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95-451: Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon ; 26 April 1765 – 15 January 1815), known upon moving to London as Emma Hart , and upon marriage as Lady Hamilton , was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde , becoming the mistress of a series of wealthy men, culminating in the naval hero Lord Nelson , and was the favourite model and muse of

190-549: A fellow of the Royal Society and being given the Copley Medal . His second wife was Emma Hamilton , who was famed as the mistress of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson . Hamilton was born on 13 December 1730 (or 12 January 1731) in either London or at Park Place, Berkshire , the fourth son of Lord Archibald Hamilton (1673–1754), Governor of Jamaica , and Lady Jane Hamilton (before 1704–1753), daughter of

285-472: A Scottish "quack" doctor. At 15, Emma met Sir Harry Fetherstonhaugh , who hired her for several months as hostess and entertainer at a lengthy stag party at his Uppark country estate in the South Downs. She is said to have danced nude on his dining room table. Fetherstonhaugh took Emma there as a mistress, but frequently ignored her in favour of drinking and hunting with his friends. Emma soon befriended

380-464: A brief visit to England in August 1805, Nelson once again had to return to service. Emma received letters from him on 1, 7 and 13 October. On the ship, he wrote a note intended as a codicil to his will requesting that, in return for his legacy to King and Country that they should give Emma "ample provision to maintain her rank in life", and that his "adopted daughter, Horatia Nelson Thompson...use in future

475-605: A couple of months later. The artist Le Brun, who visited Emma in 1802, remarked that Emma did not seem convincingly moved by her husband's death, and had 'grown horribly fat' in this point of time (the last time they had met was in Naples, when Nelson was courting Emma). Nelson had been offered the position of commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet , and they rushed to have Horatia christened at Marylebone Parish Church before he left. On her baptism record, her name

570-452: A deep depression and drew a series of frenzied sketches of Emma. The newly married couple returned to Naples after two days. After the marriage, Greville transferred the cost of Emma Carew's upkeep to Sir William, and suggested that he might move her to an establishment befitting the stepdaughter of an envoy. However, Sir William preferred to forget about her for a while. The marriage was not favorable to Sir William's family and relations, to

665-721: A half years, at Merton with Emma, Nelson, and Mrs Cadogan, and in a house he leased in Piccadilly . He spent his time fishing on the River Thames, visiting his estates in Wales, selling paintings and vases, trying to get money owed to him by the government for his expenses in Naples, and attending his clubs, especially the Royal Society and the Dilettanti. He died on 6 April 1803 at his house in Piccadilly. He left Emma £800

760-537: A more intense and moneyed existence, and opened a salon in their villa at 6 bis, Impasse Ronsin, close to Montparnasse , which was soon frequented by all of Paris. Combining ambition and temperament, her status as the archetypal demimondaine rose as she conducted affairs with some of the most influential and generous men in the country. Marguerite, always concerned about her husband's career, obtained artistic commissions for him from her protectors, which helped Adolphe accept his marital misfortunes. Marguerite's affair with

855-507: A pale countenance and faint voice, said, 'We have gained a great Victory.' – 'Never mind your Victory,' I said. 'My letters – give me my letters' – Captain Whitby was unable to speak – tears in his eyes and a deathly paleness over his face made me comprehend him. I believe I gave a scream and fell back, and for ten hours I could neither speak nor shed a tear. Emma lay in bed prostrate with grief for many weeks, often receiving visitors in tears. It

950-733: A political backwater. But when France declared war on Britain in 1793 events in Naples became more turbulent, and Hamilton's role became more important, just as his health was declining. Nelson's fleet arrived in the Bay of Naples after defeating the French Fleet at the Battle of the Nile in August 1798 and Nelson was a guest of the Hamiltons. At the end of the year the King and Queen abandoned Naples as

1045-413: A poor relation. To promote his plan, Greville suggested to Sir William that Emma would make a very pleasing mistress, assuring him that, once married to Henrietta Middleton, he would come and fetch Emma back. Sir William, then 55 and newly widowed, had arrived back in London for the first time in over five years. Emma's famous beauty was by then well known to Sir William, so much so that he even agreed to pay

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1140-526: A problem, as he disliked being known as her lover (this having become apparent to all through her fame in Romney's artworks), and his prospective wife would not accept him as a suitor if he lived openly with Emma Hart. To be rid of Emma, Greville persuaded his uncle, younger brother of his mother, Sir William Hamilton , British Envoy to Naples, to take her off his hands. Greville's marriage would prove useful to Sir William, as it relieved him of having Greville as

1235-505: A profit, usually in England. M. de Talleyrand, the youngest son of the ambassador at Naples, responded to a remark about Sir William's interest in the arts by saying "Rather, it is the arts that look out for Sir William's interests". Emma's vulgar toilette , unaristocratic mannerisms and drinking sometimes raised eyebrows by her company, the Duc de Bourbon remarked during a dinner in Naples at

