Synopses & Reviews
It was one of historys strangest and most remarkable love triangles. For twenty-five years, Lady Elizabeth Foster was the intimate friend of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire; for most of that time, she was also the mistress of the Duke, Georgianas husband. Was Bess, as she was known, the scheming mistress, false friend, and relentless social climber portrayed in previous accounts of her life, including the bestselling Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire? Or was she a devoted and beloved partner to both the Duke and the Duchess?
In Elizabeth & Georgiana, noted editor and writer Caroline Chapman contends that Bess was an intelligent woman of deep feeling who coped courageously with a series of personal and political crises. Drawing on hundreds of previously unpublished letters and the 128 journals in which Bess recorded her most private thoughts and observations, this moving biography reveals a complex and perceptive woman who strove to be a true friend to Georgiana, a passionate lover to the Duke, and a dependable ally to both.
Youll follow Bess from her privileged, upper-class childhood, through her disastrous arranged marriage to the abusive and tyrannical John Foster, and into the life of poverty and disgrace that followed her "private separation" from Foster. Youll witness the fateful surprise visit paid to Bess and her sister by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and the growing infatuation she felt for both the dashing William and the glamorous Georgiana.
The relationship that ensued would put even the most imaginative romance novelist to shame: Bess and Georgiana in a deep, almost feverish, friendship; the Duke and Duchess struggling to hold their marriage together; Bess secretly bearing two illegitimate children by the Duke as gossips hissed and hinted of scandal.
Set amid the whirling events of the Regency Crisis, the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic wars, Elizabeth and Georgiana whisks you from stately country manors to palatial London residences, from the glittering social life of the cream of British society to grand tours of Europe in the highest of style. This poignant and provocative true story combines the intimacy of a whispered confession with the sweep and grandeur of a Hollywood epic. Shocking, surprising, and ultimately uplifting, it will challenge your beliefs about friendship, loyalty, and the true nature of love.
Review
Despite having excellent resource: (Dormer is a descendant of the Elizabeth in the title and co-edited her many journals with Chapman), gaps in the record often leave Chapman uncertain of the specifics of her story of an unusual 18th-century menage a trois. This is especially frustrating because Lady Elizabeth "Bess" Foster is one of history's more intriguing aristocrats: separated from her husband at 24 and forced to leave their two sons with him, she took up residence with the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, developing a deep friendship with her and carrying on a lifelong affair with him that culminated in marriage years later, after the first Duchess's death. During their affair, Bess bore the Duke two children, but, as was the custom with illegitimate aristocratic offspring, they were raised by foster parents. Amanda Foreman covered much of this territory in her terrific, bestselling Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. As a companion piece, Chapman's look at Bess is occasionally enlightening -she emerges as bright, curious, a dedicated keeper of journals, and an archeologist who helped unearth ancient ruins in Rome when she was nearly 60 years old. But it's never clear whether she was a pathological flirt (with a huge number of admirers) or a misguided woman with limited social options who simply accepted the best situation presented to her: that of best friend and companion to a wealthy woman whose husband had no qualms about fooling around with his houseguest. 16 pages of b&w photos. (Jan.) (Publishers Weekly, December 23, 2002)
Synopsis
A revealing new look at the women portrayed in the bestselling "Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire"
Lady Elizabeth Foster, known as Bess, was, at the same time, the best friend of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and the mistress of the Duke of Devonshire. Based on original sources from the Dormer Archive, which contains Bess s countless letters and sparkling journals, "Elizabeth and Georgiana" sheds new light on Bess s character presenting her as a devoted and beloved friend of the Duke and Duchess, rather than the false, scheming mistress previous accounts have made her out to be. A remarkable woman in her own right, Bess was widely admired and a close friend of Madame de Stael and Edward Gibbon. Her dramatic and colorful life, which was driven by crises both personal and political, makes for fascinating reading. Drawing the reader into Bess s world, "Elizabeth and Georgiana" illuminates the Regency crises, the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic wars while offering a new perspective on Bess s position as " the other woman."
Caroline Chapman (UK) was a picture researcher for twenty years, then an editor and writer. Before writing this biography, she coedited Lady Elizabeth Foster s journals.
Jane Dormer (UK) is the great-great-granddaughter of Elizabeth s second child by the Duke of Devonshire. She is the owner of the Dormer Archives and has helped both transcribe and coedit Lady Elizabeth Foster s journals.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 265-274) and index.
Synopsis
"A tale well worth telling . . ."
Antonia Fraser, author of Marie Antoinette: The Journey
"Oh, may I see my beloved friends again, for they are dearer still to me than all else in the world!She is the kindest, dearest, best most beloved of friendsand he is and must be ever the very soul of my existence. I will cease to live in error with him, tho with shame and blushes I confess it, one moment passed in his arms, one instant pressed to his heart, effaces every sorrow, every fear, every thought but him."
From the journals of Lady Elizabeth Foster as quoted in Elizabeth & Georgiana
She was a lonely young woman of noble birth, condemned to a life of poverty and disgrace. They were one of the wealthiest and most glamorous couples in England. When they appeared on her doorstep one day and whisked her into the dazzling and glittering world at the very pinnacle of the British upper class, how could she not fall in love?
Elizabeth & Georgiana tells the poignant and provocative true story of what may be the most remarkable and enduring love triangle in history. Drawing on hundreds of previously unpublished letters and thousands of journal entries written by Lady Elizabeth Foster, this intriguing journey to the heart of passion will shock you, delight you, and challenge your beliefs about friendship, loyalty, and the true nature of love.
About the Author
CAROLINE CHAPMAN was a picture researcher for twenty years before becoming an editor and a writer. Before writing this biography, she coedited Lady Elizabeth Fosters journals. Chapman lives in England.
JANE DORMER is the great-great-granddaughter of Elizabeths second child by the Duke of Devonshire. She is the owner of the Dormer Archives and has helped both transcribe and
coedit Lady Elizabeth Fosters journals.
Table of Contents
Illustrations.
Introduction.
Acknowledgements.
Dramatis Personae.
Prologue.
1. Early Years 1758-1776.
2. A Marriage and a Meeting 1776-1782.
3. Grand Tour 1782-1784.
4. Children of the Mist 1784-1786.
5. Devonshire House 1786-1788.
6. Alarms and Excursions 1788-1790.
7. A Sacrifice to Friendship 1790-1793.
8. Change and Decay 1793-1800.
9. A Fragile Peace 1801-1805.
10. A Year of Sorrow 1806.
11. Duchess of Devonshire 1807-1811.
12. The Dark Years 1811-1815.
13. Rome 1815-1819.
14. Last Years 1819-1824.
Epilogue.
Bibliography.
Index.