Consuelo Vanderbilt and the Gilded Age’s Million Dollar Princesses

During the late 19th century, nearly 200 wealthy young American women were caught up in marriages with members of British and European nobility. The goal of course was to secure an aristocratic title which would create a solid social position for the American family in the snobbery of Gilded Age society. The European gentlemen wanted the American funds to shore up crumbling wealth and, in some cases, quite literally repair the ancestral estate. But many of these forced marriages ended in sadness, divorce or even tragedy, although some grew into true love matches. Join Carl for this ENCORE episode as he unravels the social politics of some of the most famous Gilded Age Million Dollar Princesses, including perhaps the model for Gladys Russell herself — Consuelo Vanderbilt, who became the Duchess of Marlborough with her marriage to the Duke.