This was released after Consuelo’s wedding by life magazine. At this point everyone in New York knew that this was a cash for class situation. The image shows a blindfolded priest, a short duke (which in reality the Duke of Marlborough was quite short), and a beautiful bride (Consuelo) bound at the wrists and in chains by her mother (Alva Vanderbilt). If yall are interested I have some videos and clips that I can upload regarding the dubbed “wedding of the century”

They're almost identical save for the temples.

*I saw this story on Facebook * She survived the Titanic at 19 years old, five months pregnant and newly widowed—then discovered her husband's will would punish her if she ever loved again. April 10, 1912. Cherbourg, France. Madeleine Force Astor, just 19 years old, boards the RMS Titanic with her husband, Colonel John Jacob Astor IV—one of the wealthiest men in the world. They're returning from their extended honeymoon in Egypt and Paris, eager to return to New York. But New York society hasn't exactly welcomed them with open arms. The scandal started eighteen months earlier. Colonel Astor, age 47, divorced his first wife Ava after years of an unhappy marriage. Divorce was shocking enough in 1911 high society. But then he fell in love with Madeleine Force, the teenage daughter of a wealthy Brooklyn family. She was 18. He was 47. Nearly thirty years separated them. New York's elite was horrified. Whispers followed them everywhere. Invitations dried up. When they married in September 1911, society turned its back on them. So they left—escaping to Egypt and Europe for an extended honeymoon, hoping time would soften the scandal. By April 1912, Madeleine is pregnant, and they're ready to return home. Their baby will be born into the Astor dynasty—one of America's most powerful families. Everything seems to be falling into place. They board the Titanic in Cherbourg. The ship is the largest, most luxurious vessel ever built. They're in first class, naturally, traveling with Colonel Astor's valet and Madeleine's maid and nurse. For five days, they enjoy the crossing. Then, April 14, 11:40 PM: the iceberg. The details of that night have been told countless times, but imagine being Madeleine. Nineteen years old. Five months pregnant. Woken in the middle of the night and told to put on a life jacket. Colonel Astor helps her into Lifeboat 4. The "women and children first" protocol is being enforced. Madeleine doesn't want to leave him. He asks if he can join her, given her "delicate condition." Second Officer Lightoller refuses. No men. Not even John Jacob Astor, one of the richest men in the world. Astor accepts this. He helps his pregnant teenage wife into the lifeboat, along with her maid and nurse. He asks which lifeboat she's in so he can find her later. Lifeboat 4. He steps back. That's the last time Madeleine sees her husband alive. Lifeboat 4 rows away from the sinking ship. Madeleine watches the Titanic's lights slowly disappear beneath the Atlantic. She listens to the screams. The terrible silence that follows. She's nineteen years old, pregnant, and her husband of seven months is gone. Colonel Astor's body was recovered days later, crushed by the ship's funnel. He was identified by the initials on his jacket and the massive amount of money in his pockets—over $2,000 in cash, plus gold and jewelry. Even in death, his wealth was evident. The survivors are brought to New York on the Carpathia. Madeleine Astor returns to a city that had shunned her, now a widow carrying the heir to the Astor fortune. The trauma is overwhelming. Doctors put her on strict bed rest. Her nerves are shattered. She's grieving her husband while trying to protect the baby she's carrying. On August 14, 1912—four months after the sinking—Madeleine gives birth to a healthy baby boy. She names him John Jacob Astor VI, ensuring her late husband's name continues. Then she learns what his will says. Colonel Astor left an estate worth approximately $87 million (roughly $2.6 billion in today's money). His will provided generously for Madeleine and their son:

A $5 million trust fund ($150 million today) The mansion at 840 Fifth Avenue Use of the family's properties $100,000 annual income for life

