how tall was consuelo vanderbilt

In a twist on a historical theme, the duke was fortune-hunting herand her mother Alva couldnt be happier. 56x 38in (144 x 97.5 cm). In some ways, this very particular promiscuity was a continued cry for help from the dank cell of her loveless marriage. [28], Consuelo Balsan published her insightful but not entirely candid autobiography, The Glitter and the Gold, in 1953. 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. except that we dont have the nasal bridge so tall. While Balsan was being lionized as a hero, Consuelo was enduring a loveless marriage and lonely exile as the wife of a foppish English peer of the realm. [14] The duke, for his part, gave up the woman he reportedly loved back in England and collected US$2.5million ($81.4million in 2021 dollars) in railroad stock as a marriage settlement. In marrying the Duke, Consuelo became the cousin of Winston Churchill, who would remain a dear friend and confidant to her throughout her life. That was far from all. On the stand, Alva confessed that I have always had absolute power over my daughter and she admitted she forced Consuelo into the union, begging the judge to grant the divorce for a marriage that had so obviously happened under duress. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. But it also put her in incredibly horrible positions. She was also in love with an American suitor when her mother chose instead for her to marry an English Duke. Before marrying the duke, Consuelo knew she didnt and probably couldnt love him. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, Extravagant Facts About Barbara Hutton, The Poor Little Rich Girl, These Stories Of Unforgettable Close Calls Made Our Jaws Drop, Grandiose Facts About Marie Antoinette, The Doomed Queen, Bloody Facts About Ivan the Terrible, The Mad Tsar Of Russia, These Eerie Supernatural Experiences Sent A Chill Down Our Spines, Catherine The Great Was a Mighty EmpressUntil Her Brutal Downfall. 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. During this Rapunzel period, Alva did let Consuelo out to attend the best society balls, naturally. It was designed as a love nest by Maurice Fatio. She not only realized her husband was a shallow man, but that she was now a duchess, and subject to all the snobbery of the aristocracy that would put old money New York to shame. 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. Consuelo's mother, the irrepressible Alva Vanderbilt, wasted no time in ordering this cradle from Italy. [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. 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. Indeed, Consuelo was set to leave the very next day. Besides basically telling her that she amounted only to a big bank account, Consuelos new husband revealed his real feelings. As they traveled out for their vacation to Europe, Consuelo watched her new husband preen at all the congratulatory letters he was getting from other members of the nobility, including from Queen Victoria herself. When Consuelo got to Rutherfurds that day, he spoke some of the harshest words in the history of love. As it turned out, Consuelo nailed it: She arrived in England as the toast of the town, and commoners and aristocrats alike fell in love with her. But, her parents had divorced in 1895 when Consuelo was only 18 and this drastically changed her fate. Paul Csar Helleu (French, 1859-1927), Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, circa 1900. consuelo vanderbilt and winston churchill. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. [11] Her mother cajoled, wheedled, begged, and then, ultimately, ordered her daughter to marry Marlborough. She wasnt. "[6], Like her godmother, Consuelo Vanderbilt attracted numerous title-bearing suitors anxious to trade social position for cash. Consuelo Vanderbilt. We will update Consuelo Vanderbilt's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Dancy Mason is the Editor-in-Chief at Factinate. Now she went in for the kill. We want our readers to trust us. And Winthrop Rutherfurd, a young man with an impeccable pedigree and considered the handsomest bachelor in New York society, is in love with her. Consuelo Vanderbilt was born on March 2, 1877 in New York City, New York, USA. "I forced my daughter to marry the duke", Alva Belmont told an investigator, adding: "I have always had absolute power over my daughter. To make the break with her first marriage absolute, in 1927 Consuelo goes before an English tribunal of Catholic priests to ask for an annulment. [12] Still she refused. It worked: In 1921, Consuelo became a free womanand she wasted no time enjoying that freedom. All Rights Reserved. Eventually, karma came for him. How do you think its going to go? But for once, Alva Vanderbilt got far more than she bargained for. After Consuelos Europe trip wrapped up, she might have thought she would finally be free to exhale. If it sounds like the lovers were in a hurry, its because they were. Living out the next decade in Long Island, New York, she followed her husband and son into the grave on December 6, 1964, passing at the age of 87. Nor had he written, or called, or done anything to hold onto the promise they had made each other that day. But if she thought that was the worst thing shed find out on her honeymoon, she was very, very wrong. Earl, a breeder. Lets just, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Sensational Facts About Louella Parsons, The Queen Of Hollywood Gossip, Swoon-Worthy Facts About Madame Manos, The Unrecognized Royal, Scandalous Facts About Catherine The Great, The Scarlet Empress, Lovestruck Facts About Elisabeth of Romania, The Boy Crazy Princess. Very difficult. The duke decided he didnt need to attend the rehearsal, especially since he thought the American custom was vulgar. Still, she was about to find out just how awful things could get. 