unique and friendly way. She continued to write poetry, prose and drama extensively, and composed for Sheridan's play "Pizzaro", which was performed for an unprecedented 31 consecutive days. She also began to study chemistry, attended lectures at the Royal Academy, and became a talented amateur mineralogist.
Later, in the late 1890s, Georgiana suffered from a serious eye disease. She was almost blind, and her appearance was declining, so she was gradually ignored and rarely involved in social activities. In the first few months of 1806, she enjoyed her last glorious moment as a star of the Whig Party. Xun played an important role in the formation of the new cabinet. The new cabinet included several of her close friends—her brother George Spencer was the Secretary of the Interior, Charles Gray was the Secretary of the Navy, Fox was the Secretary of the Foreign Affairs, and Sheridan was the treasurer of the Navy. Later that year, the 48-year-old Georgiana suffered from jaundice and died soon after. She has been tortured by creditors and a long list of bills in her life, but she has never confessed to her husband. In his eulogy, the Prince of Wales said: "The gentlest and most educated woman in Britain has left us."
Georgiana's friends, no one mourns her more deeply than Beth. The Duchess appointed Beth as the sole guardian of all her documents in her will, and her thoughtful consideration secured Beth's position in the Duchess of Devonshire in the future. On the third anniversary of Georgiana's death, the Duke married Beth as his wife. Soon, he had a new lover again, and began to let Beth taste everything Georgiana had endured. Two years later, the duke passed away (translated from Liu Junping's compilation).
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