Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...

, stage actress and producer. Born on the island of

Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...

, she moved to London in 1876, two years after marrying. Her looks and personality attracted interest, commentary, and invitations from artists and society hostesses, and she was celebrated as a young woman of great beauty and charm. During the

aesthetic movement Aestheticism (also known as the aesthetic movement) was an art movement in the late 19th century that valued the appearance of literature, music, fonts and the arts over their functions. According to Aestheticism, art should be produced to b ...

in England, she was painted by aesthete artists. In 1882, she became the poster-girl for

Pears soap Pears Glycerin soap is a British brand of soap first produced and sold in 1807 by Andrew Pears, at a factory just off Oxford Street in London. It was the world's first mass-market translucent soap. Under the stewardship of advertising pioneer T ...

, and thus the first celebrity to endorse a commercial product. In 1881, Langtry became an actress and made her West End debut in the comedy ''

She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays ...

'', causing a sensation in London by becoming the first socialite to appear on stage. She starred in many plays in both the United Kingdom and the United States, including ''

The Lady of Lyons ''The Lady of Lyons; or, Love and Pride'', commonly known as ''The Lady of Lyons'', is a five-act romantic melodrama written in 1838 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton. It was first produced in London at Covent Garden Theatre on 15 Febru ...

'', and Shakespeare's ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

''. Eventually she ran her own stage production company. In later life she performed "dramatic sketches" in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

. From the mid-1890s until 1919, Langtry lived at Regal Lodge at Newmarket in Suffolk, England. There she maintained a successful horse racing stable. The Lillie Langtry Stakes horse race is named after her. One of the most glamorous British women of her era, Langtry was the subject of widespread public and media interest. Her acquaintances in London included

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

, who encouraged Langtry to pursue acting. She was known for her relationships with royal figures and noblemen, including the future King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

Lord Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

, and

Prince Louis of Battenberg Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven (24 May 185411 September 1921), formerly Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg, was a British naval officer and German prince related by marriage to the British royal family. Although ...

. However, by lack of reliable sources – Lillie Langtry refused to write her "real reminiscences" – she still remains an enigmatic personality. Even though she lived the most public of lives – as a ‘professional beauty’, as a royal mistress, as an actress, as a racehorse owner, as a squanderer of fortunes and collector of lovers – she remains elusive. Opinions about her are contradictory. To some, she was simply a calculating, cold-hearted creature who used her physical attractions to further her own career; to others she appeared charming, open, with “far more heart than she was given credit for”.

Life

Born in 1853 and known as Lillie from childhood, she was the daughter of the Very Reverend William Corbet Le Breton and his wife, Emilie Davis (née Martin), a recognised beauty. Lillie's parents had eloped to

Gretna Green Gretna Green is a parish in the southern Subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, close to the town of Gretna, Scotland, Gretna, on the Scottish side of the English-Scottish border. It is accessed from the A74( ...

in Scotland, and, in 1842, married at

St Luke's Church, Chelsea The Parish Church of St Luke, Chelsea, is an Church of England, Anglican church (building), church, on Sydney Street, Chelsea, London, Chelsea, London SW3, just off the King's Road. Ecclesiastically it is in the Deanery of Chelsea, part of the D ...

, London. Camp, Anthony. ''Royal Mistresses and Bastards: Fact and Fiction: 1714–1936'' (2007), p. 366. The couple lived in

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

, London, before William was offered the post of rector and

dean of Jersey The Dean of Jersey is the leader of the Church of England in Jersey. He is ex officio a member of the States of Jersey, although since the constitutional reforms of 1948 the Dean may not take part in parliamentary votes. The Dean acts as the chap ...

. Emilie Charlotte (Lillie) was born at the Old Rectory, St Saviour, on

. She was baptised in St Saviour on 9 November 1853. Lillie was the sixth of seven children and the only girl. Her brothers were Francis Corbet Le Breton (1843–1872), William Inglis Le Breton (1846–1924), Trevor Alexander Le Breton (1847–1870), Maurice Vavasour Le Breton (1849–1881), Clement Martin Le Breton (10 January 1851 – 1 July 1927), and Reginald Le Breton (1855–1876). Purportedly, one of their ancestors was

Richard le Breton Sir Richard le Breton or Richard de Brito (fl. 1170) was one of the four knights who in 1170 murdered Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Origins Roger Brito is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as holding land under the overlordship o ...

, allegedly one of the assassins in 1170 of

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...

. In an 1882-interview Lillie said: 'Yes, I was born and educated in Jersey, but it is not correct for you to say that I spent my bread-and-butter days there. I never had any bread-and-butter days. As the only sister of six stout brothers I shared their outdoor sports in a most boyish fashion. It would be more accurate to describe my girlhood as my " tomboy days," I think.' Lillie's French

governess A governess is a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching; depending on terms of their employment, they may or ma ...

was reputed to have been unable to manage her, so Lillie was educated by her brothers' tutor. This education was of a wider and more solid nature than that typically given to girls at that time. Although their father held the respectable position of Dean of Jersey, he earned an unsavoury reputation as a philanderer, and fathered illegitimate (or natural) children by various of his parishioners. When his wife Emilie finally left him in 1880, he left Jersey.

Life in London

On 9 March 1874, 20-year-old Lillie married 26-year-old Irish landowner Edward Langtry (1847–1897), a widower. Langtry was the widower of Jane Frances Price, whose sister, Elizabeth Ann Price, was the wife of Lillie's brother William. Lillie and Edward held their wedding reception at The Royal Yacht Hotel in

St Helier St Helier (; Jèrriais: ; ) is the Capital city, capital of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. It is the most populous of the twelve parishes of Jersey, with a population of 35,822, over one-third of the island' ...

, Jersey. Langtry owned a large sailing yacht called ''Red Gauntlet'', and Lillie insisted that he take her away from the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...

. In 1876 they rented an apartment in Eaton Place,

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dangerous pla ...

, London. In 1877, Lillie's brother Clement married Alice, an illegitimate daughter of

Viscount Ranelagh Viscount Ranelagh was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 25 August 1628 for Sir Roger Jones, son of Thomas Jones, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He was made Baron Jones of Navan, in the County of Meath, ...

, their father's friend. After meeting her in London, Ranelagh invited her to a reception attended by several notable artists at the home of Sir John and Lady Sebright on 29 April 1877. Here she attracted notice for her beauty and wit. Langtry was in

mourning Mourning is the emotional expression in response to a major life event causing grief, especially loss. It typically occurs as a result of someone's death, especially a loved one. The word is used to describe a complex of behaviors in which t ...

for her youngest brother, who had been killed in a riding accident, so in contrast to the elaborate clothes of most women in attendance, she wore a simple black dress (which was to become her trademark) and no jewellery. Before the end of the evening,

Frank Miles George Francis Miles (22 April 1852 – 15 July 1891) was a London-based British artist who specialised in pastel portraits of society ladies, also an architect and a keen plantsman. He was the artist in chief of the magazine ''Life (magazine), ...

had completed several sketches of her that became very popular on

postcards A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin Card stock, cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. In some places, one can send a ...

. Lady Sebrights' salon, where artistic and aristocratic audiences overlapped, was 'the ideal springboard' for Langtry. This company was 'always on the outlook for new diversion, new sensations and new faces'. Lillie Langtry by Millais

In an 1882-interview, Langty how " life in Jersey had been spent almost entirely in the open air, and as Mr Langtry was fond of yachting I became an expert yachtswoman and was very fond of all sorts of outdoor exercise, but I longed to see something more of the world." She would later remember Miles as one of her "most enthusastic" friends, who first saw her at a theatre then asked around about the unknown "beauty". After learning Lillie's identity, Miles "begged erto sit for a portrait." The painting made then was purchased by Prince Leopold, and Lillie became famous and popular among the nobles of London and the royal family. Another guest, Sir

John Everett Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest s ...

