Adeline, Countess of Cardigan and Lancastre
Encyclopedia
Adeline Louisa Maria, Countess of Cardigan and Lancastre (24 December 1824 - 25 May 1915) was the second wife of English peer James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan
and later the wife of the Portuguese nobleman Don António Manuel de Saldanha e Lancastre, Conde de Lancastre. She was the author of scandalous memoirs, My Recollections, published in 1909 under the name Adeline Louisa Maria de Horsey Cardigan and Lancastre, though strictly speaking she was not allowed by the rules governing the British peerage to join her former and current titles together. Her book detailed events and people coupled with gossip concerning the establishment of Victorian England. After her marriage to the Earl of Cardigan in 1858, Queen Victoria had refused to have her at court because Cardigan had left his first wife
Adeline was born near Berkeley Square
, London, the first child and only daughter of Admiral Spencer Horsey Kilderbee
and his wife, Lady Louisa Maria Judith (daughter of John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke
). From 1832, her father took the surname "de Horsey". Her younger brothers were Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey
and William Henry Beaumont de Horsey
, after his mother's maiden name. She made her entry into society in 1842, and became engaged to Infante Carlos, Count of Montemolin
, the Carlist claimant to the Spanish throne, in 1848.
Rumours spread after she was frequently seen riding without a chaperone
in the company of 7th Earl of Cardigan, who famously led the Charge of the Light Brigade
at the Battle of Balaclava
in 1854, and was a friend of her father. The Earl was still married to the former Mrs. Elizabeth Tollemache Johnstone - who Cardigan had married in 1826 after she was divorced by another army officer, Lt.-Col. Christian Johnstone - although Cardigan was separated from his wife since 1837. Criticism from her father caused her to leave home in 1857. After a period in a hotel, she took a furnished house in Norfolk Street, Park Lane
, and became the Earl of Cardigan's mistress. After the Earl's wife died in July 1858, the couple sailed away together on the Earl's yacht and married in Gibraltar on 28 September 1858. She was shunned by polite society, but was an accomplished musician and horsewoman, and acknowledged as a leading courtesan. She was left a life interest in the Cardigan estates on her husband's death in March 1868.
Having been acquainted with Benjamin Disraeli for many year, the dowager
Countess Cardigan wrote to him in early 1873 to suggest marriage. He broke off their correspondence, and only a few months later she was remarried on 28 August 1873 to a Portuguese nobleman, Don António Manuel de Saldanha e Lancastre, who was created conde and visconde de Lancastre by Luís I of Portugal
on 11 September 1873. Against usual custom, she merged her former title as an English dowager countess with her new title as wife of a Portuguese conde, and styled herself the Countess of Cardigan and Lancastre. The couple initially lived together in Portugal and Paris, but lived apart after Adeline returned to Deene Park
, the Cardigan ancestral home, in 1879 until the Conde's death in 1898, spending her way through the Cardigan family's fortune with her extravagances. Her title as Countess of Lancastre caused embarrassment to Queen Victoria, who liked to travel incognito in Europe as "Countess of Lancaster
".
She became more eccentric in old age. As a widow, she scandalised society by wearing thick make-up and organizing steeplechases
through the local graveyard "and became everyone's idea of a merry widow". She kept her coffin in the house, she would often lie in it, asking for opinions on her appearance. Eventually her profligate spending led to bankruptcy which forced the sale of many of her clothes, carriages and horses. She was often seen, locally, cycling clad in her first husband's regimental trousers. She smoked cigarettes in public at a time when it was considered improper for a lady to smoke in private. She died at Deene Park and was buried near her first husband in the Deene parish church.
A character who may have been very loosely based on her was portrayed in the1 1968 film, The Charge of the Light Brigade
.
James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan
Lieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, KCB , was an officer in the British Army who commanded the Light Brigade during the Crimean War...
and later the wife of the Portuguese nobleman Don António Manuel de Saldanha e Lancastre, Conde de Lancastre. She was the author of scandalous memoirs, My Recollections, published in 1909 under the name Adeline Louisa Maria de Horsey Cardigan and Lancastre, though strictly speaking she was not allowed by the rules governing the British peerage to join her former and current titles together. Her book detailed events and people coupled with gossip concerning the establishment of Victorian England. After her marriage to the Earl of Cardigan in 1858, Queen Victoria had refused to have her at court because Cardigan had left his first wife
Adeline was born near Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square is a town square in the West End of London, England, in the City of Westminster. It was originally laid out in the mid 18th century by architect William Kent...