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. A decade older than Consuelo, Balsam had been nearing his 30s at the time he first ogled the teenager. When Consuelo Vanderbilt's grandfather died, he was the richest man in America. 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. When they got home from the ball that night, Alva demanded Consuelo see her in her private chambers, ready to give her daughter a piece of her mind. While Consuelos tycoon father William was no saint in the boardroom or the bedroom, there was a much naughtier secret at play. It was only much later that she found out the chilling truth. And then there were Consuelos unpleasant duties. Soon enough, she gave birth to a son, John Spencer-Churchill. A reviewer in the same paper called it "an ideal epitaph of the age of elegance. The original 100-room Queen Anne-style wooden structure, completed in 1882, will burn to the ground in 1899 to be replaced by a more formal brick mansion. To Consuelo, Marble House seems like a prison, with its high surrounding wall and heavy drapes to keep out the sun and the sound of the surf. During the inter-war period, she and Winaretta Singer-Polignac (the Princess de Polignac and Singer Sewing Machine heiress) worked together in the construction of a 360-bed hospital destined to provide medical care to middle class workers. Thats because she was far from faithful herselfand one of her first lovers was scandalous. As a well-known journalist and author, Cooper has a net worth of about $50 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com. Consuelo spent her remaining years living like a ghost of a bygone agewhich, in all honesty, she was. C.Z. Catching Up With Morgan Englund. Consuelos mother, Alva, had married William Kissam Vanderbilt, the richest of the very rich Vanderbilts, in 1875. 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. [19] However, given the ill-fitting match between the duke and his wife, it was only a matter of time before their marriage was in name only. She quickly swooped in to separate the pair as soon as possible, foiling any plans they might have made. Consuelo fit the bill: her father had come into a $50 million legacy, the equivalent of $1.3 billion today. She is a member of famous Actor with the age 87 years old group. The Dukes motivation was primarily financial. He and Consuelo manage to find time with each other, despite Alvas fixation on a European crown for her daughter, and during a bicycle excursion on Riverside Drive, Winthrop proposes and Consuelo accepts. Consuelo and her friends were the inspiration for Edith Wharton's unfinished novel The Buccaneers. Consuelo was meek, deferring to her mother on most matters. Consuelos relationship with the Duke of Marlborough didnt last, but her friendship with his cousin Winston Churchill surprisingly managed to pass the test of time. It is often said that the Dukes nickname, Sunny, was not given because it reflected his personality, but was simply taken from his first courtesy title, the Earl of Sunderland. Consuelo was described as having a " piquante oval face perched upon a long slender neckenormous dark eyes fringed with curling lashes". [22] The Marlboroughs separated in 1906, divorced in 1921, and the marriage was annulled, at the duke's request and with Consuelo's assent, on 19 August 1926.[23]. By the time Consuelo and her second husband Jacques Balsan were happily entering middle age, the duke and Gladys were doing nothing but tormenting each other. Her mothers reaction was chilling. It is only a matter of time before Consuelo and the Duke have a marriage in name only. High Style in the Gilded Age: Consuelo Vanderbilt, Consuelo, her brother Harold and Alva in Paris, c. 1895. After their agonizing will-they, wont-they back and forth, she eventually did hook up with Winthrop Rutherfurd shortly after her marriage. Estimate: $300,000-500,000. Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan Vanderbilt and his daughter, Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough, at the races in Paris. Reginald Fellowes[20] (the liaison did not last, to the relief of Fellowes's parents),[21] while the duke fell under the spell of Gladys Marie Deacon, an eccentric American of little money but, like Consuelo, dazzling to look at and of considerable intellect. Consuelo in course of time, spent many more millions to renovate the 'decrepit heap' that was Blenheim, at the time of her marriage. