#devonshire house

[blondebrainpowered]

Lady Paget as Cleopatra. Costume by House of Worth, Paris. The Duchess of Devonshire’s Ball, Devonshire House in Piccadilly, London. July 1897

[sadierosewrites]

Adding another one to the "life is stranger than any plot I can invent" column.

I'm still reading Melbourne.

Cecil is describing Devonshire House and its women, and a young (19ish?) Melbourne's reaction to them.

"It was not the Duchess herself so much who attracted him.... William found her kindly but inattentive. Nor did he succumb to the insinuating allurements of Lady Elizabeth Foster. But he was immediately drawn to Lady Bessborough....He was never seriously in love with her, but he paid her marked attention. And London soon recognized him as one of her established train of beaux." p.55

Now, if you're not spitting your drink all over your screen, I'll explain why this is post-worthy.

William here, is William Lamb, the future 2nd Viscount Melbourne. William is, within about six or seven years of this, going to marry Lady Caroline Ponsonby.

Lady Caroline Ponsonby is the daughter of Lady Bessborough.

She's known better as Lady Caroline Lamb, the authoress who had a ruinous affair with Lord Byron.

The more history I learn, the less crazy some of the plots I've come up with sound.

Cecil, Lord David. Melbourne. Harmony Books, 1979. p.55-57

[tiny-librarian]

Photographs of Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, dressed as Marie Antoinette for the Devonshire House Ball in 1897.

 "... bodice and paniers of pink and gold flowered brocade and gold lace studded with silver sequins and diamonds, the square-cut neck trimmed with old lace, and chiffon sleeves divided into small puffs with gold lace sparkling with jewels; diamond rivieres were festooned across the front of the bodice. The petticoat was of white satin draped with chiffon scarves edged with gold and sequin lace. The regal train of turquoise velvet was lined with the same and embroidered all over at equal distances with raised gold fleur-de-lis, and fastened on each of the shoulders with gold cord". (The Times, 3 July 1897, p 12a)

[mote-historie]

Lady Paget as Cleopatra. Costume by House of Worth, Paris. The Duchess of Devonshire’s Ball, Devonshire House in Piccadilly, London. July 1897.

[retrocgads]

UK 1985

[thewidowworegold]

The Duke of Marlborough and other attendees - Devonshire House Ball 1897 [2/3] :

While the Queen did not attend, almost all of the British royal family attended the ball and nearly every other European royal family was represented. The New York Times claimed in September 1897 that the ball was, "to a certain degree a duplicate of the Bradley Martin ball" which was held at The Waldorf Hotel in New York City on 10 February 1897.

The Duke of Devonshire invited the London photographic firm of James Lafayette, who had been awarded a Royal Warrant ten years previously, to set up a tent (in the garden behind the house) to photograph the guests in costume during the Ball. In 1899, the studio of Walker & Boutal published 286 of the Lafayette photographs.

Following the ball, The Duchess received a letter from Francis Knollys, Private Secretary to the Sovereign, indicating that the Prince, later King Edward VII, who arrived after 11 o'clock, thought the party a success.

One of the most expensive costumes was worn by Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough who went as the French Ambassador to the Court of Catherine the Great (see the first picture). The velvet costume was made by the House of Worth and was embroidered in silver, pearls and diamonds with a waistcoat made out of gold and white damask. The price of the costume, which cost 5,000 francs, reportedly even shocked the Duke, who had famously married American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt in 1895.

Instagram: Thewidowworegold

[j-august]

Amanda Foreman, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

[thewidowworegold]

Magnificent costumes - Devonshire House Ball 1897 [1/3] :

In 1897, The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire hosted the Devonshire House Ball at Devonshire House, the London residence (in Piccadilly) of the Dukes of Devonshire in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Duke had served as a Member of Parliament and a cabinet minister as a member of the Liberal Party and the Duchess, known as the Double Duchess, was the widow of the William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester. 

Following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria had withdrawn from social life and "the mantle of royal entertaining" was passed to the Prince of Wales and his wife, Alexandra. During the 1870s, they hosted a costume ball at Marlborough House, their London residence, which was considered a success and carried on the popularity of such events. The Devonshires, who were close friends of the Prince and Princess of Wales, therefore, decided to throw a costume ball thrown to celebrate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee procession had taken place on 22 June 1897 and followed a route six miles long through London. More than 700 invitations were sent out a month before the event, although some reports of the event stated up to 3,000 invites. By accident, Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Maria, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha did not receive invitations. When the Duchess of Devonshire saw her at a different jubilee fête and asked if she was coming, "the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha freezingly replied, 'Certainly not'".

Instagram: Thewidowworegold