Associations of Georgiana

Lady Elizabeth Foster, later Duchess of Devonshire

In 1782, Bess met the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire in Bath. Seeing an opportunity to improve her circumstances, she attached herself to the emotionally-starved Duchess, with whom she formed an instant bond. She succeeded so well that when Georgiana went home, Bess was invited to accompany them. Eager to please, Bess provided the Duke with the companionship he needed and at some point became his mistress. After the birth of her son in 1790, Georgiana confessed her debts to the Duke. Bess stood by her throughout the ordeal. But the real test of her friendship came the following year when Georgiana was banished abroad because she was carrying Charles Grey’s child. Bess went with her. After two years abroad, the Duke relented, and Georgiana and Bess came home in the autumn of 1793. They resumed their strange ménage à trois, but Georgiana and the Duke were getting on much better than before, and Bess feared that her influence was waning.On 30 March 1806, Georgiana died. Bess was distraught. “She was the charm of my existence,” she wrote to her son, “my constant support in all my sorrows, the doubler and sharer of every joy.”

Georgiana had secured her friend’s immediate future by making her sole guardian of her papers. The Cavendish children might resent her presence, but the Duke found he could not do without Bess to look after him. Eventually, on 19 October 1809, the Duke and Bess were married. But Bess did not have long to enjoy the attainment of the position that she had coveted for so long. The Duke died on 29 July 1811, less than two years later. (http://www.regencyhistory.net/2012/10/lady-elizabeth-foster-later-duchess-of.html)

Charles James Fox 

Fox was the result of the scandalous elopement of Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland the politician and Lady Caroline Lennox, one of the Lennox sisters, daughter of the Duke of Richmond. He and his brothers were raised in a libertine Whig household with little to no boundaries. Despite not inheriting a title, Fox became a favorite of his father and therefore extremely spoiled. There are stories of Fox burning his father's speeches and smashing his watch, with no consequences.

Fox grew into a fat macaroni, with a taste for gambling, politics, and women. He also liked fashion and in the macaroni tastes, powder his hair different colors every day and wear multi-colored shoes embellished with velvet frills. He was just plain outrageous! Fox began his career in parliament at the tender age of 19. Being a Whig, he tended to oppose anything the monarchy liked and vice-verse. He supported both the French and American revolutions. Despite his outrageousness, he was extremely well spoken and when he came into contact with Georgiana in 1777 a friendship bloomed that last until both their deaths in 1806. The two friends (and possibly lovers) found in each other a certain understanding and camaraderie that they couldn't find with others in their circle. Both were huge celebrities and common characters in political satires. For the Westminster election of 1784 Georgiana made history by being the first woman to canvass when she canvassed Fox.

Charles, 2nd Earl Grey

He was eldest surviving son of the first Earl Grey and educated at the best of schools, Eton, Trinity, etc. At the tender age of 22 he was elected to parliament. This was in 1786, two years after Georgiana had canvassed for Charles Fox and subsequently "retired" from politics. Upon being welcomed into the Whigs and of course the Devonshire House circle, he immediately latched on to Georgiana, 7 years his senior. She was flirtatious and welcoming with everybody, but he took her actions too seriously and became her shadow. This made Georgiana both nervous and enticed. Eventually Grey's violent declarations of love worked, and Georgiana began an affair. Love grew stronger and friends' well-meant advice was falling on deaf ears more and more frequently. Like a high school romance, he would argue with her if he felt she was paying more attention to other members of the circle. The lovebirds let their affair get out of hand when, Georgiana was staying in Bath by herself and Grey would be seen going in and out of her house with no discrepancy. When her mother, Lady Spencer heard this she furiously wrote and put a stop to their brashness. But it was too late, the damage was done. Georgiana was pregnant. Someone tipped the Duke of Devonshire off and he arrived unexpected to his 6-month pregnant wife in Bath. Screaming, crying commenced, followed by Bess being called into the room, and then scolding, and more screaming and crying. Harriet, Georgiana's sister sat outside hearing everything and recorded that she had never been so frightened. Georgiana was forced to leave the country. The Duke was humiliated and he gave her a choice: give the child up for adoption and never see Grey again or be divorced and never see her 3 children again. It wasn't much of a choice, but Grey still resented her for not choosing a fallen life with him. The relationship disintegrated after that. "I have in leaving him for ever, left my heart and soul; but it is over now...he has one consolation that I have given him up to my children only." Georgiana wrote in her grief. On February 20, 1791 Eliza Courtney was born and immediately taken from her mother's arms. Three years later Grey was engaged to Mary Ponsonby. He apparently couldn't bring himself to tell Georgiana himself, he waited until she read it in the papers. She was stricken speechless with grief. The married couple had 15 children in total but that didn't stop Grey from having an affair with Richard Sheridan's second wife Hecca. He went on to outlive Georgiana by many years and become Prime Minister under William IV. However he may still be known and recognised within the modern day society as the man who brewed and essentially created Earl Grey Tea!!! 

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, and Georgiana Cavendish nee Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire were two of the most famous women of the 18th century. When the Duchess visited France and met the Queen, the two women discovered they had a lot in common and became life long friends. Both Marie Antoinette and Georgiana loved gambling. They would spend entire nights at the gaming table, gambling away enormous fortunes and piling up huge debts. Their husbands weren't happy about it. The economical situation in France was disastrous and so Louis XVI forbade his wife from gambling. He granted her permission to play one last time, though, and the game went on for three days! Louis was disgusted. Georgiana instead, never stopped. Both women became fashion icons and trendsetters. Women would wait to see what clothes and hairstyles these two fashionable women, who had exquisite but also extravagant tastes, would wear so that they could imitate them. It was Georgiana who first wore big ostrich feathers on her hair and pretty soon, all the ladies followed suit, to some ridiculous extents at times.As Queen of France, Marie Antoinette was required to wear elaborate court gowns, although she preferred to switch to simpler styles of clothing when possible (in any case, both got her in trouble).Her fashion choices often had a political message like the ship ornament she wore in her hair to show her support to the Americans revolutionaries.Even though overtime the couples grew closer (Marie Antoinette refused to leave her husband during the French Revolution and William was said to be completely devastated when Georgiana died), both women were trapped in a loveless marriage. In addition, they hadn't just married a man, they had a married a position and had to deal with all the expectations, restrictions and duties their status imposed upon them.