, also a Jersey native, eventually painted her portrait, titling it ''A Jersey Lily'' after the Jersey lily flower (''

Amaryllis ''Amaryllis'' () is the only genus in the subtribe Amaryllidinae (tribe Amaryllideae). It is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The better known of the two, '' Amaryllis belladonna'', is a native of the Western Cape region of ...

belladonna''), a symbol of the country. The portrait popularised Jersey Lily as Langtry's nickname, although Langtry was portrayed holding a Guernsey lily (''Nerine sarniensis'') in the painting, as no Jersey lilies were available. According to tradition, the two Jersey natives spoke

Jèrriais ( ; also known as the Jersey language, Jersey French and Jersey Norman French in English) is a Romance languages, Romance language and the traditional language of the Jersey people. It is a form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, an isla ...

during the sittings. The painting attracted great interest when exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

and had to be roped off to avoid damage by the crowds. A friend of Millais, Rupert Potter (father of

Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis (; 28 July 186622 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( ), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' ...

), was a keen amateur photographer and took pictures of Lillie during her visit to Millais in Scotland in 1879. She also sat for Sir

Edward Poynter Sir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronet (20 March 183626 July 1919) was an English painter, designer, and Drawing, draughtsman, who served as President of the Royal Academy. Life Poynter was the son of architect Ambrose Poynter. He was born in P ...

and is depicted in works by Sir

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August 183317 June 1898) was an English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. Burne-Jones worked with William Morris as a founding part ...

. In early 1878, the Langtrys moved to 17 Norfolk Street (now 19 Dunraven Street) off

Park Lane Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park to ...

to accommodate the growing demands of Lillie's society visitors. Lillie Langtry arrived in the late 1870s, the heyday of 'the Professional Beauties'.

Margot Asquith Emma Alice Margaret Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (' Tennant; 2 February 1864 – 28 July 1945), known as Margot Asquith, was a British socialite and author. She was married to British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith from 1894 to his ...

later explained that Langtry's youth was the time 'of the great beauties. London worshipped beauty like the

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

'. According to Asquith, Langtry became the centre of a social excitement excelling that around the other 'Beauties'. '"The Jersey Lily" – as Mrs. Langtry was called – had Greek features, a transparent skin, arresting eyes, fair hair, and a firm white throat. She held herself erect, refused to tighten her waist, and to see her walk was if you saw a beautiful hound set upon its feet. It was a day of conspicuous feminine looks and the miniature beauties of to-day would have passed with praise, but without emotion.' Langtry was beautiful in an 'unusual' way in vogue with

pre-Raphaelite The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), later known as the Pre-Raphaelites, was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, ...

ideals: 'the column of a neck, the square jaw, the well-defined lips, the straight nose, the slate-blue eyes, the pale skin (she was nicknamed Lillie, she tells us, because of her lily-white complexion), even the hair loosely knotted in the nape off the neck'. Her looks offered a good opportunity for painters: ' sketches of Lillie during her first London season', wrote Miles twenty years later, 'earned far more than I've ever made on the largest commissions for my most expensive paintings.' Winning Lillie even wider recognition were her photographic likeness, a relatively new art. The 'Professional Beauties', all members of high society, were photographed in every conceivable attitude. The craze for collecting these pictures – a craze foreshadowing the popularity of first film stars and then pop stars – was not confined to the middle classes. Also many an aristocratic drawing room boasted a leather-bound, brass-locked album featuring the faces of the "Professional Beauty's" of the season. Asquith heard from her sister, Chartie Ribblesdale, about a ball at which "several fashionable ladies had stood upon their chairs to see Mrs. Langtry come into the room. In a shining top-hat, and skin-tight habit, she rode a chestnut thoroughbred of conspicuous action very evening in

Rotten Row Rotten Row is a broad track running along the south side of Hyde Park in London. It leads from Hyde Park Corner to Serpentine Road. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Rotten Row was a fashionable place for upper-class Londoners to be seen ho ...

. Among her adorers were the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

, (King Edward) and the present Earl of Lonsdale." Ribblesdale also remembered a story about Langry and Lonsdale "paus ngat the railings in Rotten Row to talk to a man of her acquaintance. I do not know what she could have said to him, but after a brief exchange of words, Lord Lonsdale jumped off his horse, sprang over the railings, and with clenched fists hit Mrs. Langtry's admirer in the face. Upon this, a free fight ensued, and to the delight of the surprised spectators, Lord Lonsdale knocked his adversary down.'Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford, ''More Memories''(Cassell, London 1933) 31-32 The royal biographer Theo Aronson has highlighted the importance of social changes that formed the backdrop of Langry's success. In the late 1870s, high society became less exclusive following the example of the

, who preferred the company of 'very rich men', regardless of whether they had an

aristocratic Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...

lineage. By the time Langtry was introduced, ' siness acumen, beauty and, to a lesser extent, brains were becoming enough to get one accepted'. This 'opening-up' partially explains the success of Langtry. While she was not an aristocrat and would not have been welcomed during previous decades, her husband was a wealthy landowner and her father, as a clergyman, counted on the same level as

landed gentry The landed gentry, or the gentry (sometimes collectively known as the squirearchy), is a largely historical Irish and British social class of landowners who could live entirely from rental income, or at least had a country estate. It is t ...

. Her behaviour was in line with aristocratic expectations: 'her air, despite her vivacity and sensuality, was well-bred: she knew how to conduct herself in public'. In 1878, Langtry attracted a lot of attention during the Ascot races, being 'at the height of her beauty and fame'. Crowds followed her everywhere she went, and she became 'the most advertised beauty in Europe'. According to Lady Augusta Fane's recollections, Langtry was made so popular by her 'naturalness' and charm; 'she had no affections and no "make-up," either of face or mind; she was just herself, so no one could help loving her, with her gay, light-hearted nature'. However, there was another reason why Langtry attracted so much attention in 1878: the Prince of Wales was often seen in public with her.

Royal mistress

On 24 May, 1877, while his wife was staying in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

with her brother,

King George I of Greece George I (Greek language, Greek: Γεώργιος Α΄, Romanization, romanized: ''Geórgios I''; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until Assassination of George I of Greece, his assassination on 18 March ...

Albert Edward, Prince of Wales Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

took

supper Supper is used commonly as the term for the main evening meal, although its use varies considerably. Supper may be used to describe a snack or light meal in the evening, either after or instead of dinner. Etymology The term is derived from th ...

with the

Arctic explorer Arctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth. It refers to the historical period during which mankind has explored the region north of the Arctic Circle. Historical records suggest that humankind have explored ...

Sir

Allen Young Sir Allen William Young, (12 December 1827 – 20 November 1915) was an English master mariner and explorer, best remembered for his role in Arctic exploration including the search for Sir John Franklin. Re the dinner of May 24,1877 attended ...

. There, he met Edward and Lillie Langtry. The 23-year-old Lillie had been discovered only a month earlier but had already taken London society by storm. It was soon presumed that Langtry had become the

mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a female lover of a married man ** Royal mistress * Maîtresse-en-titre, official mistress of a ...

of the Prince of Wales, but no immediate scandal arose. The Princes's wife,

Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...

, accepted the situation and received her at parties in

Marlborough House Marlborough House, a Grade I listed mansion on The Mall in St James's, City of Westminster, London, is the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations and the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. It is adjacent to St James's Palace. The ...

, the couple's London residence. However, there are some doubts.

Jane Ridley The Honourable Jane Ridley FRSL (born 15 May 1953) is an English historian, biographer, author and broadcaster, and Professor of Modern History at the University of Buckingham. Ridley won the Duff Cooper Prize in 2002 for ''The Architect and h ...

has questioned the myth which Lillie Langtry created about herself, especially the role of the future Edward VII. She critiques Langtry's narrative of herself as an innocent country girl to whom success just happened. Ridley considers Langtry's entrance to London society to have been carefully planned, even if more successful than she could have hoped. In an 1882 interview, Langtry herself said that ' pedigree was good and my person in Jersey society being assured, it was not surprising that I should be well-received'. At the same time, she denied that she had ever set herself up as a beauty. 'I never thought I was one, and I don't think I am now. I am never in the least surprised when I hear people say they are very much disappointed about my beauty'. Ridley also expressed doubts on the nature of Langtry's relationship with the Prince of Wales. No letters from this time have survived, and many of the stories seem to be exaggerated or wrong. For example, Langtry is alleged to have

consummated The consummation of a marriage, or simply consummation, is the first officially credited act of sexual intercourse following marriage. In many traditions and statutes of civil or religious law, the definition usually refers to penile–vaginal p ...

her relationship with Prince Edward when his wife, Alexandra, refused to accompany him to a royal house party at Crichel in January 1878. In fact, Alexandra played a central role at this event. According to Ridley, Langtry published a false story about her presentation at court to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. Langtry alleges that despite being presented towards the end of the evening, by when the Queen had usually retired, Victoria waited to see her. At a ball later that night, she was supposedly told that the Queen had 'had a great desire to see er and had stayed on in order to satisfy herself as to angtry'sappearance. It was even added that she was annoyed because hewas so late in passing'. Ridley concludes that this

anecdote An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Anecdotes may be real ...

was made up by Langtry, as she alleged the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who were in Paris at the time, probably on purpose to avoid embarrassing them by presenting the alleged mistress of Bertie. In Ridley's view, Langtry invented stories implying that she was recognised as royal mistress. Langtry manor in Bournemouth, supposedly built for clandestine meetings between the Prince and Lillie at his orders, was in fact built for Emily Langton Langton. Ridley couldn't find evidence about the exact nature of the relationship between Lillie Langtry and the Prince of Wales. However, there is correspondence between the Prince's private secretary, Francis Knollys, and the Prince's

solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...

