1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Manky. Listener discretion advised. This episode 3 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: begins in Paris, the most romantic city in the world. 4 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: It's the end of the nineteenth century, the heyday of 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: night clubs like the Moulin Rouge and the Foulet Berger. 6 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: It's a typical night at one of those clubs. Patrons 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: arrive decked out in their finest, ready to be entertained, 8 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: titillated and lightly scandalized. The lights dim and the show begins. 9 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: This performance is a double act, a pair of performers 10 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: with two extremely different skill sets. First, a handsome man 11 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: takes the stage and begins to play the violin. He's 12 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: mesmerizing his music, evoking the hills of a distant land. 13 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: As he plays, a woman joins him on stage. Certain 14 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: members of the audience gasp with initial surprise. Is this 15 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: woman nude? But on closer look, the woman is in 16 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: fact clothed, wearing a form fitting dress that leaves little 17 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: to the imagination. Her movements are strange, heightened, as if 18 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: she's doing a series of mannequin poses. The combined effect 19 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: of the. 20 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 2: Music and the poses is electrifying, as is the connection 21 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 2: between the man and woman on stage. Their chemistry is undeniable, 22 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 2: amplified by the sensual nature of the performance. If they 23 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: weren't famous, and they are very famous, audience members would 24 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 2: surely be leaning into each other to confirm if their 25 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: dates were also picking up on the clear vibes in 26 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 2: the room. The whole production feels exciting and new. The 27 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: crowd is entranced. It feels like they're getting away with 28 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 2: something just by being here. But then, in the blink 29 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: of an eye, the spell is broken. A man stands 30 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: up and yells, I forbid this performance in the name 31 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 2: of the law. Folks, look around. Is there chance this 32 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 2: man is part of the act, But he most definitely 33 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 2: is not. He's a police officer acting on the authority 34 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: of a Belgian prince. The woman on stage in the 35 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: skimpy outfit and the goo goo eyes for her stage partner, 36 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 2: she's that prince's ex wife and the mother of his children, 37 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 2: the former Princess of She May. I'm Dana Schwartz, and 38 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 2: this is noble blood. When historian Michael Nagel was working 39 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 2: on his book The Forgotten Iron King of the Great Lakes, 40 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 2: about iber Brock Ward, the nineteenth century industrialist and Detroit's 41 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 2: first millionaire. His research took him all the way to Belgium. 42 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 2: There he visited Shime Castle, the home of Ward's former 43 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 2: in laws. For a time. Iber Ward's daughter Clara had 44 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 2: been married to a Prince of Sime. When Nagel asked 45 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 2: about Clara, the castle's current resident said plenty without saying 46 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 2: much at all. We don't talk about her, said the 47 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 2: ninety two year old Princess Elizabeth de Chime. The family 48 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 2: did not appreciate the way she behaved. According to the 49 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: then princess Clara was quote very pretty, but she was fast. 50 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 2: Clara Ward, the dancing enchantress from that fateful night at 51 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 2: the Moulin Rouge, was a so ouschelite heiress turned princess 52 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: turned ex princess turned nightclub performer who lived large and 53 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 2: left a slew of husbands and lovers in her wake. 54 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 2: She inherited her father's determination and ingenuity, but she found 55 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: a very different outlet for those characteristics. Clara was born 56 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: in eighteen seventy three to eber Brockward and his second wife, Katherine, 57 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 2: who was thirty years his junior. Clara had little time 58 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 2: with her father. He died when Clara was only two, 59 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 2: and conflict quickly broke out over what would happen to 60 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:47,479 Speaker 2: his fortune. On one side, Katherine, Clara, and Clara's brother. 61 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 2: On the other side, Ward's seven children from his first marriage. Eventually, 62 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,039 Speaker 2: the bulk of Ward's estate went to his very young 63 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: widow and his second wave of children, including Clara. Catherine 64 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 2: took the money and her children and ran to the 65 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 2: East Coast to make her way in New York and 66 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 2: probably to escape the wrath of those seven angry Ward children, 67 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 2: who inherited the family home but little else. Catherine remarried 68 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 2: within a few years, this time to a Canadian millionaire. 