1330-682: A public position he had to ask the King's permission. The ceremony was a quiet one in St Marylebone Parish Church , taking place on 6 September 1791, two days before the couple's return to Naples. Emma signed the register as Amy Lyons; the witnesses were Hamilton's cousin the Marquess of Abercorn and Louis Dutens , who had been chaplain at Turin. The following day Hamilton was sworn of the Privy Council in 1791. For most of Hamilton's time as ambassador, Naples had been

1425-474: A regular diary of notes and sketches of the volcano. Piaggio's diaries span the period 1779-1795. Hamilton was also interested in earthquakes. He visited Calabria and Messina after the earthquake of 1783 and wrote a paper for the Royal Society. The Hamiltons gave musical entertainments in which they played (William the violin, and Catherine the harpsichord or pianoforte) with some of their servants or professional musicians. During their tour of Italy in 1770,

1520-531: A secret from Nelson, and Sir William continued to provide for her. On 29 January 1801 at 23 Piccadilly, Emma gave birth to Nelson's daughter Horatia , who was taken soon afterwards to a Mrs Gibson for care and hire of a wet nurse . On 1 February, Emma made a spectacular appearance at a concert at the house of the Duke of Norfolk in St James' Square , and Emma worked hard to keep the press onside. Soon after this,

1615-400: A social life. He arranged for Emma's mother to live with her as housekeeper and chaperone. Greville also taught Emma to enunciate more elegantly, and after a while, started to invite some of his friends to meet her. Seeing an opportunity to make some money by taking a cut of sales, Greville sent her to sit for his friend, the painter George Romney , who was looking for a new model and muse. It

1710-708: A surgeon working in Chester. Only a few months later she was unemployed again and moved to London in the autumn of 1777. She started to work for the Budd family in Chatham Place, Blackfriars, London , and began acting at the Drury Lane theatre in Covent Garden . She worked as a maid for actresses, including Mary Robinson . Emma next worked as a model and dancer at the "Goddess of Health" for James Graham ,

1805-573: A synonym for a courtesan or a prostitute who moved in these circles—or for a woman of social standing with the power to thumb her nose at convention and throw herself into the hedonistic nightlife. A woman who made that choice would soon find her social status lost, as she became "déclassée" . Marguerite Steinheil , from the Japy family, a powerful dynasty of French industrialists, married minor Academic art painter Adolphe Steinheil in 1890. She acted as her husband's model for some time, but aspired to

1900-471: A temporary mistress, and Emma moved into his apartments, leaving her mother downstairs in the ground floor rooms. Emma was unable to attend Court yet, but Sir William took her to every other party, assembly and outing. They were married on 6 September 1791 at St Marylebone Parish Church , then a plain small building, having returned to England for the purpose and Sir William having gained the King's consent. She

1995-526: A third period of leave in Britain. This time he visited his estates in Wales and went on a trip to Scotland with his nephew Charles Greville , who was a younger son of the Earl of Warwick and Hamilton's sister Elizabeth. When Hamilton made a will during that visit to Britain he made Greville his heir. In London, Hamilton met Emma Hart who at that time was Greville's mistress. On his return to Naples, Hamilton

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2090-626: A third period of leave, in 1783–84, he brought with him a Roman glass vase, which had once belonged to the Barberini family and which later became known as the Portland Vase . Hamilton had bought it from a dealer and sold it to the Duchess of Portland with the help of his niece Mary Hamilton, who was the duchess's literary friend. The cameo work on the vase again served as inspiration to Josiah Wedgwood, this time for his jasperware . The vase

2185-475: A volume called Observations on Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna, and other volcanos . This was followed in 1776 by a collection of his letters on volcanoes, entitled Campi Phlegraei (Flaming fields, the name given by the Ancients to the area around Naples). The volume was illustrated by Pietro Fabris . Hamilton subsequently hired a priest, Padre Antonio Piaggio , who lived near the western slopes of Vesuvius to keep

2280-508: A volume of engravings of his collection entitled Collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman antiquities from the cabinet of the Honble. Wm. Hamilton, His Britannick Maiesty's envoy extraordinary at the Court of Naples . The text was written by d'Hancarville with contributions by Johann Winckelmann . A further three volumes were produced in 1769–76. During his first leave in 1771 Hamilton arranged

2375-422: A year, which included £100 a year for her mother, and small annuities for four servants in Naples. His estates in Wales, which were heavily mortgaged, were left to Greville. Nelson was left an enamel copy of a portrait of Emma by Élisabeth Vigée le Brun . Hamilton was buried beside his first wife at Slebech . Hamilton's life was fictionalised by Susan Sontag in her novel The Volcano Lover: A Romance . In