, George Lewis, which suggests that Edward Langtry used George Lewis as a broker, offering his silence and cash in exchange for the Prince's love letters. Lewis kept Knollys closely informed about the death of Edward Langtry in 1897. The Prince of Wales, meanwhile, maintained a lifelong friendship with Lillie. Whatever it exactly was, Lillie's liaison with the Prince lasted from late 1877 to June 1880.Camp, Anthony. ''Royal Mistresses and Bastards: Fact and Fiction: 1714–1936'' (2007), pp. 364–67.

The Shrewsbury scandal

In July 1879, Langtry began an affair with

; in January 1880, they were planning to run away together. In the autumn of 1879, Adolphus Rosenberg wrote in ''Town Talk'' of rumours that her husband would divorce her and cite, among others, the Prince of Wales as

co-respondent In English law, a co-respondent is, in general, a respondent to a petition, or other legal proceeding, along with another or others, or a person called upon to answer in some other way. 7.4.19 Divorce More particularly, since the Matrimonial Cau ...

. The Prince of Wales instructed his solicitor George Lewis to sue. Rosenberg pleaded guilty was sentenced to two years in prison. Inside Langty Manor House in 2010

In 1880, Langtry's reputation was tarnished by the Shrewsbury scandal, rumours of divorce, and a secret pregnancy. Many people refused to receive her, and with the withdrawal of royal favour,

creditors A creditor or lender is a Party (law), party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided ...

started demading their money. The Langtrys' finances were not equal to their lifestyle. In October 1880, Langtry sold many of her possessions to meet her debts, allowing him to avoid a declaration of

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

. Lillie went abroad to give birth. Afterwards, the Prince of Wales, staunch in friendship, procured an opening for her: he introduced her to the actor-manager

Squire Bancroft Sir Squire Bancroft (14 May 1841 – 19 April 1926), born Squire White Butterfield, was an English actor-manager. He changed his name to Squire Bancroft Bancroft by deed poll just before his marriage. He and his wife Effie Bancroft are consi ...

, who controlled the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

and the Prince of Wales’ theatres. The Prince of Wales encouraged her by visiting the theatre while she was on stage and did everything in his power to help her.

Daughter

Lillie Langtry had a short affair with

. However, the discovery of letters of Lillie Langtry to Arthur Clarence Jones (1854–1930), gives the impression she also had an affair or at least an intimate friendship with this childhood friend of her brothers who continued to live on Jersey. Arthur Jones was the brother of her sister-in-law; both were illegitimate children of Lord Ranelagh. Camp, Anthony. ''Royal Mistresses and Bastards: Fact and Fiction: 1714–1936'' (2007), pp. 364–67 In June 1880, Lillie became pregnant. Her husband was not the father. Edward Langtry had walked out after a libel case. The obvious candidate was Prince Louis of Battenburg. Jane Ridley compared the dates with the diary of the Prince of Wales: Prince Louis was staying at Marlborough House on June 27, the likely conception date. Anyway, Lillie led Prince Louis to believe that he was the father of her child. Lillie was lent 2000 pounds by the Prince of Wales to pay her debts. At the same time, Edward Langtry, who often visited her unannounced, was prevented from seeing her. Edward Langtry was constantly occupied with invitations to shoot or fish. Keeping him in ignorance of the pregnancy was vital: he was angry and resentful. The worry was that if Edward Langtry discovered that his wife was pregnant by another man, he might sue for divorce, dragging the Prince of Wales into the law courts. Lillie spent the summer holiday in Jersey. One Friday in October, by now four months pregnant, she visited London briefly and saw the Prince of Wales. On 17 October, the Prince of Wales held a meeting with his doctor, Oscar Clayton, and saw Louis Battenberg. The same day, Louis departed on a two-year voyage round the world on the aptly named warship . Lillie herself was spirited away to France. On 18 March 1881 she gave birth to a baby – a girl named Jeanne Marie. The discovery in 1978 of Langtry's letters to Arthur Jones and publication of quotations from them by

Laura Beatty Laura Mary Catherine Beatty (née Keen; born 1 May 1963) is a writer awarded the Authors' Club First Novel Award for her 2008 novel '' Pollard'', also shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize. She has also written two biographies, the first about Li ...

in 1999 support the idea that Jones was the father of Langtry's daughter. Possibly she told him ''he'' was the father of the child. Anyway, in a letter she pressed Jones to go a chemist to buy potions to make her miscarry. During her pregnancy she wrote him passionately written letters and assured him how much she needed him. Jones probably stayed with her in Paris after she wrote him a letter with the dates she would give birth – according to her doctor. Prince Louis' son,

Earl Mountbatten of Burma Earl Mountbatten of Burma is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1947 for Rear Admiral Louis Mountbatten, who in 1946 had been created the first Viscount Mountbatten of Burma. He was later promoted to Admiral of the Fleet. ...

, however, had always maintained that his father was the father of Jeanne Marie. Jeanne Marie was only told who her father was, by

, when she was twenty years old. A story around this discovery tells Jeanne Marie complained bitterly of her illegitimacy. She was asked sharply by her mother, 'Who would you prefer to have as a father, a penniless drunken Irishman or a Royal Prince and the most handsome of all naval officers?'

Descendants

In 1902, Jeanne Marie Langtry married the Scottish politician Sir Ian Malcolm at

St Margaret's, Westminster The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret the Virgin, Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Pal ...

. They had four children, three sons and a daughter. Jeanne Marie died in 1964. Her daughter

Mary Malcolm Helen Mary Malcolm
Retrieved 2012-11-08 (15 March 191813 October 2010) was one of the first two regular female announcers on

was one of the first two female announcers on the

BBC Television Service BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

(now BBC One) from 1948 to 1956. She died on 13 October 2010, aged 92. ''The Guardian'' published an obituary mentioning Mary Malcolm was the granddaughter of King Edward VII. It was rectified: 'This obituary of the postwar BBC television announcer Mary Malcolm said her mother, Jeanne-Marie, was the daughter of Lillie Langtry and Edward VII, the only one of his illegitimate children he acknowledged. Although Langtry was Edward VII's mistress, the father of her daughter was acknowledged to be Prince Louis of Battenberg, grandfather of Prince Philip.' ''The Times'' published an obituary mentioning Jeanne Marie Langtry had grown-up believing she was the daughter of Edward VII: 'Malcolm had an aristocratic pedigree. She was a granddaughter of Lillie Langtry, actress, beauty and mistress of the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII. Her mother, Jeanne Marie, was conceived and born out of wedlock, and adyMalcolm grew up believing that she was the daughter of a king. Only later did she learn that her father was Prince Louis of Battenberg, whose legitimate children included the future Earl Mountbatten of Burma.' It wasn't rectified. The prestigious

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

also names Louis Mountbatten as grandfather of Mary Malcolm. 'Her mother was frequently assumed to be the illegitimate offspring of Edward VII (when prince of Wales). She was not. Jeanne-Marie's father was (or at least was acknowledged to be) German-born Prince Louis of Battenberg. He anglicized his name on settling in Britain and it was his grandson Philip Mountbatten who in due course would marry into royalty and become duke of Edinburgh and consort of Queen Elizabeth II.' Arthur Jones isn't mentioned. The ''Daily Telegraph'' did mention Lillie Langtry, but not the assumed (grand)father. Jeanne Marie's second son, Victor Neill Malcolm, married English actress

Ann Todd Dorothy Ann Todd (24 January 1907 – 6 May 1993) was an English film, television and stage actress who achieved international fame when she starred in '' The Seventh Veil'' (1945). From 1949 to 1957 she was married to David Lean who directed ...

