an amazing biography of a figure i had no previous knowledge on before opening this book. Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston was such an interesting figure and is deserving of her own biography. the author does a superb job in writing a compelling biography of a figure from a time period removed from our modern notions. i found the work to be well researched and easy to follow.

Thank you so much to NG and the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Duchess Countess is a non-fiction biography of sorts of Elizabeth Chudleigh. Elizabeth was a character to put it mildly. Her life was interesting to read about and Ostler clearly did thorough research. I would be interested in reading this author again as they did a good job of making history not a snooze fest!

What a life! Elizabeth Chudleigh certainly made the best of some less-than-ideal circumstances in her life. It was a different time, and she worked hard for a title and reputation that seemingly meant everything to her.

Elizabeth Chudleigh was born to a comfortable life, if not an extravagant one. All that could have possibly changed when her father died while she was still a child. She, her brother, and their mother lost the housing that came with his job, and their lives and futures became suddenly much less secure. Elizabeth’s big break came from her placement as a maid of honor to Augusta, Princess of Wales. It was a position for spinsters, but many were married soon as they were presented and entertained at court. Elizabeth, though, made some impetuous choices that left her as a maid of honor for much longer than most of the others in the position.

This story starts out really dry, as it introduces all the characters of the royal family and court. A reader with more interest may have recognized more names and kept them straight, but without existing background, all the details became confusing quickly. Once the facts of the drama were established, it all became entertaining.

The author gives others’ opinions of what mental illness or other condition may have inspired Elizabeth’s over-the-top behaviors, but without an actual live patient to examine, most of these opinions were really just conjecture and labeling. Without having lived in the time period, few of us could say what behaviors were normal or not.

Overall, I’d give this book 3 out of 5 stars and I’m glad I’ve learned more about the early 1700's in England and the surrounding areas. Elizabeth’s potential falls from grace were made more interesting with her blatant denial that she could ever be anything other than a titled lady of means. Those with an interest in biographies of the period would definitely appreciate the author’s detailed descriptions of Elizabeth, those around her, and the lives they led.

This was a slow read but worth it in the end. I’d recommend this to people interested in savoring a reflective read. It’ll stick with you long after you’ve finished reading.

Written more like a thesis than a story, this book was just to dry for my liking. It's obvious that the author put much effort into their research but the book is just not my cup of tea. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is reality tv for the 18th century! Scandalous and so entertaining!! Once I picked it up, I could not put it down, and best of all it’s fascinating to think it’s based on true events!
Even though I had never heard of Elizabeth Chudleigh before, this book gave me a great sense of knowledge of who she was, and the English Royal Court.. oh my!
Please make this into a movie, starring Nicole Kidman please! I pictured her face the entire time. Definitely for fans of any royal court, fans of Bridgerton, The Great (on hulu) you’ll love this one!

Not surprisingly, I had not previously heard of Elizabeth Chudleigh. This infamous character lived a surprising life filled with drama. From her childhood to her eventual exile in Russia, I was fascinated with her story.

Unlike most women in history, the Duchess-Countess’ life is well documented, and author Ostler's research of her topic is obvious in the telling of Chudleigh’s story. While my eyes glazed over at the reading of the vast and detailed family lineage at the start of the book, overall, this real-life story is filled with great drama and suspense. I was unable to put the book down!

I found the "somethings never change" scenarios of the media using Chudleigh as a way to sell papers and the politicos using her as a diversion from news of America’s war for independence frustrating. Yes, in hindsight, Chudleigh made some errors in judgement, but most were made from the desperation of a woman's inability to make own assets and make a life for herself.

I am enamored of books which cast a different light on a topic with which I am familiar, or dig up forgotten figures from the past. This lovely book does both. I often wonder which issues which loom so large in the present day will be known to history, (Quemoy and Matsu anyone?). The Duchess of Kingston, Elizabeth Chudleigh, was a notorious figure in her own day, yet unknown in ours.

What a terrific book this is. The writing is excellent, and the story of this spirited woman captivates the reader. It is better than a novel because it's true. At the height of her infamy the story of Elizabeth Chudleigh was more prominent in the British papers than the war in the American colonies. It is well worth reading.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The finery covered every inch of the room as she glanced around the four walls. Her maid chatted as she helped her get ready, pulling the strings of her corset tight without a pause in her story. Her lungs constricted and she cursed the contraption while her maid fetched a new gown from her wardrobe. Her heart fluttered with anticipation, but not good anticipation… she was set to attend a trial… her own trial.

