44-1040: Keppel may refer to: People [ edit ] Alice Keppel (1869–1947), English society figure, Edward VII's last mistress, and great grandmother to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle (1670–1718), the right-hand man of William of Orange Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel (1725–1786), British admiral Colin Richard Keppel (1862–1947), Henry Keppel's son, British admiral Cynthia Keppel , American nuclear physicist Edwin Keppel Bennett (1887–1958), British academic Francis Keppel (1916–1990), American educator George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle (1724–1772), British general George Keppel (1865–1947), British Army officer, husband of Alice Keppel Henry Keppel (1809–1904), British admiral Judith Keppel (b. 1942), British, first million-pound winner on Who Wants to Be
88-552: A Pope who kept mistresses. While the extremely wealthy might keep a mistress for life (as George II of Great Britain did with " Mrs Howard ", even after they were no longer romantically linked), such was not the case for most kept women. In 1736, when George II was newly ascendant, Henry Fielding (in Pasquin ) has his Lord Place say, "[...] but, miss, every one now keeps and is kept; there are no such things as marriages now-a-days, unless merely Smithfield contracts, and that for
132-469: A tableau vivant and done that lady credit." Keppel was the inspiration for the character "Mrs Romola Cheyne" in Vita Sackville-West 's novel The Edwardians . She was hailed as one of the beauties of the "naughty nineties", described as having alabaster skin, large blue eyes, a small waist, chestnut hair and a large bust. In 1898, the 29-year-old Keppel met Edward, Prince of Wales ,
176-625: A Millionaire? Keppel "Kep" Enderby (1926–2015), Australian politician, cabinet minister, lawyer and judge Robert D. Keppel , American detective and criminal profiler known for his work with Ted Bundy Samuel B. Keppel (1846–1903), American politician from Pennsylvania Valentine S. Keppel (1865–1940), American politician Willem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle (1702–1754), British soldier, diplomat and courtier William Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle (1772–1849), British aristocrat William Coutts Keppel (1832–1894), British soldier Places [ edit ] Hummelo en Keppel ,
220-770: A former municipality in the Netherlands Various places in Singapore named after Henry Keppel , including: Keppel Bay Towers and the associated roads Keppel Bay Drive, Keppel Bay View and Keppel Bay Vista; Keppel Harbour , Keppel Hill and Keppel Road Keppel Island in the Falkland Islands Great Keppel Island in Australia Electoral district of Keppel in Queensland, Australia Keppel Island,
264-534: A former name for the Tongan island of Niuatoputapu Keppel Street , London Others [ edit ] Keppel Union School District , a school district serving eastern Palmdale, California and its suburbs Keppel Ltd. , a Singaporean company Wilson, Keppel and Betty , a British music hall act MV Keppel , a Scottish ferry A shade of cyan Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
308-443: A husband, preferring to maintain absolute power alone. In literature, D. H. Lawrence 's 1928 novel Lady Chatterley's Lover portrays a situation where a woman becomes the mistress of her husband's gamekeeper . Until recently, a woman's taking a socially inferior lover was considered much more shocking than the reverse situation. As divorce became more socially acceptable, it was easier for men to divorce their wives and marry
352-454: A single "favourite mistress" or "official mistress" (in French, maîtresse-en-titre ), as with Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour . The mistresses of both Louis XV (especially Madame de Pompadour) and Charles II were often considered to exert great influence over their lovers, the relationships being open secrets . Other than wealthy merchants and kings, Alexander VI is but one example of
396-409: A wealthy man so that she would be available for his sexual pleasure. Such a woman could move between the roles of a mistress and a courtesan depending on her situation and environment. Whereas the word "lover" was used when the illicit female partner was married to another man. In modern contexts, the word "mistress" is used primarily to refer to the female lover, married or unmarried, of a person who
440-432: Is married, without the kept woman aspects. In the case of an unmarried person, "mistress" is not usually used. Instead, when the woman is unmarried, it is common to speak of a " girlfriend " or a " partner ", and when the woman is married, she is called their "lover". The term "mistress" was originally used as the neutral feminine counterpart to "mister" or "master" . In referring to those of higher social status, it meant
484-412: Is stable and at least semi-permanent, but the couple do not live together openly. The relationship is often, but not always, secret. There is often also the implication that the mistress is sometimes "kept" – i.e., her lover is paying all or some of her living expenses. Historically the term "mistress" denoted a "kept woman", who was maintained in a comfortable, or even lavish, lifestyle by
