1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Imagine you're the child of one of the richest men 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: in America. You have everything you could possibly want, but 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,559 Speaker 1: at the same time nothing you really want. You spend 4 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: the summer in the most extravagant house in Newport, Rhode Island. 5 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: Your mother physically and emotionally tortures you to make you 6 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: into her vision of the perfect heiress. I'm Patty Steele 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: Conziuelo Vanderbilt. All the money in the world, but decades 8 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: of misery. That's next on the backstory. The backstory is back, 9 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: all right. It's eighteen seventy seven. Consuelo Vanderbilt is born 10 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: to Alva and William Vanderbilt. He is the richest man 11 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: in America after inheriting his father's fortune, and he wasn't 12 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: afraid to spend money. He owned world class race horses, 13 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: a sailing yacht that won America's Cup in eighteen ninety five, 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: a two hundred foot steam yacht considered the most luxurious 15 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: in the world, as well as massive homes in New 16 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: York City, on Long Island, France, and eventually in Newport, 17 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: Rhode Island called Idelaer. The family's Long Island summer house. 18 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: When Conzuela was a little girl was her favorite. It 19 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: had one hundred rooms, but it was an old wooden 20 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: house informal, and the children loved sailing, crabbing, and fishing 21 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: during their summers there. Then, for her mother's thirty ninth birthday, 22 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: her father built an insane mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. 23 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: Consuela was just eleven when they began building Marble House, 24 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: a fifty room mansion that needed thirty six servants to 25 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: run it, including butler's maids, coachmen, and footmen. The house 26 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: cost eleven million dollars to build, that is equal to 27 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: three hundred and seventy five million today. Seven million dollars 28 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: alone was spent on five hundred thousand cubic feet of marble. 29 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: The house has a room called the Gold Room, completely 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: decorated in real gold leaf. But Conzuelo said Marble House 31 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: was like a prison, with huge walls rounding it and 32 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: heavy drapes to keep out the sun and the sound 33 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: of the ocean. Her mother was obsessed with looking like 34 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: royalty and spending like royalty. When the family's mansion in 35 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: New York City was finished in eighteen eighty three, Alva 36 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: throw a party for one thousand people. That cost a 37 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: staggering two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which would equal 38 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: six million dollars today. But the one thing she couldn't 39 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 1: buy was acceptance. The Vanderbilts were looked at as new 40 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: money as opposed to old money. She wanted to add 41 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: an aristocratic bit of blood to the family. Conzuela was 42 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: her ticket. Her mother totally dominated her, bordering on cruelty. 43 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,839 Speaker 1: She specifically wanted her daughter to marry into European aristocracy. 44 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: In her autobiography, Conzuelo says her mom made her wear 45 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: a steel brace with an iron rot which ran down 46 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: her spine and fastened around her waist and over her 47 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: shoulders and up to the top of her head, so 48 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: that her posture would be regal. She was educated at 49 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: home by governess and tutors, learned German and French. By 50 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: the time she was eight. She studied history, literature, math, Latin, 51 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: and science. She took music lessons and every day included 52 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: an hour of exercise in central Park. She needed to 53 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: carry herself like royalty. Alva was tough. She had whipped 54 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: Consuelo with a writing crop for minor issues, and when 55 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: she was a teenager and complained about the clothing her 56 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: mother had picked out for Alva said, I do the thinking, 57 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: you do as you're told. Imagine that life. But now 58 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: she's recognized as a great beauty and it's time for 59 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: her to find the perfect son in law for her mother. 60 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: Alva chooses Charles Richard John Spencer Churchill, ninth Duke of Marlborough. 61 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: Not really a catch except for the title. Folks describe 62 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: him as surly, critical, suspicious, and without intellectual qualities, and 63 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: his family is low on funds. Wow, very appealing. Conzuelo 64 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: does not share her mother's enthusiasm for this guy. She's 65 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: a total opposite, intelligence, sensitive and lovely. Worse yet, she's 66 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: in love with another man, Winthrop Rutherford, a young guy 67 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: from a powerful famili's who's considered the handsomest bachelor in 68 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: New York society, and he's totally in love with Consuelo, 69 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: but he doesn't have a title. The two managed to 70 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: find time with each other, and during a bicycle ride 71 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: on Riverside Drive, he proposes and she accepts, and that's 72 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: the last time they saw one another. Alva finds out 73 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: about the proposal and watches Consuelo like a hawk, intercepts 74 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 1: her male refuses to allow Rutherford into the house. She 75 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: sweeps Conswello off to Europe, and when Rutherford follows, Consuelo 76 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: is forbidden to see him. Alva introduces her to a 77 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: number of young guys with titles. They all want her 78 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: and her money, but Alva is fixated on the Duke. 79 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: She invites him to Newport to visit Marble House, expecting 80 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 1: him to propose to Consuelo. The board Duke makes Alva wait, 81 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: but finally propose to Consuello, whose fate is sealed. The 82 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: wedding is set for November sixth, eighteen ninety five. There 83 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: are three hundred cops lining the streets around Saint Thomas's 84 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: Church on the Upper East Side of New York City, 85 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: with thousands of people filling the streets to catch a 86 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: peek at the big shots. The heartbroken bride is weeping 87 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 1: as she walks to the altar, like a lamb headed 88 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: for slaughter. The Duke shows up late for the ceremony 89 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: after last minute negotiations to squeeze even more money from 90 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: Consuello's father. It seems the only thing he really cares 91 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: about is his ancestral home. Blenheim Palace, and he needs 92 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: all the money he can get his hands on from 93 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: the Vanderbilt fortune. This is the height of the dollars 94 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: for Duke's craze among rich Americans looking to forge merital 95 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: ties with titled but not so rich Europeans. Meantime, a 96 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: few months before the wedding, Alva divorces William Vanderbilt and 97 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: marries another millionaire down the street in Newport. She gets love, 98 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 1: her daughter not so much. Consuelo stayed married to the 99 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: Duke for twenty six years and had two sons with him. 100 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: She was really respected among British aristocrats for her charitable 101 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: work and for saving Blenham Palace with her family money. 102 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: They finally, however, divorce, and at the age of forty six, 103 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 1: Consuelo finally gets to marry for love. She died in 104 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty four at the age of eighty seven on 105 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: Long Island in Southampton, but was buried in a churchyard 106 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: next to her younger son in England, near Blenham Palace. 107 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 1: Not exactly the life of luxury you might expect for 108 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 1: the daughter of the richest man in America. Hope you're 109 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: enjoying the backstory with Patty Steele. Follow or subscribe for 110 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: free to get new episodes delivered automatically, and feel free 111 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: to dm me if you have a story you'd like 112 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 1: me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on 113 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The back Stories 114 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartMedia, Premier Networks, the Elvis Durand Group, 115 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser. Our 116 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. 117 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: Feel free to reach out to me with comments and 118 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: even story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and 119 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the 120 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: back Story with Patty Steele, the pieces of history you 121 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: didn't know you needed to know.