The Many Mansions of Consuelo Vanderbilt

would you trade your freedom for all the money  in the world hi everyone Ken here today we are   exploring the many mansions and the guilted cages  of Consuelo Vanderbilt hit that like button to let   YouTube know you appreciate historic homes and  let's begin exploring this house this video is   sponsored by Victorian society in America more on  them later!! Consuelo Vanderbilt was born into the   fourth generation of one of America's wealthiest  families her Father William kissm Vanderbilt   inherited the modern day equivalent of billions  of dollars from both his father and grandfather   and went on to maruo mother Alva urin Smith Alva  had married above her social status though she did   come from a wealthy Southern family of cotton  Brokers perhaps that is why she felt the need   to compete so fiercely to maintain her social  standing in 1882 when canuela was 5 years old the   family moved into their Fifth Avenue Manhattan  Mansion known as the bti chatau this Mansion   drawing inspiration from French Renaissance  Aesthetics was one of the early adopters of   the chatau style in New York City setting a trend  for future architectural Endeavors the exterior   carved by more than 40 artists was a Marvel  of late French Gothic style mingled with Bart   refinement but despite its beauty live inside the  Mansion was anything but ideal for young Consuelo   she was kept under locking Key by her mother who  sequestered her away from society she was educated   entirely at home by governesses and coached  Connecticut Ela could not stand the thought of   her daughter being anything other than perfect to  correct consuela's posture she forced her daughter   to wear steel rod at all times which ran down her  spine making it impossible for the child to bend   over or nod her head if this abuse was wasn't bad  enough Ela would whip her when she would so much a   speak out of turn as Consuelo came into her teens  she began organizing an exit strategy from her   guilded cage she met Winthrop Rutherford and felt  deeply in love with him and the two plan to elope   when Alva caught word of Cano's plans to run away  with her secret lover she locked her in her room   and refused to let her leave Alva had been busy  courting men of royal descent for her daughter   to marry and simply would not allow Consuelo the  privilege of a loving marriage she chose Charles   Spencer Churchill the ninth Duke of marbor to  marry Consuelo in exchange for the marriage   which would include a royal title for Consuelo  the Vanderbilts would pay the Duke millions of   dollars wor a stocks and a trust to pay out every  year for the rest of his life the Duke now cash   por desperately needed that money to maintain  and restore his familial home Blenheim Palace   after a brief introduction gelo begged her mother  to call off the wedding as there was no chemistry   between her and the Duke Alva faked an illness  and manipulated Consuelo into thinking that the   only way to save her would be to obey her and  follow through with the wedding which Consuelo   did now The Duchess of Marboro Consuelo moved to  England to live with her new husband in Blenheim   Palace started in 1705 the palace was added on  to many times over the years becoming one of   the largest and most renowned country houses in  the UK blenheim's architecture was the Envy of   America in one of the sites so commonly copied  by architects in the new world Not only was it   adorned with statuary and intricate relief work  the imposing Mansion was placed in a park-like   setting being surrounded by water Terraces in  formal Gardens though as Consuelo pulled through   its Gates and made her way towards the Andre  Portico for the first time we can imagine her   dread being married to a complete stranger in  a country far away from anyone she knew before   we head inside a quick word about the sponsor  of today's video Victorian society in America   are you obsessed with historic architecture  have you ever wanted to go beyond reading and   learning to actually experience historically  and architecturally significant sites with the   Victorian society in America you can travel to  American cities and tour exceptional 19th century   buildings in pursue learning and internationally  acclaimed summer study programs in Chicago Newport   in London join the Victorian society in America  this may for an educational tour in Baltimore   the ittin area is packed with exciting visits to  key architectural sites Landscapes and artistic   gems click the link in the video description to  visit victorians society.org to register today   your architectural Adventure Starts Here thank  you Victorian society in America for sponsoring   today's video now let's explore this house to  enter Blenheim Palace we will make our way towards   the Portico as we approach the front door we look  up perhaps feeling the same unease that canuela   once did stepping beyond the front door onto the  dotted marble floor we arrive in the Great Hall   this massive room is clad in Stone from floor to  ceiling and flooded by natural light above us the   ceiling contains an intricate mural set within a  gilded carou first we will travel straight ahead   to The Saloon where we can imagine many speechless  dinners as Consuelo and the Duke set at opposite   ends of the table while living here the couple  had two children whom Consuelo loved very much   much but even so she found herself wanting to  escape again if she were to leave her marriage   and file for divorce her children would not be  allowed to come with her not until they became   adults in just a few short years of living in this  Loveless marriage Consuelo and the Duke officially   separated and her kids continued to grow up in  Blenheim they were afforded all the Privileges of   their Royal bloodline with a library overflowing  