The Duchess Countess

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Synopsis
'Outrageously scandalous, soaked in sex and money, aristocracy, adventure and grandeur... Catherine Ostler&’s superb, gripping, decadent biography brings an extraordinary woman and a whole world blazingly to life. An unforgettable, unputdownable read that seems both historical and modern, utterly relevant today.&’ – Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Catherine the Great and Potemkin'Fascinating. Magnificent.?Sensitively told.' Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five and The Covent Garden LadiesWhen the glamorous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall for bigamy in April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than the American War of Independence. A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder the trial was a sensation. However, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Rather than backing gracefully out of the limelight, she embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe, being welcomed by the Pope and Catherine the Great among others. As maid of honour to Augusta, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth led her life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court and her exploits delighted and scandalised the press and the people. She made headlines, and was a constant feature in penny prints and gossip columns. Writers were intrigued by her. Thackeray drew on Elizabeth as inspiration for his calculating, alluring Becky Sharp. But her behaviour, often depicted as attention-seeking and manipulative, hid a more complex tale – that of Elizabeth&’s fight to overcome personal tragedy and loss. Now, in this brilliantly told and evocative biography, Catherine Ostler takes a fresh look at Elizabeth&’s story and seeks to understand and reappraise a woman who refused to be defined by society&’s expectations of her. A woman who was by turns, brave, loving and generous but also reckless, greedy and insecure; a woman totally unwilling to accept the female status of underdog or to hand over all the power, the glory and the adventures of life to men.
Copyright:
2021

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
480 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781471172571
Related ISBNs:
9781471172564
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster UK
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Military, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Politics and Government
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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