2470-410: A young woman, Emma's daughter saw her mother frequently, but later when Emma fell into debt, her daughter worked abroad as a companion or governess. Greville kept Emma in a small house at Edgware Row, Paddington Green, London , at this time a village on the rural outskirts of London. At Greville's request, she changed her name to "Mrs Emma Hart", dressed in modest outfits in subdued colours and eschewed

2565-586: Is alleged to have suddenly died from a stroke whilst receiving sexual favours from Marguerite at the Élysée Palace . This part of her life has been fictionalised in the TV series Paris Police 1900 . Possibly the most famous portrayal of the demimonde , albeit from before the word was coined, is in Giuseppe Verdi 's opera La traviata (1853). The opera, in turn, was inspired by Alexandre Dumas fils 's La Dame aux Camélias ; Marguerite Gautier,

2660-593: Is bold & unguarded in her manner, is grown fat, & drinks freely. After the Treaty of Amiens on 25 March 1802, Nelson was released from active service, but wanted to keep his new-found position in society by maintaining an aura of wealth, and Emma worked hard to live up to this dream. Nelson's father became seriously ill in April, but Nelson did not visit him in Norfolk, staying home to celebrate Emma's 37th birthday on

2755-558: The Prince of Wales (later King George IV) became infatuated with Emma, leading Nelson to be consumed by jealousy, and inspiring a remarkable letter by Sir William to Nelson, assuring him that she was being faithful. In late February, Nelson returned to London and met his daughter at Mrs Gibson's. Nelson's family were aware of the pregnancy, and his clergyman brother Rev. William Nelson wrote to Emma praising her virtue and goodness. Nelson and Emma continued to write letters to each other when he

2850-666: The "Nelson Mass", in Vienna in 1800 and meeting the composer as well in the Esterhazy palace in Eisenstadt ). They eventually arrived in Yarmouth to a hero's welcome on 6 November 1800. Upon arrival in London on 8 November, the three of them took suites at Nerot's Hotel after a missed communication from Nelson to his wife about receiving the party at their home, Roundwood. Lady Nelson and Nelson's father arrived and they all dined at

2945-534: The 1941 movie That Hamilton Woman , the role of Sir William Hamilton was portrayed by Alan Mowbray . In the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm in Germany there is an island in a lake atop which is a model of Mount Vesuvius . Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau would stage fireworks that seemed to issue from an erupting volcano to entertain his guests. At the foot of the mountain on the island

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3040-538: The 6th Earl of Abercorn (near 1661–1734). His father was the seventh son of William, Duke of Hamilton and 1st Earl of Selkirk (1634–1694), and Anne, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton (1632–1716). His mother was a favourite, and possibly a mistress, of the Prince of Wales and William grew up with his son George III , who would call him his "foster brother". At age nine, he went to Westminster School , where he made lifelong friends of Frederick, 4th Earl of Bristol , and David, 2nd Earl of Mansfield . Hamilton used to say that he

3135-588: The Creole with Her Heart Black as Her feind-like looking face, was never destined for a Nelson, for so noble-minded a Creature. She never loved Him for Himself. She loved Her poor dirty Escalopes [Aesculapius] if she had love, and the 2 dirty negatives made that dirty affirmative that is a disgrace to the Human Species. She then starving took in an evil hour our Hero. She made him unhappy. She disunited Him from His family. She wanted to raise up Her own vile spue at

3230-768: The French Army advanced and fled to Palermo in Sicily. The Hamiltons went with them. In the summer of 1799 Naples was recaptured from the French and savage reprisals were enacted against those who had supported the Parthenopean Republic . Hamilton, together with the king and queen, and Nelson, remained in Palermo, except for a visit to the Bay of Naples in Foudroyant when he briefly went ashore. Hamilton

3325-466: The French. She is described in 1797 in the diary of 18-year-old Elizabeth Wynne as "a charming woman, beautiful and exceedingly good humoured and amiable." When he set sail for Sardinia on 15 September after only five days in Naples, it was clear that he had already fallen a little in love. After four years of marriage, Emma had despaired of having children with Sir William, although she wrote of him as "the best husband and friend". It seems likely that he

3420-467: The Hamiltons with a steady income. In 1761, Hamilton entered Parliament as Member for Midhurst . When he heard that the ambassador to the court of Naples, Sir James Gray , was likely to be promoted to Madrid, Hamilton expressed an interest in the position, and was duly appointed in 1764. Hamilton arrived in Naples on 17 November 1764 with the official title of Envoy Extraordinary to the Kingdom of