The Duchess Countess tells the true story of Elizabeth Chudleigh, a woman in the throes of a scandalous life. It was interesting to get a look into her life and learn about a woman who was heavily demonized in the 18th century. I’ve always been fascinated with that era of time and you could tell the author took a lot of time on her research of Elizabeth’s life.

While this book was interesting to read, I did not like how the author diagnosed a historical figure with a mental illness. There is no proof of this and it was very ableist of the author to just assume and put that label on a woman who has no ability to speak for herself.

If you’re interested in 18th century history and would like nonfiction version of Bridgerton, then this book may be for you.

I LOOOOVED this book! It was so fun to read. The writing was incredible and the plot was intriguing. I love reading about this time period, especially when it's about people who may not normally get written about. Well done!

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. Elizabeth Chudleigh is the scandalous Duchess Countess who dominated the news in England at the same time the Americans were rebelling in the Colonies. Chudleigh began life in an idyllic setting, but with the death of her father, her life changed forever. She managed to become a 'maid of honour' in the King's Court, where her beauty and charm made her a favorite of the royal set. For some unclear reason, she married a man who soon left her to sail the seas. She had a son who died in infancy and then thought she had dissolved her marriage. She then married the Duke of Kingston and upon his death, his family challenged the will and the validity of her marriage. Elizabeth Chudleigh was a free spirit who defied the constraints of the British society she lived in. She made friends with a Pope, as well as Catherine the Empress of Russia. She spent money recklessly throughout Europe and refused to let the English courts demonize her. Sometimes I liked her spirit and at other times, I found her irritating. Certainly, some of her troubles she brought upon herself. While her story is definitely a unique one, I found all of the name-dropping by the author tedious. I could not keep track of all the earls, dukes, princes, etc. who constantly appeared on every page. While author Catherine Ostler does know her British royalty, the many people and their backstories were not only overwhelming, but distracting. Ostler would have done well to stick with her main character, Elizabeth, and focus on her.

Catherine Ostler’s non fiction book The Duchess Countess is the strange story of Elizabeth Chudleigh (1721-1788), an 18th century woman who had looks, ambition and opportunity, but who had the bad fortune to bet on the wrong pony. Reading the book, I couldn’t help but think that Elizabeth’s life repeatedly took bad turns. Our lives are shaped by the times we live in, but in Elizabeth’s case, she was constrained by the standards of her time.

Elizabeth’s father was lieutenant governor of the Royal hospital but his sudden early demise found his widow and his two children, Elizabeth and her brother, Thomas tossed out of their home with scanty means. Thomas and Elizabeth’s uncle, Sir George Chudleigh married an heiress, but when he died, Thomas was set to inherit the baronetcy and “much of the family estate.” It looked as though fortune had turned in their favour, but then Thomas was killed in battle at age 22. Back to no prospects for Elizabeth.


Thanks to the influence of a family friend, William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, Elizabeth became a maid-of-honour to Augusta, wife of Frederick heir to George II. This was “the most glamourous position available to a single girl of Elizabeth’s background.” Elizabeth seemed made for the role; she was fashionable, witty, stylish and according to one report, “a vixen.” The problem was that being a maid-of-honour wasn’t an end in itself–it was essentially a stepping stone. Many maids-of-honour married very well, but Elizabeth, although beautiful was penniless. Plus the prince’s household was at odds with King George II’s household and the two were sharply divided into factions. Being a maid-of-honour was expensive. Elizabeth was paid 200 pounds a year, yet details here reveal that some women spent 100 pounds on a single dress. The pressure was on for Elizabeth, who was essentially dependent on her own mental resources, to find a rich husband. At first this seemed to be achieved when Elizabeth met James Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton and they fell in love, Hamilton was a “chaotic figure who liked dogs hunting, women and drink.” They were “secret lovers, perhaps even privately engaged,” but Hamilton sailed off on his Grand Tour without making a declaration.

And it’s here that the story gets weird. Elizabeth and her Aunt Ann retreated to Hampshire where she met Augustus Hervey. They married secretly and a short while later, he, in the navy, sailed off. In the eyes of the world, Elizabeth was a single woman when she returned to court and her scandalous life. She certainly carried on as if she were a single woman. Hervey, in the meantime, had a decent naval career and gained a reputation as a libertine. In time he returned to England and it’s almost as though Hervey and Elizabeth forgot they had ever been married–although some shreds of jealousy remained and Hervey paid some of Elizabeth’s substantial debts.

Years rolled on, and Elizabeth fell in love with Evelyn Pierrepoint, Duke of Kingston, an incredibly wealthy man who did not have the best of health but who adored Elizabeth. Now in middle age, heavily in debt, Elizabeth needed to marry. But wait wasn’t she already married? Hervey, about to become Earl, wanted a divorce, but Elizabeth claimed they were never married in the first place. Only a man could sue for divorce.