69 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 2: This meant moving the whole family to Canada, but Clara 70 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 2: wouldn't be there for long. From an early age, Clara 71 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 2: was known for her beauty and her high spirits. She 72 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 2: was an heiress with very little concept of money. She 73 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 2: was generous with what she had, but also took whatever 74 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 2: she wanted, seeing everything around her as some sort of 75 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 2: free flowing exchange in the way you can when you've 76 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 2: never really had to think about money. The rules didn't 77 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 2: apply to Clara Ward, much to the chagrin of her teachers. 78 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 2: School was a straight jacket for Clara, and she rebelled accordingly. 79 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 2: She was kicked out of multiple schools. She was devilishly 80 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 2: smart and spoke at least five languages, but she was 81 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 2: also a spoiled child without a code of ethics. There 82 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: was always another school happy to take her family's money, 83 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 2: but there wasn't a school on earth that would have 84 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 2: been right for Clara. As she grew up, the pressures 85 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 2: of adulthood loomed large. At one school, Clara wrote in 86 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 2: her diary quote, the humdrum life is not for me. 87 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 2: I must feel, must have emotions. Ordinary marriage and smug 88 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 2: respectability appall me. I feel that it would be a 89 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 2: joy to marry a murderer end quote. She made good 90 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 2: on her promise to live an extraordinary life, but thankfully 91 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 2: stopped short of may carrying a murderer, at least that 92 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 2: we know of. By the time Clara turned sixteen, her 93 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 2: mother's wanderlust had kicked in as well. Catherine was ready 94 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 2: to leave Canada, so she left her second husband behind 95 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: in Toronto and moved to Paris, her beautiful but rebellious 96 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: daughter in tow There. Catherine opened up a salon and 97 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 2: enrolled Clara in yet another boarding school. French schools were 98 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 2: no better match for Clara, so Catherine set out to 99 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 2: do the next logical thing, find her daughter a good husband. 100 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 2: Catherine and Clara traveled throughout Europe looking for a suitable match. 101 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 2: A wealthy man from a good family wasn't enough for Catherine. 102 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 2: Clara was an heiress. Catherine wanted her daughter to have 103 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 2: a title. If you've watched The Gilded Age or listened 104 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 2: to our earlier episode on American dollar princesses, you might 105 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 2: already know that this was a common occurrence during this period, 106 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 2: wealthy young American women being married off to Europeans heavy 107 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 2: with nobility and prestige but light in liquid assets. Clara 108 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: needed legitimacy and elevation in her social standing. Her husband 109 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 2: would need money to repair a crumbling old mansion. Sounds romantic, 110 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 2: doesn't it It did to Prince Joseph de karaman Shime 111 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 2: of Belgium. The thirty two year old nobleman was a 112 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 2: cousin of King Leopold the Second, with an impressive pedigree 113 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 2: matched only by his mountain of debt. He saw Clara 114 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 2: one night when she attended the opera in Nice with 115 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 2: her mother. Reportedly, the whole audience turned to stare at 116 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 2: the young woman as she entered the theater. Joseph was 117 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 2: captivated by her beauty, or by her obvious wealth, or 118 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 2: more likely by some combination of the two. Regardless of 119 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: the reason, he made his move, and the two were 120 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 2: married in Paris in May of eighteen ninety, one month 121 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 2: before Clara turned seventeen. Initially, Clara resisted the union. She 122 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 2: did not love Joseph, who was twice her age, but 123 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 2: Catherine was determined. After all, Catherine was a woman who 124 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 2: married a wealthy man thirty years older than she was 125 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 2: and then successfully made off with her stepchildren's inheritance. For 126 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 2: all of Clara's small time teenage rebellion, there was never 127 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 2: a chance that she'd win this war against her mother. 128 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 2: But marriage would not change Clara Ward. If anything, it 129 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 2: only strengthened her drive to live an unconventional life. In 130 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 2: a short time, the confines of marriage would prove as 131 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 2: unbare for Clara as the confines of boarding school. At 132 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 2: sixteen years old, Clara Ward became Princess de caraman Chime overnight, 133 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 2: joining the ranks of American dollar princesses who exchanged their 134 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 2: fortunes for European titles. She paid off her new husband's 135 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 2: massive debts, then put a large chunk of money towards 136 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 2: fixing up the family home, a crumbling castle named Chateau 137 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:36,439 Speaker 2: de Chemee. The couple settled down in Shime, and real 138 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 2: life began to creep in. Joseph kept himself busy with hunting. 