3515-663: The Honourable Charles Francis Greville (1749–1809). It was about this time (late June-early July 1781) that she conceived a child by Fetherstonhaugh. Greville took her in as his mistress on condition that the child was fostered out. Once the child (Emma Carew) was born, she was removed to be raised by her great-grandmother at Hawarden for her first three years, and subsequently (after a short spell in London with her mother) deposited with Mr John Blackburn, schoolmaster, and his wife in Manchester . As

3610-487: The Palazzo Sessa with her mother (separately from Sir William) and begging Greville to come and fetch her, Emma came to understand that he had cast her off. She was furious when she realised what Greville had planned for her, but eventually started to enjoy life in Naples and responded to Sir William's intense courtship just before Christmas in 1786. They fell in love, Sir William forgot about his plan to take her on as

3705-785: The President of the Republic, Félix Faure, won Adolphe an official commission for a monumental painting representing The Presentation of Decorations by the President of the Republic to the Survivors of the Disaster of the Fort de la Redoute Ruinée (August 8, 1897), which was exhibited at the Salon des artistes of 1898. Adolphe was also awarded the Legion of Honor cross the same year. Félix Faure

3800-863: The Two Sicilies and would remain as ambassador to the court of Ferdinand and Maria Carolina until 1800, although from November 1798 he was based in Palermo , the court having moved there when Naples was threatened by the French Army. As ambassador, Hamilton was expected to send reports back to the Secretary of State every ten days or so, to promote Britain's commercial interests in Naples, and to keep open house for English travellers to Naples. These official duties left him plenty of time to pursue his interests in art, antiquities, and music, as well as developing new interests in volcanoes and earthquakes. Catherine, who had never enjoyed good health, began to recover in

3895-480: The abortive attack on Rochefort . The following year he left the Army, after having married Catherine Barlow, the daughter of Hugh Barlow, Member of Parliament for Pembroke Boroughs . The couple shared a love of music, and the marriage, which lasted until Catherine's death on 25 August 1782, was a happy one. There were no children. When Catherine's father died in 1763, she inherited his estates in Wales and these provided

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3990-470: The basis for her act. Emma had her dressmaker make dresses modelled on those worn by peasant islanders in the Bay of Naples , and the loose-fitting garments she often wore when modelling for Romney. She would pair these tunics with a few large shawls or veils, draping herself in folds of cloth and posing in such a way as to evoke popular images from Greco-Roman mythology. This cross between postures, dance and acting

4085-442: The blaster of His fame and reputation, He must have fallen under it, and His Country would have lost their greatest ornament. ... No, let him live yet to gain more victory and to be blessed with his idolizing Emma. On October 30, that same year she signed one of her letters off to Davison, "I am ever your affectionate Emma. I would say N. but I am afraid such happiness and honour is not in store for me for She will never burst." After

4180-556: The end of the Franco-Prussian War to the beginning of World War I . The twentieth century brought the rise of the New Woman , changing economies and social structures, as well as changing fashions and social mores, particularly in the aftermath of World War I. Prostitution and the keeping of mistresses did not disappear, but the label demimondaine became obsolete as the 'half-world' changed. Demimondaine became

4275-540: The expence and total abolation of the family which shall be immortalized for having given birth to the Saviour of His Country. When He came home, maimed, lame, and covered with Glory, She put in derision His Honnerable wounds. She raised a clamour against Him, because He had seen a more lovely, a more virtuous woman, who had served with him in a foreign country and who had her heart and senses open to His Glory, to His greatness, and His virtues. If He had lived with this daemon,

4370-435: The expenses for her journey to ensure her speedy arrival. He had long been happily married until the death of his wife in 1782, and he liked female companionship. His home in Naples was well known all over the world for hospitality and refinement. He needed a hostess for his salon, and from what he knew about Emma, he thought she would be the perfect choice. Greville did not inform Emma of his plan, but instead in 1785 suggested

4465-663: The great Johann Wolfgang von Goethe —and kings and queens alike, setting off new dance trends across Europe and starting a fashion for a draped Grecian style of dress. "Attitudes" were taken up by several other (female) artists, among them Ida Brun from Denmark, who became Emma's successor in the new art form. The famed sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen admired her art. As wife of the British Envoy, Emma welcomed Nelson (who had been married to Fanny Nisbet for about six years at that point) after his arrival in Naples on 10 September 1793, when he came to gather reinforcements against

4560-402: The heroine of the book and subsequent play, was based on Marie Duplessis , 1840s Paris courtesan and mistress to a number of prominent men, including Dumas. She would famously be portrayed on stage by Sarah Bernhardt . In writing his 1924 play Easy Virtue , Noël Coward stated his object was to present a comedy in the structure of a tragedy "to compare the déclassée woman of to-day with

