Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet
(28 April 1836 - 15 October 1897) was a wealthy English
country gentleman, a Conservative
Member of Parliament for South Warwickshire
(1859-1868), High Sheriff of Warwickshire
1879, was notorious for involving the Prince of Wales
in his divorce
case.
Sir Charles was married on 7 December 1866 to Harriet Sarah Moncreiffe
(7 February 1848 - 9 May 1906), daughter of a Scottish
baronet. Sir Charles was a stolid country squire with no interests beyond hunting and shooting, and Harriet was a giddy young beauty. She had already caught the eye of the Prince. Harriet had license, or thought she did, to carry on affairs with other men. While Sir Charles killed foxes, deer, grouse, and salmon, or sat in Parliament, Harriet entertained numerous lovers, including the Prince and several of his aristocratic friends.
In 1869, Harriet gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, and then confessed everything to Sir Charles, who was enraged. His offended servants had compiled diaries of the affairs.
He sued for divorce. The historical record shows that the Prince of Wales was never named as a co-respondent in the divorce case, but Mordaunt threatened to do so. Harriet's father, who had several other daughters to marry off, announced that she was mad. That would prevent a divorce trial and save the family reputation. She was incarcerated in various rented houses, and after some weeks either broke down or agreed to feign madness: smashing plates, eating coal, howling and crawling. The case was brought to court and the Prince of Wales was called as a witness, he admitted visiting Lady Mordaunt but nothing further was proved.
In 1875, Sir Charles sued again. Viscount Cole (father of Harriet's child) pleaded guilty to adultery with her, so Sir Charles got his divorce. Harriet was kept in asylums for the rest of her life. However, her daughter Violet married the future Marquess of Bath
.
Sir Charles married again, on 24 April 1878, to Mary Louisa Cholmondeley, a 16-year-old parson's daughter.
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
(28 April 1836 - 15 October 1897) was a wealthy English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
country gentleman, a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament for South Warwickshire
South Warwickshire (UK Parliament constituency)
South Warwickshire was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Warwickshire in England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
(1859-1868), High Sheriff of Warwickshire
High Sheriff of Warwickshire
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
1879, was notorious for involving the Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
in his divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
case.
Sir Charles was married on 7 December 1866 to Harriet Sarah Moncreiffe
Harriet Mordaunt
Harriet Sarah, Lady Mordaunt , formerly Harriet Moncreiffe, was the Scottish wife of an English baronet and Member of Parliament, Sir Charles Mordaunt...
(7 February 1848 - 9 May 1906), daughter of a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
baronet. Sir Charles was a stolid country squire with no interests beyond hunting and shooting, and Harriet was a giddy young beauty. She had already caught the eye of the Prince. Harriet had license, or thought she did, to carry on affairs with other men. While Sir Charles killed foxes, deer, grouse, and salmon, or sat in Parliament, Harriet entertained numerous lovers, including the Prince and several of his aristocratic friends.
In 1869, Harriet gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, and then confessed everything to Sir Charles, who was enraged. His offended servants had compiled diaries of the affairs.
He sued for divorce. The historical record shows that the Prince of Wales was never named as a co-respondent in the divorce case, but Mordaunt threatened to do so. Harriet's father, who had several other daughters to marry off, announced that she was mad. That would prevent a divorce trial and save the family reputation. She was incarcerated in various rented houses, and after some weeks either broke down or agreed to feign madness: smashing plates, eating coal, howling and crawling. The case was brought to court and the Prince of Wales was called as a witness, he admitted visiting Lady Mordaunt but nothing further was proved.
In 1875, Sir Charles sued again. Viscount Cole (father of Harriet's child) pleaded guilty to adultery with her, so Sir Charles got his divorce. Harriet was kept in asylums for the rest of her life. However, her daughter Violet married the future Marquess of Bath
Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath
Thomas Henry Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath KG, CB, PC, JP , styled Viscount Weymouth until 1896, was a British landowner and Conservative politician. He held ministerial office as Under-Secretary of State for India in 1905 and Master of the Horse between 1922 and 1924...
.
Sir Charles married again, on 24 April 1878, to Mary Louisa Cholmondeley, a 16-year-old parson's daughter.