Elizabeth : The scandalous life of the Duchess of Kingston

Author(s): Claire Gervat

History

Elizabeth Chudleigh was one of the eighteenth century's most colourful characters. Born into impoverished gentility, her beauty, wit and vitality soon earned her a place at the centre of court life. When she married the Duke of Kingston in 1769 she had reached the highest rung of the ladder. But Elizabeth was carrying a dark secret. In 1744 she had secretly married a naval lieutenant called Augustus Hervey, and after the Duke's death her first marriage was discovered. Bigamy fever swept London society and, in a very public trial, Elizabeth was found guilty. But her strength of character ensured that, even when her friends deserted her, her courage and zest for life did not. In an engaging history of this strong and wilful woman, Gervat shows there was far more to Elizabeth than the caricature villian her contemporaries made her out to be.

General Information

  • : 9780099429357
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  • : arrow
  • : 0.235
  • : 01 April 2004
  • : United Kingdom
  • : books

Other Specifications

  • : Claire Gervat
  • : Paperback
  • : New edition
  • : 941.073092
  • : 320
  • : 8 illustrations, (some colour )

More About The Product

The fascinating and entertaining story of the eighteenth-century beauty and bigamist, Elizabeth Chudleigh

After reading history at Oxford University, Claire Gervat worked briefly in the City then moved into journalism. As a freelance travel writer, Claire has contributed to many national newspapers and magazines, including the Independent, Guardian and the Sunday Times. She also writes 'The Trader', a humorous weekly column about the life of a fictional city girl in the Independent.