4655-500: The hotel. Nelson's wife Fanny was deeply unhappy to see Emma pregnant. The affair soon became public knowledge and, much to the delight of the newspapers, Fanny did not accept the affair as placidly as Sir William. Emma was winning the media war at that point, and every fine lady was experimenting with her "look." Nelson himself contributed to his wife Fanny's misery by being cruel to her when not in Emma's company. Emma's husband, Sir William,

4750-660: The infant's death a secret from the press (her burial is unrecorded), kept her deep grief from Nelson's family and found it increasingly difficult to cope alone. She reportedly distracted herself by gambling, and succumbed to binges of heavy drinking and eating and spending lavishly. Emma received several marriage proposals during 1804, all wealthy men, but she was still in love with Nelson and believed that he would become wealthy with prize money and leave her rich in his will, and she refused them all. She continued to entertain and help Nelson's relatives, especially William and Sarah's "obstreperous son Horace" and their daughter Charlotte, who

4845-497: The manner in which Emma drinks port, which must have been a 'habit of hers as she did not become drunk after finishing two or three bottles'. Sharing Sir William Hamilton's enthusiasm for classical antiquities and art, she developed what she called her "Attitudes"— tableaux vivants in which she portrayed sculptures and paintings before British visitors. Emma developed the attitudes, also known as mimoplastic art , by using Romney's idea of combining classical poses with modern allure as

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4940-678: The mild climate of Naples. Their main residence was the Palazzo Sessa, where they hosted official functions and where Hamilton housed his growing collection of paintings and antiquities; they also had a small villa on the seashore at Posillipo (later it would be called Villa Emma), a house at Portici , Villa Angelica, from where he could study Mount Vesuvius , and a house at Caserta near the Royal Palace . Hamilton began collecting Greek vases and other antiquities as soon as he arrived in Naples, obtaining them from dealers or other collectors, or even opening tombs himself. In 1766–67 he published

5035-412: The more flamboyant demi-mondaine of the 1890s." In The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), the character Lola Devereaux is labeled a demimondaine by the character Sigmund Freud . In Goodbye to Berlin , the character Sally Bowles is described as a demimondaine . William Hamilton (diplomat) Sir William Hamilton , KB , PC , FRS , FRSE (13 December 1730 – 6 April 1803)

5130-647: The most gentle and virtuous companion that ever man was blessed with". Pagan Fertility Studies Hamilton had discovered in the province of Abruzzi evidence of a fertility cult involving phallus worship. He reported his findings to the Society of Dilitettenti, of which he was a member. In 1783 he published some of those findings in a slim volume, The Worship of Priapus: An account of the fete of St. Cosmo and Damiano celebrated at Isernia in 1780... These writings were condemned for their mixture of sexual and religious ideas. A year after his wife's death Hamilton had

5225-469: The name of "Emma Hart". She was witty, intelligent, a quick learner, elegant and, as paintings of her attest, extremely beautiful. Romney was fascinated by her looks and ability to adapt to the ideals of the age. Romney and other artists painted her in many guises, foreshadowing her later "attitudes". In 1783, Greville needed to find a rich wife to replenish his finances, and found a fit in the form of eighteen-year-old heiress Henrietta Middleton. Emma would be

5320-632: The name of Mrs Cadogan, and who would live with Emma and Hamilton until she died in 1810. The women were installed in an apartment in the Palazzo Sessa, and provided with a carriage and wardrobes. Tutors were hired to give Emma lessons in Italian and singing. It was some months though before Emma accepted the fact that Greville was not going to join her in Naples or send for her to go back to England. At that point she decided to become Hamilton's mistress. Hamilton and Emma married five years later, when Hamilton obtained leave of three months in Britain. As he held

5415-516: The name of Nelson only". On 21 October 1805, Nelson's fleet defeated a joint Franco-Spanish naval force at the Battle of Trafalgar . Nelson was seriously wounded during the battle and died three hours later. When the news of his death arrived in London, a messenger was sent to Merton Place to bring the news to Lady Hamilton. She later recalled, They brought me word, Mr Whitby from the Admiralty . 'Show him in directly,' I said. He came in, and with

5510-556: The party, Emma became Nelson's secretary, translator and political facilitator. They soon fell in love and began an affair. Hamilton showed admiration and respect for Nelson, and vice versa; the affair was tolerated. By November, gossip from Naples about their affair reached the English newspapers. Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson were famous. Emma had by then become not only a close personal friend of Queen Maria Carolina , but had developed into an important political influence. She advised

5605-571: The payment of their son Horatio's school fees at Eton . Around this time, Emma finally told Nelson about her daughter Emma Carew, now known as Emma Hartley, and found that she had had nothing to worry about; he invited her to stay at Merton and soon grew fond of "Emma's relative". An unpublished letter shows that Nelson assumed responsibility for upkeep of young Emma at this time. Emma continued to display her attitudes to audiences, and at this point of her life grew obese and her drinking intensified. In April 13, Joseph Farington wrote in his diary; ...she