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Like many of her guests, Alva is photographed in costume beforehand in the studio of photographer Jose Maria Mora, known for his profusion of backdrops and props--including stuffed doves for Alva. That is their last meeting. Morgan Englund, singer/songwriter, born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Isolated and utterly beaten down, Consuelo couldnt even get in touch with Winthrop to tell him what was going on. Instead of succumbing to her daughters will, Alva exploded with rage, insulting Consuelo and Winthrop alike for their stupidity. Born as Mary "Minnie" Stevens, Lady Paget was the daughter of Paran Stevens, the socially ambitious widow of an American hotel entrepreneur who had successfully obtained admittance to the exclusive New York society of the fabled "Four Hundred". Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Belmont. Alva Vanderbilt got her wish, and Consuelo and the Duke became engaged in September of 1895. So yes, our poor, naive Consuelo was being forced into marriage by a family who didnt know matrimonial happiness in the slightest. Even worse, she had to stifle mournful sobs throughout the ceremony. May 8, 2019 - Explore Marie's board "Consuelo Vanderbilt", followed by 236 people on Pinterest. 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. LADY SARAH SPENCER-CHURCHILL, who has died suddenly in Connecticut, aged 78, was a powerful personality, 6 ft tall, rich and well-known in international society for several decades. English: Consuelo Vanderbilt, aka Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan and Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, (March 2, 1877 - December 6, 1964), was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt Family, as well as an English aristocrat.She was seen as the ultimate marital prize of the Victorian age. Another of Alva's friends, Minnie Paget, introduced Consuelo to the eligible Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo Vanderbilt, born in New York in 1877, was the first child of William Kissam Vanderbilt (grandson of the Commodore, Cornelius Vanderbilt) and his first wife, Alva Erskine Smith. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. It was at one of these events that Consuelo happened to run into Winthrop at long last, and they shared a single dance together. When Consuelo woke up the next morning, it was to gut-wrenching news. Thats because before she had an heir with the Duke of Marlborough, none other than his cousin Winston Churchill was next in line to inherit Blenheim. (Socialite) Consuelo Vanderbilt was an American socialite from the Vanderbilt family who became the Duchess of Marlborough following her marriage to Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, the 9th Duke of Marlborough. Mrs. Earl was a long-time resident of Ridgefield, CT. Commodore Vanderbilt was an American financier who. The eldest child and only daughter of the main Vanderbilt heir William and his wife Alva, Consuelo was all the hopes of the Gilded Age of America rolled into one. Gladys Deacon, the newest young American heiress on the market, secured herself an invite to Blenheim one day and became fast friends with both the Duke of Marlborough and Consuelo. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. It was designed as a love nest by Maurice Fatio. Without Consuelos money his income would have been insufficient to maintain Blenheim Palace, let alone undertake the renovations he had in mind. American socialite heiress, Duchess of Marlborough. First, let's get Consuelo's mama out of the way: Alva Vanderbilt was . His portrait is particularly important among the many that exist of Consuelo, because it is the most personal of them all. And the hands of fate had even more cruelties to dish out. Instead, the exact opposite happened. Consuelo Vanderbilt was the richest American heiress to marry into British aristocracy. Consuelo Vanderbilt-Balsan (formerly Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; born Consuelo Vanderbilt; March 2, 1877 - December 6, 1964) was a socialite and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family.Her first marriage to the 9th Duke of Marlborough has become a well-known example of one of the advantageous, but loveless, marriages common during the Gilded Age; as such . Col. Jacques. But that friendship was about to endure a horrible shock. Consuelo was named in honor of her godmother, Consuelo Yzanaga, a half . First, he outright admitted, with characteristic bloodlessness, that hed only married her to save Blenheim, his ancestral home. As such, the birth of Consuelos first son helped free Winston to go into politicssomething he was apparently very grateful for, and the pair became fast friends. From the day of Consuelos birth, Alva harbors the highest social goals for her only daughter, but as long as Consuelo remains a young girl, she is allowed some freedom to enjoy her very privileged surroundings. [2] [4] Her mother was abusive and whipped her with a riding crop for minor infractions. William Vanderbilt finds another beneficiary for his indulgences early in the 1890s, when the newspapers reportthat he is in a scandalous liaisonwith another woman.At about the same time, Alva is observed flirting with Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, usually called O.H.P. Under no circumstances would the intelligent and sensitive Consuelo ever have been impressed by the dandyish duke but, in fact, she is in love with another man. