# The Glitter and the Gold: The American Duchess---In Her Own Words - Hardcover

by **Consuela Vanderbilt Balsan** (Author)

A new edition of Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan's memoir--the story of the "real" Lady Grantham of _Downton Abbey_

Consuelo Vanderbilt was young, beautiful, and heir to a vast fortune. She was also in love with an American suitor when her mother chose instead for her to marry an English Duke. She sailed to England as the Duchess of Marlborough in 1895 and took up residence in her new home--Blenheim Palace. She was the real American heiress who lived long before _Downton Abbey_'s Lady Grantham arrived.

Mme. Balsan is an unsnobbish and amused observer of the intricate hierarchy both upstairs and downstairs and a revealing witness to the glittering balls, huge weekend parties, and major state occasions she attended or hosted chronicling her encounters with every important figure of the day--from Queen Victoria, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Tsar Nicholas and the young Winston Churchill.

_The Glitter and the Gold_ is a richly enjoyable memoir is a revealing portrait of a golden age now being celebrated every week behind the doors of _Downton Abbey_.

### Author Biography

CONSEULO VANDERBILT BALSAN was born in 1877. She became the Duchess of Marlborough on her marriage in 1895. She died in 1964.

**Number of Pages:** 304

**Dimensions:** 1.3 x 8.5 x 5.7 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** October 02, 2012

## Details

- **Price:** 29.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 29.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Glitter and the Gold: The American Duchess---In Her Own Words - Hardcover

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