5700-542: The peace with France was disintegrating. A "Children's Ball" was thrown after New Year, in honour of Horatia, and a concert for 100 guests staged in February. Soon afterwards, Sir William collapsed at 23 Piccadilly and on 6 April died in Emma's arms. Charles Greville was the executor of the estate and he instructed her to leave 23 Piccadilly, but for the sake of respectability, she had to keep an address separate from Nelson's and so moved into 11 Clarges Street , not far away,

5795-620: The point that Sir William wrote to Thomas Graham , the husband of his niece Mary Graham (another great beauty of the Georgian Period), defending his marriage to Emma. Emma also wrote seeking approval from Graham and other family relations. She lived for some time in a house in Caserta rented by Sir William. Lady Hamilton became a close friend of Queen Maria Carolina , sister of Marie Antoinette and wife of Ferdinand I of Naples , and soon acquired fluency in both French and Italian. She

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5890-463: The portraitist George Romney . In 1791, at the age of 26, she married Sir William Hamilton , British ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples , where she was a success at court, befriending the queen who was a sister of Marie Antoinette , and meeting Nelson. She was born Amy Lyon in Ness near Neston, Cheshire, England, the daughter of Henry Lyon, a blacksmith who died when she was two months old. She

5985-529: The queen on how to react to the threats from the French Revolution . Maria Carolina's sister Marie Antoinette had fallen a victim to the Revolution. In 1799, Naples was the scene of a strange revolution led by members of the aristocracy; the common people did not agree with the revolution. The French troops were not welcome, but the royal family fled to Sicily. From here, Nelson tried to help

6080-510: The queen. Nelson's recall to Britain shortly afterwards coincided with the government finally granting Hamilton's request for relief from his post in Naples. Emma must have become pregnant around April 1800. Nelson, Emma, her mother and William travelled together—taking the longest possible route back to Britain via Central Europe (hearing the Missa in Angustiis by Joseph Haydn , now known as

6175-491: The royal family put down the revolutionaries. He had no support from the British government. He even allowed one of the leaders of the revolution, Admiral Francesco Caracciolo , to be executed for treason. Emma played an important role in helping to put an end to the revolution when she arrived near Naples with Nelson's fleet on 24 June 1799. She acted as a go-between, conveying messages from the queen to Nelson and from Nelson to

6270-794: The sale of his collection to the British Museum for £8,410. Josiah Wedgwood the potter drew inspiration from the reproductions in Hamilton's volumes. During this first leave, in January 1772, Hamilton became a Knight of the Order of the Bath and the following month was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries . In 1777, during his second leave to England, he became a member of the Society of Dilettanti . When Hamilton returned to England for

6365-427: The second collection was catalogued for sale at auction at Christie's when at the eleventh hour Thomas Hope stepped in and purchased the collection of mostly South Italian vases. Soon after Hamilton arrived in Naples, Mount Vesuvius began to show signs of activity and in the summer of 1766 he sent an account of an eruption, together with drawings and samples of salts and sulphurs, to the Royal Society in London. On

6460-458: The strength of this paper he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In the autumn of 1767 there was an even greater eruption and again Hamilton sent a report to the Royal Society. The two papers were published as an article in the Society's journal Philosophical Transactions . The Royal Society awarded him the Copley Medal in 1770 for his paper, "An Account of a Journey to Mount Etna ". In 1772 he published his writings on both volcanoes in

6555-488: The trip as a prolonged holiday in Naples while he (Greville) was away in Scotland on business, not long after Emma's mother had suffered a stroke. Emma was thus sent to Naples, supposedly for six to eight months, little realising that she was going as the mistress of her host. Emma set off for Naples with her mother and Gavin Hamilton on 13 March 1786 overland in an old coach, and arrived in Naples on her 21st birthday on 26 April. After about six months of living in apartments in

6650-414: The very day Edmund died; the son did not attend his father's funeral. The newspapers reported on their every move, including trips to Wales to inspect Sir William's estates and a holiday to Ramsgate intended to give him some peace and quiet, looking to Emma to set fashions in dress, home decoration and even dinner party menus. By the autumn of 1803, Sir William's health was declining, at the same time that

6745-411: The young Mozart and his father were introduced to the Hamiltons. Catherine played the harpsichord for Mozart, and he said he found her performance "uncommonly moving". Another musical visitor was the music historian Charles Burney , who stayed at Villa Angelica at Portici and was helped by Hamilton with his research. Burney thought that Catherine Hamilton was the best harpsichord player in Naples. When