with rare and sought-after books with Vanderbilt   money funding the day-to-day operations of the  palace it was once again fully restored and fully   staffed from live music bellowing from the  built-in pipe organ to an army of groundskeepers   Blenheim had new life the art collection only  continued to grow filling room after room with   paintings by the greates but perhaps nothing was  more poetic than the installation of a gold toilet   possibly mirroring consuela's attitude toward  the palace and arranged marriage her father had   gifted the couple a city mansion in London named  Sunderland house an extravagant residence where   Consuelo could escape to from time to time during  her separation she buried herself in philanthropic   work and earned a reputation among the less  fortunate as a person who truly cared and   when World War I broke out not only did she fund  hospitals but her City Mansion was used to Aid the   war effort she then Leed Ker's place a medieval  Hall house which had been started in the 1400s   here she was finally able to find herself diving  into preservation work and rebuilding over half   the house she spared no expense to ensure that  the materials in techniques used were appropriate   for the building she greatly expanded The house's  Gardens and maintained its Lawns earning her much   respect from the English aristocracy finally as  her children became adults Consuelo and the Duke   officially divorced in 1921 freeing her from the  shackles that kept her trapped in England in that   same year she married jacqu Balan an heir to a  textile fortune and a David Airman now in her   40s she was free for the first time to marry for  love and make her own decisions not be holding   to contracts arranged by her parents she and Jac  began planning their new life together in France   building both a city mansion in Paris and a house  on the Riviera Villa luul was positioned between   n and Monte Carlo in the south of France The Villa  was surrounded by Lush Gardens with sweeping views   spilling off their Horizon when cana's mother  caught wind of her daughter building a house   here she purchased the house next door and  the two began a long journey to mend their   relationship with the passing decades Alva had  changed and grown as a person becoming heavily   involved in women's rights Consuelo must have  seen how remorseful ala was for her abuse and she   forgave her a few years later in 1926 Consuelo and  the Duke's marriage was en olded by the Catholic   church with Alva testifying that I forced my  daughter to marry the Duke and I have always   had absolute power over my daughter while still on  this journey to recovery Consuelo and shc Pur shot   toon George motel in 1922 to use as the couple's  official Country House outside of Paris the two   lived in France enjoying many years together but  they needed a house in the United States to add to   their collection in 1934 the couple built cassa  Alva named in honor of consuela's renewed love   for her mother just south of Palm Beach the couple  ended up leaving Europe behind at the outbreak of   World War II for the safety of Florida relocating  to the United States in the early 1940s with them   consua brought antique French wall panels which  she had installed throughout the house when she   would run out of room she simply had the architect  create more space to accommodate her collection of   Architectural Salvage the two enjoyed life  at Palm Beach during the summer season but   like most wealthy Americans they wouldn't live  there year round as was expected from a family   of their status the two purchased a fashionable  apartment in Manhattan and purchased a rambling   country estate on Long Island known as oldfields  by this time sh's Health was getting the best of   him when he passed away in 1956 canuela couldn't  bear to be reminded of their shared memories   within their many mansions and she began selling  them they had purchased another mansion in Palm   Beach which shc had never had the chance to stay  in so with no memories attached to the property   Consuelo kept it she also ended up keeping her  Manhattan apartment but replaced Old Fields with   caramia a large house in Southampton which had  been built around the turn of the century she   spent her golden years in this house entertaining  her children and grandchildren and hosting balls   for the upper echelon of society still with a  love for everything French she fitted the house   with antique French wall panels and decorated  the rooms with the most Exquisite Furniture she   had collected over her lifetime she quietly  passed away here in 1964 leaving her estate   and the remainder of her trust mostly to  her granddaughter lady Sierra Russell in   her autobiography the glitter in the gold she  wrote it is a Melancholy fact that childhood so   short when compared with the average span of life  should exert such a strong impermanent influence   on character that no amount of self-training  afterwards can ever completely counter it as   always I'd love to hear your thoughts Down Below  in the comments section and while you're there   make sure to hit that subscribe button so you  never miss an exciting episode of this house

Channel: This House

Views: 66,313

Keywords: gilded age mansion, lost mansions, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt family, historical mansions, American heiresses, Blenheim Palace, Gilded Age, Vanderbilt mansions, New York City mansions, high society, historical homes, Gilded Age mansions, Petit Chateau, Vanderbilt wealth, Historic mansions, Forced marriage, American heiress, Sunderland House, Crowhurst Place, Villa Lou Seuil, Chateau St Georges Motel, Casa Alva, Oldfields estate, Cara Mia, American aristocracy

Id: OQkMHwyVi7Q

Length: 9min 23sec (563 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 28 2024