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#1732780934552528-532: Is the great-grandmother of Queen Camilla , the former mistress and second wife of Edward VII's great-great-grandson King Charles III . Alice Frederica Edmonstone (known as "Freddie" to her family) was born on 29 April 1868 in Woolwich Dockyard , Kent, to Mary Elizabeth, née Parsons (1823–1902), and Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet (1810–1888), who was serving as Superintendent at the Dockyard at
572-728: The 7th Earl of Albemarle . He was four years older than Alice and was serving as a soldier in the British Army at the time of their marriage. The Keppel family had a history of service to the British monarchy as descendants of Arnold Joost van Keppel , who had accompanied King William III to Britain in 1688 and been granted the title Earl of Albemarle in 1696. George and Alice Keppel had two daughters: Violet Trefusis (6 June 1894 – 29 February 1972) and Sonia Cubitt (24 May 1900 – 16 August 1986). Her husband's lack of money led Alice to engage in affairs with richer men in order to keep
616-537: The Cimitero Evangelico degli Allori in Florence. Mistress (lover) A mistress or kept woman is a woman who is in a relatively long-term sexual and romantic relationship with someone who is married to a different person. A mistress is usually in a long-term relationship with a person who is married to someone else and is often referred to as "the other woman". Generally, the relationship
660-650: The First World War , Keppel helped her friend Lady Sarah Wilson run a hospital for wounded soldiers in Boulogne . In 1925, Keppel and her husband moved to Italy , buying the palazzo of Villa dell' Ombrellino in Bellosguardo in Florence . The villa had been the home of the scientist Galileo , the poet Foscolo and the scholar C. E. Norton . Keppel commissioned the architect Cecil Pinsent to lay out
704-487: The Privy Purse , the king gave Keppel shares in a rubber company; these later gained her £50,000, the equivalent of around £7.5 million today. King Edward VII let his own bankers and financial advisers manage her businesses. He also secured a good job for her husband which paid a higher salary. According to Christopher Hibbert, "George cheerfully went to work for Sir Thomas Lipton , who obligingly found him employment at
748-493: The 56-year-old heir apparent to the British throne. Despite a 27-year age difference, she soon became Edward's mistress. Keppel lived at 30 Portman Square , where Edward regularly visited her; her husband conveniently left during the visits. Her relationship with Edward lasted through his ascension to the throne as King Edward VII in 1901 and until his death in 1910. Keppel was one of the few people in Edward VII's circle who
792-589: The Ritz Hotel, was heard to say, "Things were done much better in my day." In 1946, the Keppels returned to their palazzo in Italy, and a year later, on 11 September 1947, Alice died of cirrhosis of the liver . Her husband George died two and a half months later, in his permanent suite kept at the Ritz Hotel. It was said that he could not live without her, having been married for 56 years. They are both buried in
836-506: The best-known society hostesses of the Edwardian era . She was described as being witty, kind and even-tempered. Her elder daughter Violet wrote that, "She not only had a gift of happiness but she excelled in making others happy, she resembled a Christmas tree laden with presents for everyone". The British writer Sir Harold Acton described Keppel: "None could compete with her glamour as a hostess. She could have impersonated Britannia in
880-596: The court along more traditional lines, and Keppel was not invited to attend. In November 1910, the Keppels left Britain. Keppel stated it was because of her children's education, but it may also have been because of the King's death which had made her life change. The family spent two years travelling in the Far East and Ceylon . In 1910, the King had bought a new house for the Keppels at 16 Grosvenor Street, in London. During
924-538: The distinction between a "kept woman" and a prostitute is all-important. Defenders of the practice of mistresses referred to the practice in the ancient Near East of keeping a concubine ; they frequently quoted verses from the Old Testament to show that mistress-keeping was an ancient practice that was, if not acceptable, at least understandable. John Dryden , in Annus Mirabilis , suggested that
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#1732780934552968-424: The end." Her affairs were conducted with his knowledge, and despite a deep affection for his wife, he also had affairs. "Very fond of women himself, he raised no objection to the prince's friendship with his wife", wrote the historian Christopher Hibbert . Despite affairs on both sides, one of her daughters described her parents' marriage as a "marriage of companionship of love and laughter". Keppel became one of
