I hope you've enjoyed reading Lily and Aidan's tale as much as I
enjoyed writing it! I've always loved reading about the “dollar
princesses,” and how they fared in a life very different from the
ones they knew in America. Some flourished, and some failed
miserably, but sadly not many found true love as Lily did!
A
definition of “dollar princess” I found says—“A Dollar
Princess referred to an American heiress, often from newly wealthy
families, who married a title-rich but cash-poor British nobleman”
(ancestry.com). These girls and their ambitious mothers, often cut
off from New York high society (even more strict and exclusive than
in Europe!) often used the help of well-connected but poor English
ladies such as Lady Heath (who is based on real-life Lady Paget) to
make their way in London Society. There were also books like Titled
Americans: The Real Heiress's Guide to Marrying an Aristocrat
(1890) to assist. In 1895 alone, nine British noblemen (including a
duke, an earl, and several barons) married Americans.
Some of the most famous were Jennie Jerome, Lady Randolph Churchill
(mother of Winston); Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough;
Frances Woke, Lady Fermoy (ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales);
Mary Leiter, Lady Curzon; Consuelo Yznaga, Duchess of Manchester;
Nancy, Lady Astor; and Kathleen Kennedy, Marchioness of Hartington.
Be
sure and look for Violet's story next! She is a very
reluctant noblewomen indeed. And visit me anytime at
http://ammandamccabe.com
Some sources I enjoyed if you'd like to know more about the lives of
these extraordinary women:
--Julie
Ferry, The
Million Dollar Duchesses: How American Heiresses Seduced the
Aristocracy
(2017)
The Transatlantic Marriage
Bureau
(2017)
--Cecilia
Tichi, What
Would Mrs. Astor Do? The Essential Guide to the Manners and Mores of
the Gilded Age
(2018)
--Anne
de Courcy, The
Husband Hunters: American Heiresses Who Married Into the British
Aristocracy
(2017)
--Consuelo
Vanderbilt Balsan, The
Glitter and the Gold
(1953)
--Ruth
Brandon, The
Dollar Princesses
(1980)
--The
House of Worth: Portrait of an Archive
(2014)
--Jane
Gabin, American
Women in Gilded Age London
(2006)
--Pamela
Horn, High
Society: The English Social Elite 1880-1914
(1992)
--Amelia
Stuart Mackenzie, Consuelo
and Alva
(2005)
--Gail
McColl, To Marry
an English Lord
(2012_
--Jane
Ridley, The Heir
Apparent: A Life of Edward VII (2013)
--Anne
Sebba, American
Jennie: The Remarkable Life of Lady Randolph Churchill
(2010)
His Unlikely Duchess by Amanda McCabe
Money
can buy her marriage
But
will it lead to love?
Miss
Lily Wilkins hopes her American money will compensate for her lack of
etiquette, as she needs a prestigious marriage to save her sisters’
prospects. Raised to believe wealth was her greatest attribute, she’s
stunned when her unconventional ways catch the eye of the notorious
Duke of Lennox. He’s far from the safe, sensible match she’d
planned on—but Lily might just discover he’s the one she needs!
Amazon UK Amazon US
Amanda
wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen--a vast historical epic
starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during
algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her
strongest subject...)
She's never
since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many
awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews
Reviewers' Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers
Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Santa Fe
with a Poodle, a cat, a wonderful husband, and a very and far too
many books and royal memorabilia collections.
When not
writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy
travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network--even though she
doesn't cook.
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