. They divorced in the late 1930s. Victor Malcolm remarried in 1942, to an American, Mary Ellery Channing.

Acting career and manager

In 1881, Langtry was in need of money. Her close friend

suggested she try the stage, and Langtry embarked upon a theatrical career. She first auditioned for an amateur production in the

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

Town Hall on 19 November 1881. It was a comedy two-hander called ''A Fair Encounter'', with Henrietta Labouchère taking the other role and coaching Langtry in her acting. Labouchère had been a professional actress before she met and married Liberal MP

Henry Labouchère Henry Du Pré Labouchère (9 November 1831 – 15 January 1912) was an English politician, writer, publisher and theatre owner in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. He is now most remembered for the Labouchère Amendment, which for the first ...

. Following favourable reviews of this first attempt at the stage, and with further coaching, Langtry made her debut before the London public, playing Kate Hardcastle in ''

'' at the West End's

in December 1881.''

New International Encyclopedia ''The New International Encyclopedia'' was an American encyclopedia first published in 1902 by Dodd, Mead & Co. It descended from the ''International Cyclopaedia'' (1884) and was updated in 1906, 1914 and 1926. History ''The New Internatio ...

'' Critical opinion was mixed, but she was a success with the public. She next performed in ''Ours'' at the same theatre. Although her affair with the Prince of Wales was over, he supported her new venture by attending several of her performances and helping attract an audience. Early in 1882, Langtry quit the production at the Haymarket and started her own company, touring the UK with various plays. She was still under the tutelage of Henrietta Labouchère. American impresario Henry Abbey arranged a tour in the United States for Langtry. She arrived in October 1882 to be met by the press and Oscar Wilde, who was in New York on a lecture tour. Her first appearance was eagerly anticipated, but the theatre burnt down the night before the opening. The show moved to another venue and opened the following week. Eventually, her production company started a coast-to-coast tour of the US, ending in May 1883 with a "fat profit." Before leaving New York, she had an acrimonious break with Henrietta Labouchère over Langtry's relationship with Frederick Gebhard, a wealthy young American. Her first tour of the US (accompanied by Gebhard) was an enormous success, which she repeated in subsequent years. While the critics generally condemned her interpretations of roles such as Pauline in ''

'' or Rosalind in ''

'', the public loved her. After her return from New York in 1883, Langtry registered at the

Conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...

in Paris for six weeks' intensive training to improve her acting technique. In 1889, she took on the part of

Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...

in Shakespeare's ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

.'' In 1896 she played the role of Mrs Barry in ''Gossip'', at the Comedy Theatre, London, the play written by Clyde Fitch and Leo Dietrichstein was based on ''suggestions found in a Novel'' by Jules Claretie, 'Monsieur le ministre'. The New York Times thought that ''Mrs Langtry's jewels were worth $100,000; her attire was so wonderful, so dazzling, so recklessly inappropriate -as it seemed- that a murmur of surprise ran through the auditorium''. In 1903, she starred in the US in ''The Crossways'', written by her in collaboration with J. Hartley Manners, husband of actress

Laurette Taylor Laurette Taylor (born Loretta Helen Cooney; April 1, 1883Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Manhattan, New York, New York; Roll: 1119; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 859; FHL microfilm: 1241119. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1900 Un ...

. She returned to the US for tours in 1906 and again in 1912, appearing in

. She last appeared on stage in America in 1917. Later that year, she made her final appearance in the theatre in London. From 1900 to 1903, with financial support from

Edgar Israel Cohen Edgar Israel Cohen (1853–1933) was a British sponge and cigar merchant working in London, England, who later became involved with retail, entertainment, and popularised the motorised London taxicab in 1906. He became associated with the flotatio ...

, Langtry became the lessee and manager of London's

Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and ...

. It opened on 21 April 1901, following an extensive refurbishment. On the site of the theatre is now the

Westminster Central Hall The Methodist Central Hall (also known as Central Hall Westminster) is a multi-purpose venue in the City of Westminster, London, serving primarily as a Methodist church and a conference centre. The building also houses an art gallery, a restaur ...

. In a film released in 1913 directed by

Edwin S. Porter Edwin Stanton Porter (April 21, 1870 – April 30, 1941) was an American film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the Edison Manufacturing Company and the Famous Players Film Company. Of over ...

, Langtry starred opposite Sidney Mason in the role of Mrs Norton in '' His Neighbor's Wife'' in what would be her only film appearance.

Thoroughbred racing

For nearly a decade, from 1882 to 1891, Langtry had a relationship with an American, Frederick Gebhard, described as a young clubman, sportsman, horse owner, and admirer of feminine beauty, both on and off the stage. Gebhard's wealth was inherited; his maternal grandfather Thomas E. Davis was one of the wealthiest New York real estate owners of the period. His paternal grandfather, Dutchman Frederick Gebhard, came to New York in 1800 and developed a mercantile business that expanded into banking and railroad stocks. Gebhard's father died when he was 5 years old and his mother died when he was about 10. He and his sister, Isabelle, were raised by a guardian, paternal uncle William H Gebhard. With Gebhard, Langtry became involved in

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

. In 1885, she and Gebhard brought a stable of American horses to race in England. On 13 August 1888, Langtry and Gebhard travelled in her private carriage attached to an

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...

express train bound for Chicago. Another railcar was transporting 17 of their horses when it derailed at Shohola, Pennsylvania, at 1:40 am. Rolling down an embankment, it burst into flames. One person died in the fire, along with Gebhard's champion runner Eole and 14 racehorses belonging to him and Langtry. Two horses survived the wreck, including St Saviour, full brother to Eole. He was named for St Saviour's Church in Jersey, where Langtry's father had been rector and where she chose to be buried. Despite speculation, Langtry and Gebhard never married. In 1895, he married Lulu Morris of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

; they divorced in 1901. In 1905 he married Marie Wilson; he died in 1910. Langtry buys Regal Lodge 2

Regal Lodge sale 1919 Bury Free Press 31MAY1919

In 1889, Langtry met "an eccentric young bachelor, with vast estates in Scotland, a large breeding stud, a racing stable, and more money than he knew what to do with": this was George Alexander Baird or Squire Abington, as he came to be known. He inherited wealth from his grandfather, who with seven of his sons, had developed and prospered from coal and iron workings. Baird's father had died when he was a young boy, leaving him a fortune in trust. In addition, he inherited the estates of two wealthy uncles who had died childless. Langtry and Baird met at a racecourse when he gave her a betting tip and the stake money to place on the horse. The horse won and, at a later luncheon party, Baird also offered her the gift of a horse named Milford. She at first demurred, but others at the table advised her to accept, as this horse was a very fine prospect. The horse won several races under Langtry's colours; he was registered to "Mr Jersey" (women were excluded from registering horses at this time). Langtry became involved in a relationship with Baird, from 1891 until his death in March 1893. When Baird died, Langtry purchased two of his horses, Lady Rosebery and Studley Royal, at the estate dispersal sale. She moved her training to Sam Pickering's stables at Kentford House and took Regal Lodge as a residence in the village of

Kentford Kentford is a village and civil parish located in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Situated on the banks of the River Kennet, the village is positioned on the B1506 road connecting Newmarket to Bury St. Edmunds. The vil ...

, near

Newmarket, Suffolk Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk (district), West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, 14 miles west of Bury St Edmunds and 14 miles northeast of Cambridge. In 2021, it had a population of 16,772. It is a global ...

. The building is a short distance from Baird's original racehorse breeding establishment, which has since been renamed Meddler Stud. Langtry found mentors in Captain

James Octavius Machell Captain James Octavius Machell (1837–1902) was an influential figure in British horse racing during the final decades of the 19th century. He was a respected judge of horses and an astute and highly successful gambler. During a career that ...

and Joe Thompson, who provided guidance on all matters related to the turf. When her trainer Pickering failed to deliver results, she moved her expanded string of 20 horses to Fred Webb at

Exning Exning is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It lies just off the A14 trunk road, roughly east-northeast of Cambridge, and south-southeast of Ely. The nearest large town is Newmarket. T ...