6840-458: The young Irish singer Michael Kelly arrived in Naples, he was introduced to the Court by Hamilton. The young Irish composer Thomas Carter also stayed with him around 1788. Catherine Hamilton died in August 1782; her body was returned to Britain for burial in the Barlow vault at the old Slebech parish church. Hamilton wrote to his niece Mary: "I must for ever feel the loss of the most amiable

6935-673: Was a British diplomat, politician, antiquarian and vulcanologist who served as the Envoy Extraordinary to the Kingdom of Naples from 1764 to 1800. After sitting in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1761 to 1764, he began working as a diplomat, succeeding Sir James Gray as the British ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples . While in Italy, Hamilton became involved in studying local volcanoes and collecting antiquities, becoming

7030-410: Was afflicted by coughing spells. Before his arrival, Emma had written a letter passionately expressing her admiration for him. Nelson even wrote effusively of Emma to his increasingly estranged wife. Emma and Sir William escorted Nelson to their home, the Palazzo Sessa. Emma nursed Nelson under her husband's roof and arranged a party with 1,800 guests to celebrate his 40th birthday on 29 September. After

7125-515: Was alive, and not enough to maintain Merton. In spite of Nelson's status as a national hero, the instructions he left to the government to provide for Emma and Horatia were ignored; they also ignored his wishes that she should sing at his funeral. Demi-monde Historically, the height of the demimonde was encapsulated by the period known in France as La Belle Époque (1871–1914), from

7220-530: Was also a talented amateur singer. She sang one of the solo parts of Joseph Haydn 's Nelson Mass and entertained guests at her home. At one point, the Royal Opera in Madrid tried to engage her for a season, in competition with their star, Angelica Catalani , but this offer was turned down. Sir William commissioned many portraits of Emma, although not for their sentimental value; he almost always sold them for

7315-615: Was an orphan "left to his care and protection" in Naples. Emma planned, paid for and hosted the wedding of Nelson's niece Kitty Bolton (daughter of Susanna) and her cousin Captain Sir William Bolton (Nelson's sister Susanna's husband's brother's son) at 23 Piccadilly on 18 May 1803, the same day as Nelson's early morning departure to fight in the Napoleonic Wars , leaving Emma pregnant with their second child (although neither knew it at this time). The marriage

7410-455: Was anxious to return to Britain. At the beginning of 1800 Sir Arthur Paget was sent out to replace him and the Hamiltons and Nelson returned overland to England. By this time Emma and Nelson were lovers. They landed at Great Yarmouth on 31 October 1800. The relationship between Hamilton, Emma and Nelson was already causing a scandal and Hamilton was caricatured in cartoons by James Gillray . Hamilton would live in retirement for another two and

7505-587: Was away at sea, and she kept every one. While he was away too, she arranged for her mother to visit the Kidds in Hawarden and her daughter in Manchester. By the autumn of the same year, upon Emma's advice, Nelson bought Merton Place , a small ramshackle house at Merton, near Wimbledon, for £9,000, borrowing money from his friend Davison. He gave her free rein with spending to improve the property, and her vision

7600-404: Was baptised on 12 May 1765. She was raised by her mother, Mary Kidd (later Cadogan), and grandmother, Sarah Kidd, at Hawarden , and received no formal education. She later went by the name of Emma Hart . With her grandmother struggling to make ends meet at the age of 60, and after Mary went to London in 1777, Emma began work, aged 12, as a maid at the Hawarden home of Honoratus Leigh Thomas ,

7695-460: Was born with an ancient name and a thousand pounds; as a younger son he would have to make his own way in life. So, six weeks after his sixteenth birthday, he was commissioned into the 3rd Foot Guards as an ensign. He spent some time with the regiment in the Netherlands , and advanced to lieutenant in 1753. In September 1757, he was present as aide-de-camp to General Henry Seymour Conway at

7790-492: Was confirmed and he prepared to go to sea on the same night. After his departure on January 13, he sent Fanny a few brief and hostile letters (many of which she burned) before finally cutting her off in March. He never saw her again after being hustled out of town by an agent. While he was at sea, Nelson and Emma exchanged many letters, using a secret code to discuss Emma's condition. Emma kept her first daughter Emma Carew's existence

7885-601: Was eventually bought by the British Museum. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1792. In 1798, as Hamilton was about to leave Naples, he packed up his art collection and a second vase collection and sent them back to England. A small part of the second vase collection went down with HMS  Colossus off the Scilly Isles. The surviving part of

7980-425: Was first revealed to guests in the spring of 1787 by Sir William at his home in Naples. It formed a sort of charade , with the audience guessing the names of the classical characters and scenes Emma portrayed. With the aid of her shawls, Emma posed as various classical figures from Medea to Queen Cleopatra , and her performances charmed aristocrats, artists such as Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun , writers—including