Elizabeth did not want a divorce, for several reasons. First, her adultery would have to be proved, which required an action for “crim.con” as it was known in order to be successful; then a private act of parliament would have to be obtained. For Parliament to dissolve the marriage there would therefore have to be a shameful parade of marital history. Allegations of adultery and deceit would be publicly humiliating, and on a practical note, if she accepted that she was married, her property belonged to Hervey, not her. As if that was not enough, it was unclear whether the Duke of Kingston would be willing to marry a divorcee with her reputation in shreds. Even Elizabeth was not that much of a risk taker.

Elizabeth was in the uncomfortable position of juggling scandal, debt, forgery and Time with her desire to marry the Duke. After a grimy court case, Elizabeth, aided by forgery, was declared not married, so she married the Duke. He died leaving Elizabeth all his money. By that time, Hervey was Earl of Bristol, which made Elizabeth, the countess of Bristol. The Duke’s family leveled the charge of bigamy against Elizabeth, and so there was another trial. This is such an odd story, and there’s the sense that had the stars been kinder, Elizabeth’s fate would have been different. Her life was punctuated by the early deaths of her brother and father, a strange betrayal by her aunt, the death of a child by Hervey, marriage to two wealthy men and public opinion cruelly against her. I enjoyed the all the details regarding the cost of her clothing etc, but I never felt as though I got into Elizabeth’s head. The author mentioned a few times that Elizabeth could be borderline personality disorder. I am not a psychiatrist/psychologist but I dismissed that label as we really cannot appreciate the pressures Elizabeth, with a short shelf life, was under to nail a man, permanently.

Review copy.

The story of Elizabeth Chudleigh is one that might fall under 'truth is stranger than fiction'- or at least more dramatic- and Catherine Ostler does a good job of captivating the reader from the beginning of her book, The Duchess Countess, investing them in Elizabeth's journey. Through the highs and lows, the trials (both figurative and literal) and triumphs of her life, Elizabeth travelled among the highest circles of English and European aristocracy. She knew everyone and everyone knew her. While this was often the secret to her success it also became part of her downfall.

With her father and brother dying while she was still young, Elizabeth learned early on the lessons that women in her time had little security without the men in their family. She never wanted to be dependent on others if she could depend on herself instead. Pure luck, family connections, beauty and wit combined to get her the position of a maid of honor to the Princess of Wales- a position which meant Elizabeth met nearly everyone worth knowing and had brilliant marriage opportunities despite her lack of fortune. But she threw those away to secretly married Augustus Hervey, a second son to a Count. The two swore to keep it secret and he went on a naval ship a few days later. They almost instantly regretted the marriage and and both were good at acting like it hadn't happened-especially Augustus who apparently took womanizing to a whole new level. When Elizabeth met the Duke of Kingston she knew it was the real thing, unable to marry the two still were in love, he subsidized building projects, parties, and anything else wanted until she was declared free to marry. Reading this book, it is impossible to believe the two weren't genuinely in love and that it was love, not money or title, that attracted Elizabeth. Naturally many at the time were not so kind- especially the Duke's nephews who were looking forward to inheriting. With his tragic death, the vultures descended and Elizabeth found herself fighting once more- this time not only for her husband's will but for her own marriage, as the Kingston family wanted her declared a bigamist. This became the trial of the century and absorbed the country's interest more than the war with the American colonies.

Convicted of bigamy but still fighting for her inheritance, Elizabeth left England for the Continent. Hoping for a more friendly atmosphere she travelled Europe and eventually found her way to Russia and the court of Catherine the Great. Still calling herself the Duchess of Kingston since she refused to accept the House of Lord's verdict against her, Russia was one of the only places that would acknowledge her as a duchess. Elizabeth was lucky enough to hit Russia during their craze for all things English, and being extremely rich and able to gift Catherine and her inner circle with paintings and jewels helped ease her way. Mixed success, lavish spending, and continued trials regarding money plagued her for the rest of her life, as did the Duke of Kingston's nephews. While Elizabeth herself was a generous woman and always tried to forgive others and help them, sadly it seems she was never treated as well as she tried to treat others.

Anyone who thinks history is dry and dull has clearly not been paying attention to recent streaming service offerings, and The Duchess Countess would make a brilliant addition to these ranks. It's all here: drama, fashion, jewels, tragedy, love, hatred, glittering balls, venomous barbs, politics, kings, queens, legal dramas, clandestine marriages that may or may not actually be marriages. Ostler does a brilliant job explaining the complexities different kinds of marriage at the time- many people weren't sure if they were or were not married based on some of the laws so when Elizabeth and Augustus faced off years later it wasn't as odd as it would seem to us today for the ecclesiastical courts to declare them not married. And it seems more like Elizabeth got caught up in politics when her marriage came before the House of Lords years later than anything else.