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. 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. SOUTHAMPTON, L. I., Dec, 6Mrs. It was a grueling battle that required years in and out of courtrooms, even with both parties very sure they were doing what was best for them. On a trip to London in 1894, Alva arranged a meeting for Consuelo, 17, and the duke, 23 . Yet like so many of Consuelos romances, her dalliance with her old lover was going to go up in flames. Picking her own wardrobe was also seen as the height of rebellion; when Consuelo once complained about the clothes her mother had chosen for her, Alva snapped back, Ido the thinking, you do as you are told. 33 Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 33 Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan Premium High Res Photos Browse 33 consuelo vanderbilt balsan stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Consuelo not only had money and poise, but she also was known as a great beauty in her time. This work is offered in the 19th-Century European Art sale on 26 October at Christie's in New York Alva Vanderbilt got her wish, and Consuelo and the Duke became engaged in September of 1895. And that was just what was going on in public. Many believe[27] that Churchill polished his famous Iron Curtain Speech in that house as he visited his cousin's former wife on his way to Fulton, Missouri, to deliver an address at Westminster College. By the time Consuelos honeymoon wrapped up and she arrived at Blenheim Palace, she was a thoroughly broken woman. 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. Consuelo spent months soaking up European hospitality, going to tea party after tea party and meeting prince after duke. Pastel on canvas. Other images of Vanderbilt by artist Paul Csar Helleu: Reginald Fellowes is possibly Hon. Moving in the same circles as the dashing Jacques Balsan, over the years, Consuelo has often been in the presence of the man who first fell in love with her when she was the unattainable pawn in her mothers marital maneuvers. The Duke needs all the money he can get. In the wake of her canceled engagement, Consuelo was almost completely alone. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Her father soon started to spend the family fortune, enthusiastically supported by Consuelo's mother, Alva, who was determined to take the family to the top of New York societyforcing a heartbroken Consuelo into a marriage she did not want with the underfunded . Laced into a wedding gown her mother had chosen before her engagement and walking beside bridesmaids her mother had hand-picked, Consuelo entered the church to marry the man her mother had insisted on. Guest and Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, Facemasks required while inside any Museum building, 17 Meeting House Lane / PO Box 303, Southampton, NY 11968. In 1898, Consuelo gave birth to another son, Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill, fully completing her duty by providing her husband withas she often wryly quippedan heir and a spare. Many recognize the wedding for what it is: an especially prominent example of dollars for dukes, a craze among rich Americans for forging marital ties with titled but impecunious peers of the realm. Consuelo Vanderbilt was considered a great beauty, with a face compelling enough to cause the playwright Sir James Barrie, author of Peter Pan, to write, "I would stand all day in the street to see Consuelo Marlborough get into her carriage. The Duke is said to have collected $2.5 million (more than $25 million today), delivered in valuable railroad stock. This was the very definition of a mercenary marriage both Consuelo and the Duke were in love with other people. Though largely embarked upon as a way to facilitate the Anglican duke's desire to convert to Roman Catholicism, the annulment, to the surprise of many, also was fully supported by the former duchess's mother, who testified that the VanderbiltMarlborough marriage had been an act of unmistakable coercion. At first, Consuelos announcement to Marlborough seemed to be successful, and the dukeindifferent to the bitter endeven allowed her to visit Rutherfurd again to decide what she really wanted to do. Cstoria ei cu Charles Spencer-Churchill, al 9-lea Duce de Marlborough a devenit o emblem internaional a cstoriilor . [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. Estimate: $300,000-500,000. Later in her life, Consuelo wrote (with the help of a ghostwriter) her autobiography The Glitter and the Gold, where her life with the Duke of Marlborough was the glitter, with all its hollow opulence, and her time with Balsan was the true gold. She later became involved with other philanthropic projects and was particularly interested in those that affected mothers and children. 