. In 1899, James Machell sold his Newmarket stables to Colonel Harry Leslie Blundell McCalmont, a wealthy racehorse owner, who was Langtry's brother-in-law, having married Hugo de Bathe's sister Winifred in 1897. He was also related to Langtry's first husband, Edward, whose ship-owning grandfather George had married into the

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

Callwell family, being related in marriage to the McCalmonts. Told of a good horse for sale in Australia called

Merman A merman (: mermen; also merlad or merboy in youth), the male counterpart of the mythical female mermaid, is a legendary creature which is human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, but may assume normal human shape. Sometimes mer ...

, she purchased it and had it shipped to England; such shipments were risky and she had a previous bad experience with a horse arriving injured (Maluma). Merman was regarded as one of the best stayers; he eventually went on to win the Lewes Handicap, the

Cesarewitch Cesarewitch may refer to: *Cesarewitch Handicap The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over ...

Jockey Club Cup A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

, Goodwood Stakes,

Goodwood Cup The Goodwood Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles (3 ...

, and

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4 ...

(with Tod Sloan up). Langtry later had a second Cesarewitch winner with Yentoi, and a third place with Raytoi. An imported horse from New Zealand called Uniform won the Lewes Handicap for her. Other trainers used by Langtry were Jack Robinson, who trained at Foxhill in Wiltshire, and a very young

Fred Darling Frederick Darling (1884–1953) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who trained a record-equalling seven English Derby winners. Darling's father, Sam Darling senior, was a trainer at Beckhampton, near Avebury in Wiltshire, who traine ...

, whose first big success was Yentoi's 1908 Cesarewitch. Langtry owned a stud at Gazely, Newmarket. This venture was not a success. After a few years, she gave up attempts to breed blood-stock. Langtry sold Regal Lodge and all her horse-racing interests in 1919 before she moved to

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

. Regal Lodge had been her home for twenty-three years and received many celebrated guests, notably the Prince of Wales. In honour of her contributions to thoroughbred racing, since 2014 the Glorious Goodwood meeting has held the

Group 2 The term Group 2 may refer to: * Alkaline earth metal The alkaline earth metals are six chemical elements in group (periodic table), group 2 of the periodic table. They are beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (B ...

Lillie Langtry Stakes.

William Ewart Gladstone – Prime Minister

During her stage career, Lillie Langtry became friendly with

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

(1809–1898), who was the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

on four occasions during the reign of Queen Victoria. In her memoirs, Langtry says that she first met Gladstone when she was posing for her portrait at Millais' studio. Later he became a mentor to her. However, this was probably also a make-belief by Lillie Langtry herself. The biographers of William Ewart Gladstone think otherwise.They are also quite cynical about Lillie's motives. Lillie Langtry in ''The Days I Knew'': 'One of the most gratifying features of my debut was the concern in my new departure displayed by that gifted being, W.E.Gladstone. Although we had met casually at Millais's studio I had not known him further. But now he came often to see me and would drop in (he was Prime Minister at the time) to find me eating my dinner before going to the theatre. How wonderful it seemed that this great and universally sought-after man should give me and my work even a passing thought. But he did more. His comprehensive mind and sweet nature grasped the difficult task that lay before me, the widely different orbit in which my life would henceforth move, and he knew how adrift I felt. And out of his vast knowledge of the public he realised how much he could help me – so the salmon advised the minnow. Never shall I forget the wisdom of Gladstone and the uplifting effects of his visits. Sometimes he read aloud his favourite passages from Shakespeare. Then, again, he would bring me books. He was truly religious, believing, he told me "with the simple faith of a child". And one could not be in his company without feeling that goodness emanating from him.... Among his many excellent admonitions I remember, and shall always remember, this sound piece of advice. He said. In "In your professional career, you will receive attacks, personal and critical, just and unjust. Bear them, never reply, and, above all, never rush into print to explain or defend yourself. And I never have.' However, it was not Gladstone who sought Lillie out; the approach came from Lillie. Abraham Hayward, an influential journalist, wrote Gladstone a letter, dated 8 January 1882: 'Mrs Langtry, who is an enthusiastic admirer of yours, told me this afternoon that she should be feel highly flattered if you would call on her, and I tell you this, although I fear you have other more pressing overtures just at present. Her address is 18 Albert Mansions, Victoria Street, and she is generally at home about six.' The published diaries of Gladstone show there were indeed contacts between Lillie Langtry and one of the most important British statesmen. However, the editor of Gladstone diaries doubts the friendship was, from Gladstone's point of view, important. Gladstone was a regular theatre-goer and moved enthusiastically among some theatre-sets. He frequently visited performances of drawing-room comedies and drama. Rumours were not surprising given Lillie's reputation and the gossip about Gladstone's nocturnal activities which circulated in London clubs. Gladstone was in the habit of wanting to "rescue" prostitutes by trying to convince them it was best not to live in sin and to find a decent job. Gladstone noted on 3 April 1882 in his diary: 'I hardly know what estimate to form of her. Her manners are very pleasing, & she has a working spirit in her'. On 16 February 1885 he wrote: 'Saw Mrs Langtry: probably for the last time.' Gladstone's private secretary was worried about the contacts between Lillie Langtry and Gladstone: he was afraid she tried to make social capital out of their contacts. 'Last week Mr. G. received an invitation to a Sunday "at home" from Mrs Langtry. He did not avail himself of it, but he went and called at her house. He did not even see her, but all kinds of rumours are already abroad about his intimacy with the "professional beauty". These rumours would have had much greater currency and better foundation, had he gone to the evening party, out of which I think we managed to frighten him and the card for which I first thought of hiding and saying nothing about. Certainly Rosebery spoke not a day too early about the night walks, which are now openly talked of in Society.' Things even became worse. Gladstone presented Lillie Langry a copy of his favourite book, ''Sister Dora'' – a biography of a high-born woman who worked as a nurse among the poor. Hamilton:'She is evidently trying to make social capital out the acquaintance which scraped with him. Most disagreeable things with all kinds of exaggeration are being said. I took the occasion of putting a word and cautioning him against the wiles of the woman, whose reputation is in such bad odour that, despite all the endeavours of H.R.H., nobody will receive in their houses.' It seems Lillie Langtry had become by April 1882 a social outcast, with two important men who tried to help her: the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister. Hamilton tried to protect his boss, but had a shrewd woman against him. 'She had evidently been told to resort to the double-envelope system which secures respect from our rude hand; and she is now making pretty constant use of this privilege and boasting in proportion.' Hamilton could do nothing: the letters became more frequently, but he couldn't read them. However, the much later published diaries of Gladstone himself show Hamilton had little to fear: there were little personal contacts with Lillie Langtry. Gladstone wrote her exactly one letter in the short period after Lillie tried to (re)make contact with him while Gladstone didn't know well how to deal with the situation. In 1925, Captain Peter Emmanuel Wright published a book called ''Portraits and Criticisms''. In it, he claimed that Gladstone had numerous extramarital affairs, including one with Langtry. Gladstone's son Herbert Gladstone wrote a letter calling Wright a liar, a coward and a fool; Wright sued him. During the trial, a telegram, sent by Langtry from Monte Carlo, was read out in court saying, "I strongly repudiate the slanderous accusations of Peter Wright." The jury found against Wright, saying that the "gist of the defendant's letter of 27 July was true" and that the evidence vindicated the high moral standards of the late Gladstone.

American citizenship and divorce

In 1888, Langtry became a property owner in the United States when she and Frederick Gebhard purchased adjoining ranches in

Lake County, California Lake County is a County (United States), county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 68,163. The county seat is Lakeport, California, Lakepor ...

. She established a

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

with an area of in Guenoc Valley, producing red wine. She sold it in 1906. Bearing the Langtry Farms name, the winery and vineyard are still in operation in

Middletown, California Middletown is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lake County, California, United States. Its population was 725 at the 2020 census down from 1,323 at the 2010 census, which was up slightly from 1,020 at the 2000 census. Middletown was given it ...