139 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 2: Clara gave birth to two children, but quickly grew restless 140 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 2: and bored. The brash American princess who rejected tradition was 141 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 2: a hit with the public, but not so much with 142 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 2: the aristocracy. They resented her free spirited nature and refusal 143 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 2: to fall in line and behave herself. There were rumors 144 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 2: of affairs which didn't seem to bother her husband. She 145 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:11,199 Speaker 2: would later describe Joseph as a good man but quote 146 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:16,079 Speaker 2: cold as ice. But eventually the other man in Clara's 147 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 2: life became too big to ignore. King Leopold the Second, 148 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 2: at that point in his sixties, made his affections for 149 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 2: Clara quite clear. As she stated in a later interview, 150 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 2: quote from the very first moment that I arrived in Brussels, 151 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:38,599 Speaker 2: King Leopold showered me with attentions by his favoritism, the 152 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 2: jealousy and hatred of the entire court was aroused against me. 153 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 2: I defied them, as I have all my life, defied everyone. 154 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 2: The attentions of the King were pleasing to me, and 155 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 2: I encouraged them end quote. By eighteen ninety six, the 156 00:11:55,480 --> 00:12:00,719 Speaker 2: situation in Belgium had become untenable, with Clara finding herself, 157 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 2: in her own words quote, a social pariah. So the 158 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:09,079 Speaker 2: family packed up and moved to Paris. Perhaps Joseph thought 159 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 2: this would calm his wife, but it had the opposite effect. Clara, 160 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 2: now just twenty three years old, threw herself into the 161 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 2: city's endless parade of parties, drinking and dancing. She quickly 162 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 2: earned a reputation as the most righteous American in town. 163 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,079 Speaker 2: One night, Clara and Joseph were dancing at the Cafe 164 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 2: Ga Yard, an exclusive nightclub. A violin player was going 165 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:41,599 Speaker 2: from table to table, playing for the guests. It's unclear 166 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:46,199 Speaker 2: the exchange that happened that night between Clara and the musician, 167 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 2: a charming Hungarian man named johnshi Rigo, But ten days 168 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 2: later the two ran away together. As you might expect, 169 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 2: the press lost their minds. They had been following Clara's 170 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 2: unconventional life for years. But a princess abandoning her children 171 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:11,719 Speaker 2: to a lope with a Romani musician, this was the 172 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 2: story of the century, and they chased the new couple 173 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 2: from Paris to Budapest, documenting every scandalous detail. Prince Joseph, 174 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 2: who had turned a blind eye to so much of 175 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 2: his wife's behavior, apparently had his limits. He filed for 176 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 2: divorce and one custody of the children. Clara was ordered 177 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:38,199 Speaker 2: to pay fifteen thousand dollars a year in alimony, which 178 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 2: she seemed happy to do. I am done with it all, 179 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 2: she declared, I want to be free, and free she was. 180 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 2: Clara and the musician Yanchi married as soon as her 181 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:55,199 Speaker 2: divorce was final, and they quickly jumped into a lavish, 182 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: chaotic life. A few years prior, Clara had come into 183 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 2: to a three million dollar trust about one hundred million 184 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 2: in today's dollars, and she wasted no time in spending 185 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 2: her hefty allowance. The couple traveled the world, Clara showering 186 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 2: her new husband with gifts that included a white marble 187 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: palace in Egypt and a zoo full of exotic animals. 188 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 2: The press followed their every move, reporting on dramatic fights 189 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: and mountains of debt. Before long, Clara's family intervened and 190 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 2: her uncle was made conservator of her estate. The money 191 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 2: tap began to run dry, and for the first time 192 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 2: in her life, Clara had to find a way to 193 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: support herself. She and her new husband returned to Paris, 194 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 2: where Clara decided to lean into their public personas and 195 00:14:54,080 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 2: capitalize on their new fame. Clara posed for photogra both 196 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 2: solo and with her new husband. In some of the pictures, 197 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 2: she wore a body suit so tight it created the 198 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 2: illusion of nudity. These images sold and spread like wildfire 199 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 2: in Paris until the police shut down their distribution at 200 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 2: Prince Joseph's request. Undeterred, Clara pivoted to advertising, allowing her 201 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 2: portrait to be used to sell everything from cigarettes to 202 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 2: bicycles to postcards. Clara and Yan she became masters of publicity, 203 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 2: feeding the press exactly what it craved. The Hungarian violinist 204 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 2: was a gift to newspaper editors. His romani heritage, combined 205 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 2: with his musical talent and undeniable charisma, made him the 206 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 2: perfect romantic figure. I obviously won't be using the g 207 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 2: stler in this episode, but as I'm sure you can imagine, 208 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 2: it was being thrown around quite liberally in this day. 209 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 2: Here was the quote exotic musician who had stolen a 210 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 2: princess from her palace, a story that practically wrote itself. 