18th century
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Amanda Foreman
American War of Independence
Antonia Fraser
aristocracy
Author_Catherine Ostler
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Biography
Bridgerton
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Catherine Ostler
Catherine the Great
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Duchess of Devonshire
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George II
Georgette Heyer
Georgiana
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history
Horace Walpole
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Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Marie Antoinette
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Nancy Mitford
Olivia Colman
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royalty
Simon Sebag Montefiore
social history
softlaunch
The Duchess Countess
The Favourite
Product details
- ISBN 9781471172588
- Dimensions: 130 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 17 Mar 2022
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
- Language: English
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A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR
A VOGUE BOOK OF THE YEAR
'A rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto' Sunday Times
'Terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this. . . and her research is impeccable' Evening Standard
When 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 TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR
A VOGUE BOOK OF THE YEAR
'A rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto' Sunday Times
'Terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this. . . and her research is impeccable' Evening Standard
When 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.
Catherine Ostler is an author and journalist who has been Editor-in-Chief of Tatler, the Evening Standard’s ES magazine and Editor of The Times Weekend. She has also written for a wide range of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, the Financial Times and Vogue. She read English at Oxford University and is a co-founder of Cliveden Literary Festival. Her first book was the critically acclaimed The Duchess Countess (2021).