1012-471: The family up with the lifestyle of London society of those times. She began her first affair with Ernest Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe , and members of the Keppel family believed that Beckett was the biological father of Keppel's daughter Violet. Alice also had an affair with Humphrey Sturt, 2nd Baron Alington . Keppel's husband once said of her: "I do not mind what she does as long as she comes back to me in
1056-476: The future British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill . During her early time in Italy in the 1920s, her daughters Violet and Sonia sometimes remained in the UK, as by then they were both married. Keppel and her husband returned to the UK in 1940 following the onset of World War II . On 11 December 1936, when Edward VII's grandson, Edward VIII , abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson , Keppel, while dining at
1100-629: The home since the 14th century of the Edmonstone family , who were direct descendants of the Royal House of Stuart . The castle had been a wedding gift from King Robert III of Scotland to his daughter Mary Stewart, Princess of Scotland , when she married her fourth husband, Sir William Edmonstone of Culloden , in 1425. On 1 June 1891, at the age of 23, she married the Honourable Lt Col George Keppel , son of
1144-570: The king and his ministers. She knew how to present a topic to him so that he would listen, even if sometimes he disagreed. The Viceroy of India once said that "there were one or two occasions when the King was in disagreement with the Foreign Office , and I was able, through her, to advise the King with a view to the foreign policy of the government being accepted." Keppel's influence was founded on her discretion, social finesse, and conversational skill. Her best known contribution to politics
1188-576: The king's keeping of mistresses and production of bastards was a result of his abundance of generosity and spirit. In its more sinister form, the theme of being "kept" is never far from the surface in novels about women as victims in the 18th century in England , whether in the novels of Eliza Haywood or Samuel Richardson (whose heroines in Pamela and Clarissa are both put in a position of being threatened with sexual degradation and being reduced to
1232-474: The loyal mistress of a slain knight , who buries her dead lover and then dies of the exertion, as she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. The ballad-maker assigned this role to the knight's mistress ("leman" was the term common at the time) rather than to his wife. In the courts of Europe, particularly Versailles and Whitehall in the 17th and 18th centuries, a mistress often wielded great power and influence. A king might have numerous mistresses but have
1276-415: The most prominent society hostesses of the Edwardian era . Her beauty, charm and discretion impressed London society and brought her to the attention of the future King Edward VII in 1898, when he was still Prince of Wales, whose mistress she remained until his death, lightening the dark moods of his later years, and holding considerable influence. Through her younger daughter, Sonia Cubitt , Alice Keppel
1320-474: The prince's instigation." With her influence, Keppel also found her brother Archie (Sir Archibald Edmonstone, 5th Baronet of Duntreath) a place in the royal household : Archie was Groom in Waiting for the final three years of King Edward VII's reign. Keppel later took care of him and of his family. After Edward, Prince of Wales, became king in 1901, Keppel's discretion made her a perfect communicator between
1364-458: The social ranks, essentially to any man who could afford to do so. Any man who could afford a mistress could have one (or more), regardless of social position. A wealthy merchant or a young noble might have had a kept woman. Being a mistress was typically an occupation for a younger woman who, if she were fortunate, might go on to marry her lover or another man of rank. The ballad " The Three Ravens " (published in 1611, but possibly older) extolls
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1408-670: The status of a kept object). With the Romantics of the early 19th century, the subject of "keeping" becomes more problematic, in that a non-marital sexual union can occasionally be celebrated as a woman's free choice and a noble alternative. Mary Ann Evans (better known as George Eliot ) defiantly lived "in sin" with a married man, partially as a sign of her independence of middle-class morality. Her independence required that she not be "kept". Women adored him and he adored women. He married three times and had numerous mistresses. (Yet another Jimmyism: 'When you marry your mistress you create
1452-482: The support of families; but then the husband and wife both take into keeping within a fortnight". Occasionally the mistress is in a superior position both financially and socially to her lover. As a widow, Catherine the Great was known to have been involved with several successive men during her reign; but, like many powerful women of her era, in spite of being a widow free to marry, she chose not to share her power with