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. by Balsan, Consuelo Vanderbilt, 1877-1964. xiv, 338 p., 16 leaves of plates; 22 cm. He has scandalized his family by abandoning his first wife on their honeymoon to travel with a French dancer. Behind the scenes, everything was falling apart. Churchill frequently visited Consuelo in her chateau near Paris into the 1930s. Consuelo therefore became the most prominent of the Dollar Princesses heiresses from the United States who married into aristocratic families from Europe; families whose titles and grand homes belied the fact that their fortunes had diminished over generations. That year, she and her husband could finally take no more and publicly separatedand if her mothers American divorce set society atwitter, Consuelos split from a British peer caused even more of a scandal. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. The very next day, Consuelo rushed to the arms of her lover, hopeful that her whole future was before her. Consuelo Balsan (formal, Consuelo, Duces de Marlborough; nscut Consuelo Vanderbilt) ( 2 martie 1877 - 6 decembrie 1964 ), a fost membr proeminent a familiei americane Vanderbilt. 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. It had been a decade of utter misery for them both, but it still wasnt the done thing in the aristocracy. 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. In fact, Churchill had been heir to the Duke of Marlborough until Consuelo and the Duke had their first son in 1897, and freed him to pursue a career in politics. And really, this was just a tiny sign of the deranged acts to come. She did, however, get one last tragic chance with him. When they were married the duke was 23. Growing up a Vanderbilt was a hugely privileged position for Consuelo. Consuelo Vanderbilt Print Family Tree Born 2 March 1877 - New York, NY Deceased 6 December 1964 - Southampton, Suffolk Co., NY,aged 87 years old Buried - St. Martin's Churchyard, Bladon, Oxfordshire, England 1 file available Parents William Kissam Vanderbilt 1849-1920 Alva Erskine Smith 1853-1933 Spouses, children and grandchildren She had not settled on a particular aristocrat until the Vanderbilts visited Lord and Lady Lansdowne, who was the Duke of Marlboroughs aunt, in Calcutta in late 1893. Except there was just one incredibly shocking thing. [3] She was educated entirely at home by governesses and tutors, and learned foreign languages at an early age. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. As for Consuelos feelings on the matter? See more ideas about vanderbilt, marlborough, belle epoque. Perfect for readers of Jennifer Robson and lovers of Downton Abbey. It all started, perhaps, with a high society invitation. Of the three family mansions, Cosuelos favorite is the one called Idle Hour in Oakdale on Long Island, designed by William Morris Hunt. On November 6, 1895, Consuelo Vanderbilt married Charles Spencer-Churchill, aka the 9th Duke of Marlborough, at St. Thomas's Episcopal Church at 5th Avenue and 53rd Street in Manhattan. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. When Consuelo a docile teenager whose only notable characteristic at the time was abject obedience to her fearsome mother made plans to elope, she was locked in her room as Alva threatened to murder Rutherfurd. Consuelos family was already hiding shadowy secrets. Deportment is emphasized all day long. Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, the former Duchess of Marlborough, died today at her estate here. The influx of Consuelos fortune allowed him to restore Blenheim to the glory that the great house still exhibits today. And after all that, Alva still had her cruelest card up her sleeveand she was about to play it. Not content to limit herself to her daughters looks, Alva also rigorously corrected Consuelos personality and behavior. . Before joining the team, she worked as a course lecturer while completing her Ph.D. in English Literature. And when the duke finally got home from battle, Consuelo had another nasty surprise in store. Morgan Englund . While Consuelo had been no saint throughout the course of her marriage, the Duke of Marlborough certainly hadnt treated her properly, either. In her newfound freedom, she is also able to take activist stands on issues important to her. 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. Born on . [1] She was educated entirely at home by governesses and tutors, and learned foreign languages at an early age. Consuelo and the Duke separated in 1906. So they carried on a courtship right under Alvas nose, with Rutherfurd even sending Consuelo a single red rose on her 18th birthday. Little Gloria lived in Europe until she was 9 years old. She went on to marry the wealthy French aviator Jacques Balsan and continued her charitable endeavours. The story explored an arranged marriage, Costin said, and looked at the societal pressures and family positioning that had plagued Vanderbilt women of the past, dating back to Consuelo Vanderbilt's marriage to the Duke of Marlborough at the end of the nineteenth century.