. During her travels in the United States, Langtry became an

American citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Consti ...

and on 13 May 1897, divorced her husband Edward in

Lakeport, California Lakeport is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, California. The city is northwest of Sacramento. Lakeport is on the western shore of Clear Lake, at an elevation of . The population was 5,026 at the 2020 census, up from 4,753 at th ...

. Her ownership of land in America was introduced in evidence at her divorce to help demonstrate to the judge that she was a citizen of the country. In June of that year Edward Langtry issued a statement giving his side of the story, which was published in the ''New York Journal.'' Edward died a few months later in Chester Asylum, after being found by police in a demented condition at

Crewe railway station Crewe railway station serves the railway town of Crewe, in Cheshire, England. It opened in 1837 and is one of the most historically significant railway stations in the world.Overleigh Cemetery; a verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest. A letter of condolence later written by Langtry to another widow reads in part, "I too have lost a husband, but alas! it was no great loss." Langtry continued to have involvement with her husband's Irish properties after his death. These were compulsorily purchased from her in 1928 under the Northern Ireland Land Act, 1925. This was passed after the

Partition of Ireland The Partition of Ireland () was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (UK) divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (the area today known as the R ...

, with the purpose of transferring certain lands from owners to tenants.

Hugo Gerald de Bathe

After the divorce from her husband, Langtry was linked in the popular press to , an Austro-Hungarian diplomat. They shared time together and both had an interest in horse-racing. However, in 1899, she married 28-year-old Hugo Gerald de Bathe (1871–1940), son of Sir Henry de Bathe, 4th Baronet, and Charlotte Clare. Hugo's parents had initially not married, because of objections from the de Bathe family. They lived together and seven of their children were born out of wedlock. They married after the death of Sir Henry's father in 1870. Hugo was their first son to be born in wedlock – making him heir to the baronetcy. Hollandsfield

The wedding between Langtry and de Bathe took place in St Saviour's Church, Jersey, on 27 July 1899, with her daughter Jeanne Marie Langtry being the only other person present, apart from the officials. This was the same day that Langtry's horse Merman won the

Goodwood Cup The Goodwood Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles (3 ...

. In December 1899, de Bathe volunteered to join the British forces in the

Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

. He was assigned to the Robert's Horse Mounted brigade as a lieutenant. In 1907, Hugo's father died; he became the 5th Baronet, and Langtry became Lady de Bathe. Langtry deBathe c1915

When Hugo de Bathe became the 5th Baronet, he inherited properties in Sussex, Devon and Ireland; those in Sussex were in the hamlet of West Stoke near Chichester. These were Woodend, with 17 bedrooms and set in 71 acres; Hollandsfield, with 10 bedrooms and set in 52 acres; and Balsom's Farm of 206 acres. Woodend was retained as the de Bathe residence whilst the smaller Hollandsfield was let. Today the buildings retain their period appearance. Modifications and additions have been made, and the complex is now multi-occupancy. One of the houses on the site is named Langtry and another Hardy. The de Bathe properties were all sold in 1919, the same year Lady de Bathe sold Regal Lodge.

Final days

During her final years, Langtry, as Lady de Bathe, resided in

whilst her husband, Sir Hugo de Bathe, lived in

Vence Vence (; ) is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France, north of Nice and Antibes on the Mediterranean coast. Ecclesiastical history The first known Bishop ...

, Alpes Maritimes. The two saw one another at social gatherings or in brief private encounters. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Hugo de Bathe was an ambulance driver for the French Red Cross. Lillie Langtry Grave

Langtry's closest companion during her time in Monaco was her friend Mathilde Marie Peat. Peat was at Langtry's side during the final days of her life as she was dying of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

in Monte Carlo. Langtry left Peat £10,000, the Monaco property known as Villa le Lys, clothes, and her motor car. Langtry died in Monaco at dawn on 12 February 1929. She had asked to be buried in her parents' tomb at St Saviour's Church in Jersey. Blizzards delayed the journey, but her body was taken to St Malo and across to Jersey on 22 February aboard the steamer ''Saint Brieuc''. Her coffin lay in St Saviour's overnight surrounded by flowers, and she was buried on the afternoon of 23 February. The death of the famous Lillie Langtry made headlines in British newspapers. The ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...

'' remembered Lillie Langtry as one of the most famous beauties of the closed century. 'In more modern times it was her acting that brought her renown, but in her youth she took London by storm on account of her dazzling loveliness, and it was indeed her good looks and her wit that enabled her to go on the stage when her first husband lost his fortune.' In the following weeks the popular newspaper reported about her estate, her funeral and a memorial service. The ''Daily Telegraph'' published both a news article and an obituary full of memories of a contemporary of Lillie Langtry who had known her in society years and had followed her acting career. 'Never a real actress' was the verdict, but Lillie Langtry had made the wise and honourable decision to use her celebrity to find a career and her living in her own way and by her own resources instead of becoming dependent on offers of aristocratic male friends after her separation from her husband. ‘She was one of the first and probably the most popular of the ladies who were universally known at that time as "Society beauties” … Eventually she resolved to go on the stage, and she did an immense amount of work in America as well as in England during a period of about 35 years. She overcame many obstacles, and, although she was never a great actress, her beauty and her charm of manner brought her a large measure of success.’ ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' published on three different pages a news alert from the correspondent in Paris, a photograph and an obituary. In the obituary the newspaper looked back at the start and the development of Langtry's career. On her first appearance on 15 December 1881 – as Kate Hardcastle, in She Stoops to Conquer – all sections of society had fought for highly priced seats in the theatre. ‘The audience, which included the Prince and Princess of Wales, and representatives of eminence in fashion, art, and literature, received Mrs. Langtry very quietly, but the debutante soon overcame the feeling of prejudice…. Mrs. Langtry became so popular in America that she paid many visits to that country, her last being in 1915. Her personality counted for much, and she gradually acquired the technique of the stage. But she never succeeded in touching the emotions, the common chord of humanity….’ The ''Manchester Guardian'' remembered Lillie Langtry mainly as a "reigning beauty". 'The London of the eighties and nineties, when the "Jersey Lily," whose death is announced, had her heyday, seems even more remote than the passage of years warrants. To a generation whose manifold interests in life have enormously increased in comparison with their fathers' it seems incredible that barely a generation ago crowds should have assembled in thousands to stare at or cheer a "reigning beauty." Yet Mrs. Langtry, though the most famous of her kind, was no exception as a social institution....A world with the "movies" and the wireless to amuse it, a world, moreover, in which the sexes meet on more practical terms than in the past, has more to do than mob a handsome woman for the sake of her looks. But it can at least admire the "Jersey Lily" for one fact in her curious career – that when hard times came she turned to hard work for the theatre. That work was seldom artistically notable but it revealed a force of character on which those who reckoned her by looks alone had hardly counted.' The famous Victorian beauty did have qualities and made some inventions.'Mrs. Langtry was not perhaps a great actress, but her beauty carried everything before it. She was a woman who knew how to make the most of her graces. As she said long afterwards, "I was the first woman in England to have my hands manicured." She knew all the niceties of artistic dressing. It was one of her plaints that "to-day women are becoming so standardised in figure and dress that they all seem to look like each other." Her own grace and graciousness and her ability to please her fellow-creatures she retained to the end. She danced with the vitality of a young woman when she was seventy she wrote a book of reminiscences a year later, and even after a severe illness the beauty of her complexion and of her eyes still remained.' In the United States the death of Lillie Langtry was front page news for the ''New York Times''. 'Actress, Once called World's Greatest Beauty succumbs to Heart Disease and Influenza.' The article, with the streamer 'was idolized by society', was continued with a large obituary at page 12. The ''Washington Post'' reported the news on page 13, but still in a prominent way: a friend of King of Edward VII and one of the most popular women of stage had died. On 17 February 1929 the ''Washington Post'' continued: especially in New York the former actress was adored, but this didn't spoil the famous English beauty. The ''Los Angeles Times'' paid tribute to the former actress and her 'notable career' on page 1.