1496-575: The time. Besides his position as a baronet , her father was a retired admiral in the Royal Navy , and her maternal grandfather Lieut.-Col. John Whitehill Parsons (1786–1848) had been a governor of the Ionian Islands . Alice was the youngest of one brother and seven sisters, and while growing up she was closer to her brother Sir Archibald Edmonstone, 5th Baronet of Duntreath (Archie), than her sisters. Alice grew up at Duntreath Castle ,
1540-579: The title Keppel . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keppel&oldid=1204082610 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Alice Keppel Alice Frederica Keppel ( née Edmonstone ; 29 April 1868 – 11 September 1947)
1584-526: The villa terrace with bisecting paths, which she named a 'Union Jack garden'; and after her death her daughter Violet maintained the villa and its garden. Keppel and her husband hosted social gatherings at the villa which attracted prominent people in society; among them the exiled King and Queen of Greece, the King and Queen of Yugoslavia, the exiled Queen of Spain , Alice's relatives Major Walter Basil Louis Bonn and Lt. Col. Colin Keppel Davidson, and
1628-502: The woman married to the owner, or renter, of the house, and was a term of deferential respect. The historically best known and most-researched mistresses are the royal mistresses of European monarchs , for example, Agnès Sorel , Diane de Poitiers , Barbara Villiers , Nell Gwyn , Madame de Montespan and Madame de Pompadour . The keeping of a mistress in Europe was not confined to royalty and nobility , but permeated down through
1672-500: The women who, in earlier years, might have been their mistresses. The practice of having a mistress continued among some married men, especially the wealthy. Occasionally, men married their mistresses. The late Sir James Goldsmith , on marrying his mistress, Lady Annabel Birley , declared, "When you marry your mistress, you create a job vacancy". In both John Cleland 's 1748 novel Fanny Hill and Daniel Defoe 's 1722 Moll Flanders , as well as in countless novels of feminine peril,
1716-666: Was able to smooth his mood swings. Edward's wife, Alexandra of Denmark , was fond of Keppel and tolerant of the liaison. She preferred Keppel to Edward's previous mistress, Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick , whom she disliked for being indiscreet when she showed off her position. Millicent Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland , Lady Warwick's half sister, stated that the prince was "a much pleasanter child since he changed mistresses". Through her royal association, Keppel became more affluent. The king permitted friends such as Sir Ernest Cassel to create endowments that kept her financially secure. Instead of giving her money directly from
1760-458: Was an aristocrat, British society hostess and a long-time mistress of King Edward VII . Keppel grew up at Duntreath Castle, the family seat of the Edmonstone baronets in Scotland . She was the youngest child of Mary Elizabeth, née Parsons, and Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet . In 1891 she married George Keppel , an army officer, and they had two daughters. Alice Keppel became one of
1804-412: Was enough to get an arguable topic dropped into conversation to gauge effect, which was reported back to the King." British prime minister H. H. Asquith and his wife Margot once thanked her for her "wise counsel" in a letter. However, she disliked any mention of her political involvement with the king being made in public. In 1933, when Margot Asquith 's memoir was published, she was annoyed that her name
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1848-414: Was her role as a Liberal hostess. In this role, she acted as a representative for Edward and noted Liberals and was able to help Edward's causes. What influence she had in politics is unknown, but it is stated the king listened to her and depended on her advice. Biographer Raymond Lamont-Brown states: "He completely trusted Alice and through her...he could make his political opinion known. A message to Alice
1892-601: Was mentioned as the king's political advisor. Though Alice Keppel was known for her persuasiveness, her efforts to encourage the king to abandon his smoking and heavy eating were unsuccessful. Concerned about the king's health, she wrote a letter to the Portuguese Minister Marquis de Soveral , shortly after Edward fell ill: "I want you to try and get the King to see proper doctor about his knee....do what you can with your famous tact and of course don't tell anyone I wrote to you." Her letter, although read,
1936-548: Was not acted upon. King Edward's death made Keppel so grief-stricken that at his deathbed she had to be escorted out of his room by members of the Royal Household. Embarrassed by her behaviour, she later tried to minimise her dramatic outburst, but eventually admitted that she had been unable to control herself. The Edwardian age was over at the king's death, as was Alice Keppel's reign as favoured mistress. The new king and queen, George V and Mary of Teck , organised
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