And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that a couple weeks ago, as the world was noting the anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, I was starting a book, a biographical account, of the life of her ancestor, Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. She was a (insert four greats) aunt of Diana’s from the Spencer family. Earl Spencer was the father of Diana, who became the Princess of Wales upon her marriage. Which shows how convoluted British royalty is, because the Prince of Wales of her time, in the late 1770s, was a sometimes cohort of Georgiana’s, the late Diana left a Prince of Wales as an heir.

I’m confused already, and have just started. Georgiana’s life obviously included the time when the United States of America removed itself from the British Empire.

And although the new nation separated itself from Britain, it kept a lot of what was learned in the old country, including its political infighting. Both Georgiana and Diana were considered great beauties, and found that both a blessing and a curse. Georgiana used her influence as duchess and her beauty to influence politics. While she sought fame, Diana fought fame in the political world.

It is said that the opposing parties in the English House of Lords sit on benches facing each other, two sword lengths apart, presumably to make stabbing a bit more difficult. In the U.S., the members of the House of Representatives sit on opposite sides of an aisle.
But then, as apparently now, the members harbor such hatred for each other that off times they do not even address each other.

In Georgiana’s time, the power and money and leisure time gave leave for marital infidelity. Marriages were arranged, so physical attraction did not often enter into a union. So, partners sought that elsewhere, and the resulting offspring were treated in various ways. And they apparently were numerous. Some were raised with legitimate children as one family. Some were foisted off on relatives and grew up elsewhere. Some were placed in institutions set up for that purpose. Some never knew the others existed. There were abortions, but given the state of medicine, that was dangerous and avoided.
I could not watch the Emmys, thanks to Mediacom’s lousy service, and probably would not have anyway. But I understand that in addition to the hate the president remarks, the entertainment world and its purveyors were well represented.

Which, coupled with the reading of the book, reminded me of an old Red Skelton joke that incurred the wrath of some of his Hollywood friends. Red, as the Mean Little Kid, was having a schoolyard argument with a bully, and finally said he would tell his dad, who could beat up on the other kid’s dad. To which the bully replied: Are you kidding? Your dad is my dad.

The book: Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, by Amanda Foreman. Copyright 1998. Published by Random House.