Bequests

Immediately after her death, the ''

'', published exclusive news: ‘The Daily Mail understands that Lady de Bathe , (Mrs. Langtry, " the Jersey Lily "), who died at Monte Carlo on February 12, has made a number of personal bequests in her trill. The famous actress has (left £10,000, her jewellery, and her villa, Le Lys, Monte Carlo, to Mrs. Peat, who was with her during her last illness and for 16 years her constant friend and companion. To her daughter, Lady (Ian) Malcolm, Lady de Bathe left the family old silver from Jersey. To the two daughters of Lady (Ian) Malcolm she left £5,000 each. Lady de Bathe left her motorcar to her maid Mathilde, who was with her for 15 years. The daughter of the Very Rev. W. C. E. le Breton, Dean of Jersey, Lady de Bathe offered to the museum at St. Helier, Jersey, antique furniture, with the proviso that should the museum authorities not want the furniture it is to revert to the maid Mathilde. Mrs. Peat, a pale, middle-aged woman wearing a black fur coat over a black gown, left Paddington for Jersey last night. She was accompanied by Lady Malcolm and the solicitor to the estate.’ In 1928 the ''Daily Mail'' reported an Italian man was arrested charged with the theft of nearly £1,000 worth of jewellery from Lady de Bathe at her villa, Le Lys. Only one of the missing jewels, a ring, had been recovered. In her will, Langtry left £2,000 to a young man of whom she had become fond in later life, named Charles Louis D'Albani; the son of a Newmarket solicitor, he was born in about 1891. She also left £1,000 to A. T. Bulkeley Gavin of 5 Berkeley Square, London, a physician and surgeon who treated wealthy patients. In 1911 he had been engaged to author Katherine Cecil Thurston, who died before they could marry; she had already changed her will in favour of Bulkeley Gavin.

Cultural influence and portrayals

One of the most glamorous British women of her era, Langtry used her high public profile to endorse commercial products such as cosmetics and soap—an early example of

celebrity endorsement Celebrity branding or celebrity endorsement is a form of advertising campaign or marketing strategy which uses a celebrity's fame or social status to promote a product, brand or service, or to raise awareness about an issue. Marketers use celeb ...

. She used her famous ivory complexion to generate income, being the first woman to endorse a commercial product when she began advertising

in 1882. The

in England became directly involved in advertising, and Pears (under advertising pioneer

Thomas J. Barratt Thomas James Barratt (1841–1914) was an English businessman who was the chairman of the soap manufacturer A. & F. Pears. A pioneer of brand marketing, he has been called "the father of modern advertising".Matt Haig, ''Brand failures: the truth ...

) recruited Langtry—who had been painted by aesthete artists—to promote their products, which included putting her "signature" on the advertisements. In the 1944 Universal film '' The Scarlet Claw'', Lillian Gentry, the first murder victim, wife of Lord William Penrose and former actress, is an oblique reference to Langtry. Langtry has been portrayed in two films.

Lilian Bond Lilian Bond (January 18, 1908 – January 25, 1991) was an English-American actress based in the United States. Life and career Bond was born in London and made her first professional stage appearance at the age of 14 in the pantomime '' Dick W ...

played her in '' The Westerner'' (1940), and

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' att ...

in ''

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean ''The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean'' is a 1972 American Western comedy film written by John Milius, directed by John Huston, and starring Paul Newman. It is loosely based on the life of American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in ...

'' (1972). Bean was played by

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

in the former, and by

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

in the latter film. In 1978, Langtry's story was dramatised by

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...

and produced as '' Lillie'', starring

Francesca Annis Francesca Annis (born 14 May 1945) is an English actress. She is known for television roles in '' Reckless'' (1998), '' Wives and Daughters'' (1999), ''Deceit'' (2000), and '' Cranford'' (2007). A six-time BAFTA TV Award nominee, she won the 1979 ...

in the title role (Annis received the

British Academy Television Award for Best Actress This is a list of the British Academy Television Awards for Best Actress. The British Academy Television Awards began in 1955. The Best Actress award was initially given as an "individual honour", without credit to a particular performance, until ...

). Annis previously played Langtry in two episodes of ATV's ''

Edward the Seventh ''Edward the Seventh'' is a 1975 British historical drama series, made by ATV in 13 episodes. Based on the biography of King Edward VII by Philip Magnus, it stars Annette Crosbie as Queen Victoria, Timothy West as the elder Edward VII, wit ...

''.

Jenny Seagrove Jennifer Ann Seagrove (born 4 July 1957) is an English actress. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and first came to attention playing the lead in a television dramatisation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's '' A Woman of Substance'' ...

played her in the 1991 television film '' Incident at Victoria Falls''. Langtry is a featured character in the fictional ''

The Flashman Papers ''The Flashman Papers'' is a series of novels and short stories written by George MacDonald Fraser, the first of which was published in 1969. The books centre on the exploits of the fictional protagonist Harry Flashman. He is a cowardly Britis ...

'' novels of

George MacDonald Fraser George MacDonald Fraser (2 April 1925 – 2 January 2008) was a Scottish author and screenwriter. He is best known for a series of works that featured the character Harry Paget Flashman, Flashman. Over the course of his career he wrote eleven n ...

, in which she is noted as a former lover of arch-cad

Harry Flashman Sir Harry Paget Flashman is a fictional character created by Thomas Hughes (1822–1896) in the semi-autobiographical '' Tom Brown's School Days'' (1857) and later developed by George MacDonald Fraser (1925–2008). Harry Flashman appears in a ...

, who, nonetheless, describes her as one of his few true loves. Langtry is suggested as an inspiration for

Irene Adler Irene Adler is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A former opera singer and actress, she was featured in the short story " A Scandal in Bohemia", published in July 1891. Adler is one of the ...

, a character in the

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

fiction of

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

. In "

A Scandal in Bohemia "A Scandal in Bohemia" is the first short story, and the third overall work, featuring Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. It is the first of the 56 Holmes short stories written by Doyle and the first of 38 Sherlock Holmes ...

", Adler bests Holmes, perhaps the only woman to do so. Langtry is used as a touchstone for old-fashioned manners in Preston Sturges's comedy ''

The Lady Eve ''The Lady Eve'' is a 1941 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career, she was known for her strong, realistic screen p ...

) begins to describe, comment, and anticipate the events that we see reflected in her hand mirror: "The dropped kerchief! That hasn't been used since Lillie Langtry ... you'll have to pick it up yourself, madam ... it's a shame, but he doesn't care for the flesh, he'll never see it."Pirolini, Alessandro. ''The Cinema of Preston Sturges: A Critical Study'', McFarland & Co., 2010; Lillie Langtry is the inspiration for

The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

's 1967 hit single "

Pictures of Lily "Pictures of Lily" is a single by the British rock band the Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. In 1971, "Pictures of Lily" was included in the Who album ''Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy'', a compilation of previously ...

", as mentioned in

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, keyboardist, second lead vocalist, principal songwriter and leader of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s an ...

's 2012 memoir '' Who I Am''.

Dixie Carter Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''Family Law (American TV series), Family La ...

portrays Langtry as a "songbird" and Brady Hawkes' love interest in

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers) (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particul ...

' 1994 '' Gambler V: Playing for Keeps'', the last of the Gambler series for CBS that started in 1980. Langtry is depicted as a singer, not an actress, and Dixie Carter's costuming appears closer to Mae West than anything Langtry ever wore. In ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'' 1994 episode "

Burns' Heir "Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death ...

", the auditions are held in the Lillie Langtry Theater on Burns' estate. Langtry is a featured character in the play ''Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily'' by Katie Forgette. In this work, she is blackmailed over her past relationship with the Prince of Wales, with intimate letters as proof. She and Oscar Wilde employ

and Dr. Watson to investigate the matter.

Places connected with Lillie Langtry

Residences and historical namesakes

When first married (1874), Edward and Lillie Langtry had a property called Cliffe Lodge in

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

, Hampshire. In 1876 they rented an apartment in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London. From early 1878 they lived at 17 Norfolk Street (now 19 Dunraven Street) in Mayfair, London. Langtry lived at 21

Pont Street Pont Street is a fashionable street in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, central London, London, traversing the areas of Knightsbridge and Belgravia. The street is not far from the Knightsbridge department store Harrods to its north ...

, London, from 1890 to 1897, and had with her eight servants at the 1891 census. Although from 1895 the building was operated as the Cadogan Hotel, she would stay in her former bedroom there. A

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

(which erroneously states that she was born in 1852) on the hotel commemorates this, and the hotel's restaurant is named 'Langtry's' in her honour. A short walk from Pont Street was a house at number 2 Cadogan Place where she lived in 1899. From 1886 to 1894, she owned a house in Manhattan at 362 West 23rd Street, a gift from Frederick Gebhard. Langtry's London address from 1916 until at least 1920 was Cornwall Lodge, Allsop Place,

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden (and historical ...

