The Gilded Age was an era of social climbing, flaming fortunes, and grounded revolutions that changed America forever. HBO’s hit show tries to draw from those real stories. The flesh-and-blood inspiration behind the beautiful heiress Gladys Russell is Consuelo Vanderbilt, who was known as the ‘Dollar Princess.’
Consuelo grew up surrounded by luxury, adorned in rare jewels and fine silk, attending parties at dazzling mansions, but when it came to marriage, she was caged. In a tussle between her heart’s desire and her mother’s ambitions, Consuelo crumbled. However, she never stopped chasing freedom, even if it came at a high cost.
Consuelo’s True Story Behind Gladys Russell’s ‘The Gilded Age’ Journey
Gladys Russell is one of the most captivating characters of ‘The Gilded Age.’ The Russell empire is built on railroads, and as the nouveau riche family tries to break into the aristocratic New York society, Gladys becomes the biggest pawn in the game. Her mother, Bertha, inspired by the fierce Alva Vanderbilt, conspires to get her married to the Duke of Buckingham.
In real life, Alva had imposed a similar fate on her daughter, Consuelo, who lived from 1877 to 1964. She ended up a duchess at the age of 18 after becoming the wife of Charles, the ninth Duke of Marlborough, in 1895. The wedding garnered much media attention and was as lavish as the Vanderbilt masquerade ball, which cost the equivalent of over $3 million today. It was Alva’s wish to bring prestige to their family name and give Consuelo a chance to be a lady of significance among the royalty. The bride-to-be couldn’t elope with her lover, Winthrop Rutherfurd, who was a great match, without a title. Rutherfurd was part of Old New York and one of Mrs. Caroline Astor’s “The Four Hundred” who made up the Gilded Age society.
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The brokered matrimony was sealed with a $2.5 million dowry, which is roughly $81 million in today’s world, coupled with a hefty annual allowance. The chunk was needed to rescue the Blenheim Palace, which was opulent but deteriorating due to a lack of upkeep money. Despite her unhappiness, Consuelo also gave birth to two sons – Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill and John Spencer-Churchill, who was the 10th Duke of Marlborough.
She knew the duke was a philanderer, which is something her mother Alva faced with William Vanderbilt, too, and initiated a divorce on the grounds of infidelity. It was a huge scandal at the time, only intensified by Alva’s participation in the suffragette movement.
As for Consuelo, she decided to live for her own passions and divorced the duke in 1921. They had been separated for years, since 1906. The American socialite then married French adventurer Jacques Balsan, and the couple lived in bliss. After France was captured by the Nazis, the two moved to the United States. Their union lasted until 1956, when Balsan died at the age of 88. Consuelo passed away in December 1964.
Gladys Russell’s Fate Explained
Much like Consuelo, Gladys Russell also walked down the aisle, tear-strained, looking like a princess on a procession to execution to exchange vows with the Duke of Buckingham in ‘The Gilded Age.’ Everyone waited with bated breath as whispers of the bride not showing up abounded. Gladys had been sequestered in her room for days. But in the end, her mother’s fierce will won, and her father couldn’t help her either. George just hoped that Bertha was right about her decision to trade their daughter’s marital dreams for nobility and a ticket to London society.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actress Taissa Farmiga reflected on what went on in the character’s mind after all the upheaval of losing her love, Billy, being forced by her mother into a loveless union, and having a father torn between protecting her wishes while cowering to his wife’s demands. “She feels super lost, super numb, she doesn’t know where to turn, she doesn’t know who to rely on. In that moment, she’s trying to see a tiny bit of a bright side of, “Well, this man (the duke), at least, he’s trying to be honest,” Farmiga said.
The show didn’t dive into the sordid history of Alva locking up Consuelo in the days leading up to her marriage, threatening to kill her beau, and declaring she’d have a heart attack and die unless she saw her daughter marry and become a duchess. Talk about a stacked drama!
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Farmiga also spoke about how this monumental decision to get married changes her relationship with Bertha and the motivations behind it: “I think it’s going to take time for Gladys to realize just how much Bertha loves her. Even as an audience member, there’s certain moments where we see just how cold Bertha can be in her ambition. But, at the end of the day, what is motivating her is, yes, status in society, but also comfort and freedom for her daughter. And freedom comes with having power. The only power women could have in that time period is having a position in society. So I think if the moment arrives for Gladys to have to, oh my god, utter the words ‘my mother was right,’ I think those words are going to have to be dragged from her. She will not say it willingly.”
This is especially telling as we know the marriage doesn’t work out. While the series might choose a different route for the issues, this is no “peace in paradise” couple. In real life, Charles and Consuelo’s annulment after 25 years of their transactional wedding was facilitated by Alva. She admitted legally that she had forced Consuelo to marry and that she regretted her decision. This helped mend the Vanderbilt women’s fractured relationship. Now, what happens to Gladys and Bertha remains to be seen.