211 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 2: The pair hit the nightclub circuit, with Yanchi playing the 212 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 2: violin while Clara performed what she called Jose's plastiques, sensuous 213 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 2: tableaus that she would hold while her husband accompanied her. 214 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 2: She earned big money for these shows and booked residencies 215 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 2: across Europe. It was brilliant, it was scandalous, and it 216 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 2: brings us full circle to that electric night at the 217 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 2: moo Lain Rouge where we began our story. Clara Ward, 218 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 2: the rebellious heiress who defied boarding schools, Belgian courts, and 219 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 2: social conventions, was now literally center stage, turning her notoriety 220 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 2: into cold, hard cash. But even this new chapter of 221 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 2: Clara's life would be complicated by the men from her past. 222 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 2: Prince Joseph put up with a lot from his ex wife, 223 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 2: but the mother of his children, spicy dancing with her 224 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 2: new husband in front of a paying crowd was where 225 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 2: he drew the line. He let his feelings be known 226 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 2: in a way he knew would speak to his wife 227 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 2: dramatically in full view of the public. The shutdown of 228 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 2: Clara's theatrical career marked the beginning of the end for 229 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 2: her second marriage, Though it would take a little time 230 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:46,199 Speaker 2: for the cracks to fully show. Reports began servicing about 231 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 2: private performances she would give for wealthy clients. The exact 232 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 2: nature of these shows remains unclear, but they were lucrative 233 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 2: enough to keep her in the lifestyle she'd grown accustomed to, 234 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:03,959 Speaker 2: and controversial innen enough to infuriate her husband. The passionate 235 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 2: romance that had once set Europe ablaze was curdling into 236 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 2: something uglier. Stories appeared of screaming matches that could be 237 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 2: heard through walls, Whispers of infidelity followed them from city 238 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:22,639 Speaker 2: to city, and by nineteen o three, newspapers were already 239 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 2: reporting that Clara had grown tired of her fiddle player. 240 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 2: The divorce came in nineteen o four, ending a relationship 241 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 2: that started on a wild note and just kept getting 242 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 2: wilder from there. But Clara Ward was not one to 243 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 2: remain single for long. Within months of her divorce, while 244 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:48,239 Speaker 2: traveling in Italy, Clara met her next romantic conquest at 245 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 2: the foot of Mount Vesuvius. Giuseppe Ricardi was working the 246 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 2: tourist railway that wound its way up the famous volcano, 247 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:01,919 Speaker 2: but accounts differ on whether he was a ticket agent, waiter, 248 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 2: or baggage handler, but his exact job title hardly mattered. 249 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:11,400 Speaker 2: He was twenty two and handsome, Clara was thirty one 250 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 2: and infatuated. They were married within three months of meeting. 251 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 2: The marriage lasted seven years before Giuseppe filed for divorce 252 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:25,120 Speaker 2: in nineteen eleven, claiming his wife was having an affair 253 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 2: with their butler. Clara denied the accusations vehemently, but her 254 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 2: actions post divorce don't do much to back up her claims. 255 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 2: No sooner was she free than she married again, this 256 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 2: time to a man named Abano Castellado. The timing raised eyebrows, 257 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 2: as did Castellado's profession. He was described in various reports 258 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:56,879 Speaker 2: as either a chauffeur or, rather pointedly, a butler. Was 259 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 2: he the same butler Giuseppe accused her of ca on 260 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 2: with That's the thing about Clara Ward, anything is possible, 261 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 2: however outlandish. The rumors and theories about her were, the 262 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 2: truth was guaranteed to be even juicier. Clara and her 263 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 2: new husband, Abano, settled in northern Italy, and this fourth 264 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 2: marriage would turn out to be her last. Details about 265 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 2: their life together are sparse, as the woman who had 266 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 2: once commanded headlines across two continents began to fade from 267 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 2: public view. In nineteen sixteen, at forty three years old, 268 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 2: Clara Ward died of pneumonia, and their village in Padua. 