8075-402: Was lonely. "After having lived 22 years en famille it is most terrible to live chiefly alone", he wrote to his niece. Meanwhile, Greville, who wanted to search for a wealthy wife, was hatching a plan to persuade his uncle to take Emma off his hands. Somewhat reluctantly Hamilton agreed to the plan and Emma arrived in Naples on her 21st birthday, 26 April 1786. With her was her mother, who went by

8170-459: Was mercilessly lampooned in the press. However, his sister observed that he doted on Emma and she was very attached to him. The Hamiltons moved into William Beckford's mansion at 22 Grosvenor Square , and Nelson and Fanny took an expensive furnished house at 17 Dover Street , a comfortable walking distance away, until December, when Sir William rented a home at 23 Piccadilly , opposite Green Park . On 1 January, Nelson's promotion to vice admiral

8265-531: Was read in November; William inherited his entire estate (including Bronte ) except for Merton, as well as his bank accounts and possessions. The government had made William an Earl and his son Horatio (also known as Horace) a Viscount – the titles Nelson had aspired to – and now he was also Duke of Bronte . Emma received £2000, Merton, and £500 per annum from the Bronte estate – much less than she had when Nelson

8360-408: Was recorded as Horatia Nelson Thompson, and her date of birth falsely recorded as 29 October 1800 in order to continue the pretence that she had been born in Naples and was godchild of Emma and Nelson, according to Kate Williams and based on an unpublished letter; however the only publicly available transcription of the record shows 29 October 1801. Nelson later wrote a letter explaining that the child

8455-574: Was referred to as Emma's "foster daughter" in a letter. Nelson urged her to keep Horatia at Merton, and when his return seemed imminent in 1804, Emma ran up bills on furnishing and decorating Merton. Five-year-old Horatia came to live at Merton in May 1805. There were reports that she took holidays with Emma Carew. But there still remained one problem: Fanny. As long as Fanny lived Emma could not marry Nelson. This increasingly got on Emma's nerves and on on July 24, 1804 she wrote Davison: The apoticary's widdow,

8550-622: Was some weeks before she heard that Nelson's last words were of her and that he had begged the nation to take care of her and Horatia. After Nelson's brother William and his wife Sarah distanced themselves from her (William being elated upon hearing that Nelson had not changed his will), she relied on Nelson's sisters (Kitty Matcham and Susanna Bolton) for moral support and company. Like her, the Boltons and Matchams had spent lavishly in expectation of Nelson's victorious return, and Emma gave them and other of his friends and relations money. Nelson's will

8645-616: Was sterile. She once again tried to persuade him to allow her daughter to come and live with them in the Palazzo Sessa as her mother Mrs Cadogan's niece, but he refused this as well as her request to make enquiries in England about suitors for the young Emma. Nelson returned to Naples five years later, on 22 September 1798 a living legend, after his victory at the Battle of the Nile in Aboukir , with his step-son Josiah Nisbet, then 18 years old. By this time, Nelson's adventures had prematurely aged him; he had lost an arm and most of his teeth, and

8740-414: Was then that Emma became the subject of many of Romney's most famous portraits, and soon became London's biggest celebrity. So began Romney's lifelong obsession with her, sketching her nude and clothed in many poses that he later used to create paintings in her absence. Through the popularity of Romney's work and particularly of his striking-looking young model, Emma became well known in society circles, under

8835-708: Was to transform the house into a celebration of his genius. There they lived together openly, with Sir William and Emma's mother, in a ménage à trois that fascinated the public. Emma turned herself to winning over Nelson's family, nursing his 80-year-old father Edmund for 10 days at Merton, who loved her and thought of moving into the home with them, but he could not bear to leave his beloved Norfolk. Emma also made herself useful to Nelson's sisters Kitty (Catherine), married to George Matcham , and Susanna, married to Thomas Bolton, by helping to raise their children and to make ends meet. Nelson's sister-in-law Sarah (married to William), also pressed him for assistance and favours, including

8930-450: Was twenty-six and he was sixty. Although she was obliged to use her legal name of Amy Lyon on the marriage register, the wedding gave her the title Lady Hamilton which she would use for the rest of her life. Hamilton's public career was now at its height and during their visit he was inducted into the Privy Council . Shortly after the ceremony, Romney painted his last portrait of Emma from life, The Ambassadress , after which he plunged into

9025-479: Was witnessed by Charlotte Mary Nelson (the daughter of Nelson's brother William) and Emma Hartley (Emma's daughter Emma Carew). She was desperately lonely, preoccupied with attempting to turn Merton Place into the grand home Nelson desired, suffering from several ailments and frantic for his return. The child, a girl (reportedly named Emma), died about 6 weeks after her birth in early 1804, and Horatia became ill at her home with Mrs Gibson on Titchfield Street. Emma kept

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