The Duchess Countess
The Woman Who Scandalized Eighteenth-Century London
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Discover the adventurous life of the stylish and scandalous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston—a woman whose infamous trial was bigger news in British society than the American War of Independence. “Bridgerton fans take note: For sheer incident and drama, Chudleigh’s story rivals any episode of the popular Regency-era Netflix series. And it’s all true” (The Washington Post).
As maid of honor to the Princess of Wales, Elizabeth Chudleigh enjoyed a luxurious life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court. With her extraordinary style and engaging wit, she both delighted and scandalized the press and public. She would later even inspire William Thackeray when he was writing his classic Vanity Fair, providing the inspiration for the alluring social climber Becky Sharp. But Elizabeth’s real story is more complex and surprising than anything out of fiction.
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 gossamer dress—it’s no wonder that Elizabeth’s eventual trial was a sensation. Charged with bigamy, an accusation she vehemently fought against, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly.
“A superb, gripping, decadent, colorful biography that brings an extraordinary woman and a whole world blazingly to life” (Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times bestselling author), The Duchess Countess is perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Women of Means, and The Crown.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Ostler debuts with an intriguing look at Elizabeth Chudleigh (1721–1788), the vivacious noblewoman whose 1776 criminal trial for bigamy riveted England. Though she was born into the gentry, the early deaths of Elizabeth's father and brother left her in a precarious financial strait. In 1743, she was appointed maid of honor to the Princess of Wales, a position that came with a yearly salary but required her to be unmarried. Nevertheless, she married a dashing young sailor in a clandestine ceremony after her first season at court. It was an unhappy marriage, however, and Elizabeth continued to serve at court and present herself as "socially available." She married the Duke of Kingston in 1769 and inherited the bulk of his estate four years later, but his descendants contested the will and Elizabeth was eventually convicted of bigamy and stripped of her title. She fled England with her fortune, however, and lived in St. Petersburg, where she joined the court of Catherine the Great, and Paris. Ostler includes enlightening discourses on Hanoverian court dramas and the financial and social constraints placed on women of the era, but her suggestion that Elizabeth may have suffered from borderline personality disorder somewhat muddies the picture. Still, this is a rich and nuanced portrait of a fascinating woman.
