Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire

Georgiana (joe-JAI-na) Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire was an important political and social figure in the 18 century. Form around her early twenties she ruled the ton (high society) and created the Devonshire House Circle, the pineal of the ton. Besides being ruler of the ton , her personality and looks made her the trendsetter of Britain and gained her the name of Empress of Fashion. Social events and Fashion was not the only thing that Georgiana was interested to her. The Whig party won many parliament seats and held power for a short time thanks to her. However, Georgiana's life was not a ride of parties, politics and fashion. Georgian was addicted to gambling, always in debt, stuck in a loveless Ménage à trois.Georgiana Spencer was born in 7 June 1757 to John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer. Georgiana's childhood was a smooth one. Things changed when, at seventeenth, she married William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire. At first Georgiana thought that she loved the Duke but that changed when she found out that they had nothing in common and that he was keeping a mistress. This destroyed Georgiana's believe that there married was more then politically driven.
With a loveless marriage, she focused on society and politics. Using the wealth of the Cavendish, she became the leader of the ton thought parties and set the trend with expensive taste. With her in the fast lane (partying , drinking and gambling to 4 am), people gravitated to her. This circle that formed around her was called The Devonshire house circle. The members of this salon where some of the most notable literary and political(Whig) figures, like Charles James Fox and Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
With this contact to political men, Georgiana found that she could, in a form, participate in her passion of politics. She campaigned for Fox and hosted many political strategy secession at her home. It could be said that she became the fourth head of the Whig party. She influenced and changed many peoples political ideas, and with out her the Whigs would have lost a lot of seats in parliament.
With this success also came the constant threat of people that she owned money to. Georgiana's gambling created a large debt and most of her life was a scrambling to get money form one person to pay off the other. Even when she stopped , her credit was so high that she was deep in debt when she died.
Georgiana relationships was just, if not as more, like are own relationships. She was forced in to a Ménage à trois with her best friend Lady Elizabeth Foster (later, the Duchess of Devonshire after Georgiana's death). Georgiana also had a string of lovers but the major one was Charles Grey. Grey was the lover of her life but the could not stay together. Georgiana became pregnant with Grey's child and her husband gave her an ultimatum. The Duke, because she was not discrete, she had to give Grey up or she could never see her children again.
Georgiana gave Grey up and was sent away to Southern Europe until t he duke recalled her. A venally she was recalled and she changed after this exile. However she did become her old self with one exception she stopped gambling .
When she was in exile the Whig party collapsed and almost vanished but she thanks to her she at lest held the pieces of party together. However, soon she grew past the Whig party and, thought staying in the party, she started to go in her own political direction and thanks to her family and friends she had a link to all political factions. By 1806 she had achieved her goal and the Whigs were in power.
Her joy was short lived. For a few years the Duchess had many different illness thanks to an infected eye that never real healed. By march she was seriously ill with jaundice. She die on March 1806.
Georgiana was woman who when against thought that woman could nothing. She had the ability to lead the nation if she was not a woman and she new it. Brought a political party in to power and had set the trends of sociality for most of her like. She was loved by the people and hated by the government of her day but her high statues did not stop her from making mistakes. She is one the most important political figure of the late 18th century.

For more information read the Duchess by Amanda Foreman