, London, the first child and only daughter of Admiral Spencer Horsey Kilderbee
Spencer Horsey de Horsey
Spencer Horsey de Horsey , known until 1832 as Spencer Horsey Kilderbee, was a British Tory politician. He sat in the House of Commons between 1829 and 1841.- Family :...
and his wife, Lady Louisa Maria Judith (daughter of John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke
John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke
John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke , known as Sir John Rous, Bt, from 1771 to 1796 and as The Lord Rous from 1796 to 1821, was a British nobleman, race horse owner and Member of Parliament....
). From 1832, her father took the surname "de Horsey". Her younger brothers were Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey
Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey
Admiral Sir Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey KCB was a Royal Navy officer who served in the nineteenth century.-Early life:...
and William Henry Beaumont de Horsey
William Henry Beaumont de Horsey
William Henry Beaumont de Horsey was a British soldier.He was the son of Spencer Horsey de Horsey and brother of Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey and Adeline Louisa Marie de Horsey...
, after his mother's maiden name. She made her entry into society in 1842, and became engaged to Infante Carlos, Count of Montemolin
Infante Carlos, Count of Montemolin
Infante Carlos, Conde de Montemolín was the Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain under the name Carlos VI after his father's abdication in 1845, when he took the title of Count of Montemolín.-Biography:...
, the Carlist claimant to the Spanish throne, in 1848.
Rumours spread after she was frequently seen riding without a chaperone
Chaperone
In molecular biology, molecular chaperones are proteins that assist the non-covalent folding or unfolding and the assembly or disassembly of other macromolecular structures, but do not occur in these structures when the structures are performing their normal biological functions having completed...
in the company of 7th Earl of Cardigan, who famously led the Charge of the Light Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
at the Battle of Balaclava
Battle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia's principal naval base on the Black Sea...
in 1854, and was a friend of her father. The Earl was still married to the former Mrs. Elizabeth Tollemache Johnstone - who Cardigan had married in 1826 after she was divorced by another army officer, Lt.-Col. Christian Johnstone - although Cardigan was separated from his wife since 1837. Criticism from her father caused her to leave home in 1857. After a period in a hotel, she took a furnished house in Norfolk Street, Park Lane
Park Lane
Park Lane may refer to:*Park Lane , an investment bank in Los Angeles, California*Park Lane , a road in London, UK*Park Lane , a shopping mall in Halifax, Nova Scotia*Park Lane , a rugby stadium in Greater Manchester, UK...
, and became the Earl of Cardigan's mistress. After the Earl's wife died in July 1858, the couple sailed away together on the Earl's yacht and married in Gibraltar on 28 September 1858. She was shunned by polite society, but was an accomplished musician and horsewoman, and acknowledged as a leading courtesan. She was left a life interest in the Cardigan estates on her husband's death in March 1868.
Having been acquainted with Benjamin Disraeli for many year, the dowager
Dowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
Countess Cardigan wrote to him in early 1873 to suggest marriage. He broke off their correspondence, and only a few months later she was remarried on 28 August 1873 to a Portuguese nobleman, Don António Manuel de Saldanha e Lancastre, who was created conde and visconde de Lancastre by Luís I of Portugal
Luís I of Portugal
|-...
on 11 September 1873. Against usual custom, she merged her former title as an English dowager countess with her new title as wife of a Portuguese conde, and styled herself the Countess of Cardigan and Lancastre. The couple initially lived together in Portugal and Paris, but lived apart after Adeline returned to Deene Park
Deene Park
Deene Park, the seat of the Brudenell family since 1514, is a country manor located 5 miles north-east of Corby in the county of Northamptonshire, England. The manor of Deene belonged to Westminster Abbey; annual rent of £18 was paid until 1970...
, the Cardigan ancestral home, in 1879 until the Conde's death in 1898, spending her way through the Cardigan family's fortune with her extravagances. Her title as Countess of Lancastre caused embarrassment to Queen Victoria, who liked to travel incognito in Europe as "Countess of Lancaster
Duke of Lancaster
There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. See also Duchy of Lancaster.There were three creations of the Dukedom of Lancaster....
".
She became more eccentric in old age. As a widow, she scandalised society by wearing thick make-up and organizing steeplechases
Steeplechase (horse racing)
The steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
through the local graveyard "and became everyone's idea of a merry widow". She kept her coffin in the house, she would often lie in it, asking for opinions on her appearance. Eventually her profligate spending led to bankruptcy which forced the sale of many of her clothes, carriages and horses. She was often seen, locally, cycling clad in her first husband's regimental trousers. She smoked cigarettes in public at a time when it was considered improper for a lady to smoke in private. She died at Deene Park and was buried near her first husband in the Deene parish church.
A character who may have been very loosely based on her was portrayed in the1 1968 film, The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968 film)
The Charge of the Light Brigade is a 1968 British war film made by Woodfall Film Productions and distributed by United Artists . It was directed by Tony Richardson and produced by Neil Hartley....
.