Elizabeth Chudleigh was a woman who knew men held all the power in her world and refused to accept being pushed into the role of a quiet, subservient, invisible, woman. Whether she accepted the double standard of the day where men could have mistresses and second families and then judge her for marrying when she thought she was free to do so, or whether she was angered by it we don't know. But she believed in herself and believed she could do what pleased her, ignoring jealous and venomous critics along the way. Does that make her an 'adventuress' as Thackery makes the antiheroine Becky Sharpe, always looking out for herself? Someone desperate for advancement at all costs? I don't think so. I think this is the story of a woman ahead of her time, challenging society- and frightening society with that challenge.

Excellent research and writing will keep those afraid of 'dry' history glued to the pages of this fascinating story. Elizabeth Chudleigh's story is that of a woman ahead of her time, one who made mistakes, but refused to hide away and instead enjoyed life to the fullest. She faced life's challenges and the men who challenged her head on and never apologized when she thought she was right.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A nonfiction book that dives deep into Elizabeth Chudleigh's epic life. From somewhat obscurity to sitting right next to a princess, Elizabeth had a sharp rise and a hard fall.

I love when an author introduces me to someone in history that I didn't know anything about and makes me want to read more and more from that time and place. Elizabeth Chudleigh had such a life. Her quick marriage at a young age and then her quick return to her previous life and then the love that entered her life later, it was so interesting to read. I also loved her time in Russia with Catherine as I am a fan of the Hulu show, The Great. I haven't started the second season, so I am intrigued to see if Elizabeth makes an appearance in the show!

While there were moments in the book where I felt like the author got a little too deep into the weeds, there was quickly some action that kept me reading and reading. I would have loved to listen to this one as I tend to really enjoy non fiction via audio.

After finishing, I found out this was a debut and I sure hope that Catherine has another woman up her to sleeve to research because I want to learn more about another woman who made an impact in history.

The Duchess Countess: The Woman Who Scandalized Eighteenth-Century London was an interesting read and I am giving it three stars.

Who doesn't love a story about a famously scandalous woman who didn't give a fig if people thought she was a good girl or not? I know I love these types of tales from history. Elizabeth Chudleigh was fashionable, adventurous, witty, and proud. Put on trial for bigamy, for which she vigorously fought against, she was a woman you couldn't look away from. Pick this up if you love history.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

“The Duchess Countess” by Catherine Ostler is a deep-dive on the life of Elizabeth Chudleigh and society in Georgian England. The book follows a linear chronicle of Elizabeth’s life, but also delves into the history of those around her, specifically the Hanoverian royal family and court. Elizabeth’s life was fascinating and compelling, and I enjoyed learning about her and society in 18th century Britain. My one serious gripe with this book is the author’s early assertion (repeated several times) that Elizabeth was suffering from bipolar disorder; the statement did not seem to be backed-up with much evidence and it was not central to the author’s thesis. Modern diagnoses of historical figures do not sit well with me and it soured the story a bit.

Elizabeth Chudleigh, the Duchess-Countess, has led a rather interesting life to say the least. A lady-in-waiting in the English royal court, she was tried for bigamy in her later years - not that is not all that is there to her, as the author makes the case.

I had never heard of Elizabeth Chudleigh before, but I have become convinced through this book that she exemplifies the spirit the lush and luxurious Georgian era. The writing is really lovely, creating vivid scenes of the time and place, and the reader is well-grounded in all the factors that would have guided the actions of the players. There was a good amount of suspense to the point that the book read like a novel at times, though it is clearly well-researched too.

I did question the hindsight diagnosis of a possible personality disorder that Elizabeth could have suffered from though, as I don't know that it was adequately evidenced yet the author cited it fairly often. However this is not really detract from my enjoyment of the book.

All in all a strong and engaging biography that should appeal to a wide audience of historical fiction and historical romance as well the more usual suspects.

This book was obviously well researched, however all of the details detracted from the main story. In an ironic way, I felt like the attendees of the trial - expecting scandal and getting paperwork. The main draw of the book was almost a footnote in the influx of details. Since most of my audience is fantasy/fiction, it's not something I'll be able to pass on.

Thank you Catherine Ostler for giving us a book that was as informative as it was fun to read. History was brought to life and the reader got to see it first hand. As the saying goes, well behaved women seldom make history!

Thank you again Catherine Ostler and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to experience this book.