. She gave this address when sailing on the liner ''St Paul'' across the Atlantic in August 1916, and the 1920 London electoral register has de Bathe, Emilie Charlotte (Lady), listed at the same address. A letter sold at auction in 2014 from Langtry to Dr. Harvey dated 1918 is also headed with this address. Langtry was a cousin of local politician Philip Le Breton, pioneer for the preservation of Hampstead Heath, whose wife was Anna Letitia Aikin. There are two bars in New York City devoted to the memory of Lillie Langtry, operating under the title Lillie's Victorian Establishment.

Judge Roy Bean Phantly Roy Bean Jr. (c. 1825 – March 16, 1903) was an American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Only Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, he held court in his saloon along ...

named the saloon, in Pecos, Texas, The Jersey Lily, which also served as the judge's courthouse, for her, in

Langtry, Texas Langtry is an unincorporated community in Val Verde County, Texas, United States. The community is notable as the place where Judge Roy Bean, the "Law West of the Pecos", had his saloon and practiced law. History Langtry was originally establi ...

(named after the unrelated engineer George Langtry).

Spurious associations

Bournemouth

In 1938 the new owners of the Red House at 26 Derby Road,

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

, which had been built in 1877 by the widowed women's rights campaigner and temperance activist Emily Langton Langton, converted the large house into a hotel, the Manor Heath Hotel, and advertised it as having been built for Lillie Langtry by the Prince of Wales, believing that the inscription 'E.L.L. 1877' in one of the rooms related to Lillie Langtry. A plaque was later placed on the hotel by Bournemouth Council repeating the assertion, and in the late 1970s the hotel was renamed Langtry Manor. However, despite the hotel's claims and local legend, no actual association between Langtry and the house ever existed and the Prince never visited it.

South Hampstead

On 2 April 1965 the ''

Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...

'' reported an interview with Electra Yaras (born c. 1922), leaseholder and resident of Leighton House, 103 Alexandra Road,

South Hampstead South Hampstead is an affluent part of the London Borough of Camden in inner north London. It is commonly defined as the area between West End Lane in the west, the Chiltern Main Line (south), Broadhurst Gardens north and north-west followed ...

, who claimed in the interview that Langtry had lived in the house and regularly entertained the Prince of Wales there. Yaras claimed that she herself had been visited in the house several times by Langtry's ghost. On 11 April 1971 ''The Hampstead News'' said that the house had been built for Langtry by

Lord Leighton Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British Victorian painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical, and classi ...

. These claims by Yaras and later by ''The Hampstead News'' were made in order to suggest an historical importance for the house and support its preservation from the demolition which had been originally ordered in 1965 and revived in 1971. The claims were supported in 1971 by actress

Adrienne Corri Adrienne Corri (born Adrienne Riccoboni; 13 November 1931 – 13 March 2016) was a Scottish actress. Early life She was born Adrienne Riccoboni in Glasgow in November 1931, the daughter of an English mother (Olive Smethurst) and an Italian fa ...

, who lived nearby and signed a petition, and were publicised in ''

'' on 8 October 1971 and ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' on 9 October 1971. They were given further publicity by Anita Leslie in 1973 in a book on the Marlborough House set. The house was nevertheless demolished in 1971 to make way for the

Alexandra Road Estate The Alexandra Road estate (officially the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate, but often referred to as Rowley Way, the name of its main thoroughfare) is a housing estate in the London Borough of Camden, North London, England. It was designed in a ...

. In 2021, published research revealed that the house had been built in the 1860s by Samuel Litchfield and was likely named after his wife's birthplace of

Leighton Buzzard Leighton Buzzard ( ) is a market town in Bedfordshire, England, in the southwest of the county and close to the Buckinghamshire border. It lies between Aylesbury, Tring, Luton/ Dunstable and Milton Keynes, near the Chiltern Hills. It is nor ...

. Lengthy research into local records by Dick Weindling and Marianne Colloms revealed no connection whatever with Langtry. The persistence of the myth, propounded in a time when stories about the royal family were easy to publicise and received no critical or substantiating research, resulted in Langtry's name still being in use in some place names and locales in the

area. These include Langtry Road off Kilburn Priory; Langtry Walk in the Alexandra Road Estate; and the Lillie Langtry pub at 121

Abbey Road ''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969, by Apple Records. It is the last album the group recorded, although '' Let It Be'' (1970) was the last album completed before th ...

(defunct since late 2022), built in 1969 to replace The Princess of Wales hotel, and briefly called The Cricketers from 2007 to 2011. The mythologising also includes The Lillie Langtry pub at 19

Lillie Road Lillie Road is a major street in the north of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Named for the Peninsular War veteran, John Scott Lillie, it is a mixed residential and commercial thoroughfare, and is the westerly continuat ...

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

– the road actually took its name from local landowner John Scott Lillie.

Steam yacht ''White Ladye''

Langtry owned a luxury steam auxiliary yacht called ''

White Ladye ''White Ladye'' was a steel-hulled steam yacht. She was launched in Scotland in 1891 as ''Ladye Mabel'', and renamed ''White Ladye'' by 1893. By 1919 she had been converted into a steam fishing trawler, and renamed ''La Champagne''. She was bui ...

'' from 1891 to 1897. The yacht was built in 1891 for Lord Asburton by Ramage & Ferguson of

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

, Scotland, from a design by W. C. Storey. She had three masts, was 204 feet in length and 27 feet in breadth and was powered by a 142 hp steam engine. She had originally been named ''Ladye Mabel''. In 1893,

Ogden Goelet Ogden Goelet (June 11, 1851 New York City – August 27, 1897 Cowes, Isle of Wight) was an American heir, businessman and yachtsman from New York City during the Gilded Age. With his wife, he built Ochre Court in Newport, Rhode Island, his so ...

leased the vessel from Langtry and used it until his death in 1897. Langtry put the ''White Ladye'' up for auction in November 1897 at the Mart, Tokenhouse Yard, London. It was sold to Scottish entrepreneur

John Lawson Johnston John Lawson Johnston (1839 – 24 November 1900) was a Scottish entrepreneur and the creator of Bovril. He was born in 29 Main Street, Roslin, Midlothian. A memorial plaque is on the property and can be seen above the door. The plaque was put t ...

, the creator of

Bovril Bovril is a thick and salty meat extract paste, similar to a yeast extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston. It is sold in a distinctive bulbous jar and as cubes and granules. Its appearance is similar to the British Marmite and ...

. He owned it until his death on board in 1900. From 1902 to 1903, the yacht was recorded in the Lloyd's Yacht Register as being owned by shipbuilder William Cresswell Gray, Tunstall Manor, West Hartlepool, and remained so until 1915. Following this the Lloyd's Register records that she became adapted as French trawler ''La Champagne'' based in

Fécamp Fécamp () is a commune in the northwestern French department of Seine-Maritime. Geography Fécamp is situated in the valley of the river Valmont, at the heart of the Pays de Caux, on the Alabaster Coast. It is around northeast of Le Havre, ...

, northwest France; she was broken up in 1935.

Bibliography

* Langtry, Lillie
''The Days I Knew''
1925 autobiography). * Langtry, Emilie Charlotte. ''The life of Mrs. Langtry, the Jersey Lily, and queen of the stage'', 1882. Pinder & Howes Leeds * Langtry, Lillie. ''All at Sea'' (novel) 1909. File:All at Sea Langtry novel.jpg, ''All at Sea'', Langtry's only novel

References

External links

Lillie Langtry Museum on the Internet

biography * *

Article on Professional Beauties of the Victorian era
{{DEFAULTSORT:Langtry, Lillie 1853 births 1929 deaths 19th-century British actresses 20th-century British actresses Mistresses of Edward VII Women of the Victorian era British emigrants to the United States British people of Norman descent British racehorse owners and breeders British stage actresses British vaudeville performers Jersey actresses Jersey Anglicans American racehorse owners and breeders American stage actresses People from Saint Saviour, Jersey Naturalized citizens of the United States Deaths from pneumonia in Monaco Expatriates in Monaco Wives of baronets American people in the wine industry