269 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 2: Her family back home in America learned of her death 270 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 2: not from official channels, but from a letter written by 271 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:54,919 Speaker 2: Abano himself. Claire Ward packed more drama, romance, and scandal 272 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 2: into her forty three years than most people could manage 273 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:03,439 Speaker 2: in several life times. Was she reckless, sure, but she 274 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:07,239 Speaker 2: had the means and ability to follow her heart, and 275 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 2: she followed the hell out of it, for better or 276 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 2: for worse. She had loved passionately, spent recklessly, and refused 277 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 2: to be contained by the expectations of her time. Around 278 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:25,920 Speaker 2: the time of her third marriage, a prominent psychologist took 279 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 2: it upon himself to write an article titled The Erratic 280 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:35,680 Speaker 2: Erotic Princess. She may a psychological analysis in the article. 281 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 2: The doctor who never treated Clara diagnosed her as being 282 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 2: a quote aeropath with a quote limitless financial ability for 283 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 2: self indulgence. He recommended medication and commitment to a sanitarium 284 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 2: to treat her alarming behavior. But I think we can 285 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 2: see now that her quote alarming behavior would but have 286 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 2: probably just raised some eyebrows, but nonetheless been acceptable were 287 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 2: she a man, certainly not fodder for an unsolicited medical diagnosis. 288 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 2: As Nagel says in his book, quote a strong independent woman, 289 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 2: Clara left the husband she did not love and chose 290 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 2: to live her life on her own terms. She did 291 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 2: not care about contravening the social norms of the era 292 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,119 Speaker 2: in which she lived. These actions showed a similarity to 293 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 2: traits her father possessed and demonstrated throughout his professional career. 294 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 2: While Clara was not driven to create a business empire 295 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:44,199 Speaker 2: like her father, she created a kingdom based upon her 296 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 2: own set of rules, regardless of the expectations of society. 297 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,239 Speaker 2: Clara's goal was to live a life of excitement on 298 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 2: her own terms. End quote. Whether you see Clara Ward 299 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 2: as a tragic figure or a flawed figure, or a 300 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 2: triumphant one probably depends on how you measure a life 301 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 2: well lived. In an era when women typically had few choices, 302 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 2: Clara Ward took her privilege and insisted on her independence, 303 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 2: regardless of what it cost her. The humdrum life is 304 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 2: not for me, she had written in her schoolgirl diary. 305 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 2: We must assume that the teenager would look at the 306 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 2: life she did live and be proud. That's the story 307 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 2: of Clara Ward. But keep listening after a brief sponsor 308 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 2: break for a bit more about her delicious legacy. While 309 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 2: you can't travel back in time and snag a front 310 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 2: row seat at one of Clara Ward's legendary nightclub performances, 311 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:04,199 Speaker 2: there is one delicious way to connect with her story today. 312 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 2: In the cafes of Budapest, you'll find Rigoyanchi, a cake 313 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 2: named after Clara's second husband. Hungarians put their last names first. 314 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 2: The cake's origins are as disputed as the couple themselves. 315 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 2: Some say Rigo worked with a pastry chef to create 316 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 2: this sweet surprise for his American bride, while others claim 317 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 2: an enterprising confectioner simply capitalized on the couple's tabloid notoriety. 318 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 2: Wherever the dessert comes from, it sounds delicious chocolate sponge 319 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 2: cake layered with chocolate cream and a thin layer of 320 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 2: apricot jam, all covered in a dark chocolate glaze. It's 321 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 2: a dessert that makes no apologies for its richness and 322 00:24:56,040 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 2: requires you to indulge very much in the spirit of 323 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:04,919 Speaker 2: its namesake's very famous wife. But come on, by all rights, 324 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:09,159 Speaker 2: this cake should really be named after Clara, after all. 325 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 2: It's passionate, indulgent, may be a little too intense for 326 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 2: everyday life, but undeniably fabulous. Noble Blood is a production 327 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey. Noble 328 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 2: Blood is hosted by me Dana Schwartz, with additional writing 329 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 2: and research by Hannah Johnston, Hannaswick, Courtney Sender, Amy Hit 330 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 2: and Julia Melaney. The show is edited and produced by 331 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:51,360 Speaker 2: Jesse Funk, with supervising producerrima Ill Kali and executive producers 332 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 2: Aaron Mankey, Trevor Young, and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts 333 00:25:55,800 --> 00:26:00,959 Speaker 2: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 334 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 2: you listen to your favorite shows.