Consuelo Vanderbilt was young beautiful & the heir to a vast family fortune. She was also deeply in love with an American suitor when her mother chose instead for her to fulfil her social ambitions & marry an English Duke. Leaving her life in America she came to England as the Duchess of Marlborough in 1895 & took up residence in her new home
- Blenheim Palace. The 9th Duchess gives unique first-hand insight into life at the very pinnacle of English society in the Edwardian era. An unsnobbish but often amused observer of the intricate hierarchy both upstairs & downstairs at Blenheim Palace she is also a revealing witness to the glittering balls huge weekend parties & major state occasions she attended or hosted. Here are her encounters with every important figure of the day
- from Queen Victoria Edward V11 & Queen Alexandra to Tsar Nicholas Prince Metternich & the young Winston Churchill. This intimate richly enjoyable memoir is a wonderfully revealing portrait of a golden age.