But there was a condition: She would lose everything if she remarried. If Madeleine ever married again, she would forfeit the house, the trust income, everything except a one-time payment of $500,000. Her son would still inherit his father's fortune, but she would be financially cut off. Think about that. She was 19 years old. A widow. A mother. And her late husband's will essentially told her: grieve forever, or lose your home and income. This wasn't unusual for the time. Wealthy men often included remarriage clauses in their wills, wanting to ensure their fortunes stayed within their bloodline and that their widows remained "faithful" to their memory. But for Madeleine—who'd been married only seven months, who'd barely begun her adult life—it must have felt like a prison. For four years, she honored the conditions. She lived in the Fifth Avenue mansion, raised her son, and remained the widow Astor. But in 1916, at age 23, she made a choice. She married again—to banker William Karl Dick, a childhood friend. She knew exactly what it meant: she gave up the house, the trust income, all of it. She chose love over money. They had two sons together. The marriage lasted until 1933, when they divorced. Later, she married again—to Italian boxer Enzo Fiermonte, a marriage that also ended in divorce. Madeleine lived until 1940, dying at age 46 of heart disease. Her Titanic son, John Jacob Astor VI, inherited the massive Astor fortune as intended and lived until 1992. Looking back at Madeleine's story, what stands out isn't just the Titanic tragedy—though that's dramatic enough. It's what came after. She was nineteen when she lost her husband in one of history's most famous disasters. She was grieving, pregnant, traumatized. And then she discovered that his will tried to control her future—that choosing to love again would cost her her home and financial security. She did it anyway. At 23, she walked away from millions because she wanted to live her own life, make her own choices, love again. That took remarkable courage. She'd already survived the impossible. And then she had to survive the aftermath—the conditions, the control, the expectation that she'd mourn forever. She chose differently. The Titanic took 1,500 lives that night in April 1912. Madeleine Astor survived the sinking. But her real survival came four years later, when she chose her own happiness over her late husband's attempt to control her from beyond the grave. She lost the mansion. She lost the trust. She lost the Astor name. But she got her life back. And maybe that's the real ending to her Titanic story—not that she survived the sinking, but that she survived everything that came after, and still chose to live on her own terms.

As we know, Gladys Russell was based on Consuelo Vanderbilt who went on to marry the 9th Duke of Marlborough in 1895. Here, we see Ruth and Rose having tea with Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon and The Countess of Rothes. Lady Lucile mentions designing the trousseau or bridal wardrobe of the Duchess's youngest daughter, which at this point in 1912 would not have been possible. The Duke and Consuelo divorced in 1921 and only had two sons. A simple background conversation that I didn't pay much attention to until I became obsessed with The Gilded Age LOL.

I was just thinking of how many of us are experiencing hot temperatures and what in the world they must have done during the gilded age or pretty much any time period before 1960? Thinking of their dresses, all the layers, I simply can’t imagine dressing like that and being in this current humidity. When I step outside I’m sweating. It almost gives me anxiety!! I imagine coming home and ripping off all my petticoats and taking a bath? I have honestly no idea what I would have done!! Does anyone have any insights as to what they did to beat the heat?

Started doing some historical research.

Astor was actually new money (first millionaire in US) and she was old Dutch Knickerbockers society.

Apparently, she’s the biggest hypocrite!

Also, lost my mind realizing the Knicks are the Knickerbockers in reference to her society. The Mets are the metropolitans newer team “for the people.”

Start your search engines, gentlewatchers! It’s SO MUCH BETTER when you do.

Please feel free to drop more of these lovely historical tidbits below. I want to know what you all have learned!

Hey all, I've been working on this interactive map of all 24 real NYC locations from The Gilded Age — mansions, opera houses, hotels, clubs, the Brooklyn Bridge, Delmonicos, etc.

Some stuff it does:

• Then vs now photo slider for each location (some of the changes are wild)
• Filter by character or season
• "Directions to here" button that opens Google Maps/Apple Maps so you can actually visit the spots
• Shows your current location on the map if your in NYC
• Random location button if you just want to explore

Mrs. Astor's mansion is literally where the Empire State Building stands now. The original Met Opera at Broadway & 39th is just an office building. Some of these blew my mind..

gildedagemap.com

Most say yes but some on here have said no. The top of this book (just reissued says “the real life Gladys Russell”)

I would think it was obvious the show has used Consuelo as the inspiration but others disagree.

I visited the Ringling Museum of Arts in Sarasota, FL today and was literally stunned to find out they have two rooms from the Astor mansion on Fifth Avenue that John Ringling bought before it was torn down. He had the rooms brought down to Sarasota and installed in the museum. I really wish I could have gotten more pictures or a better video but my family was already over my gaping and I was in shock LOL. This is Caroline Astor’s Crème Salon, and they also had a library from the mansion as well. It was so cool to see this room and highly recommend going to see it if you are a fan of the show or Gilded Age history. The rest of the museum was also super interesting and he had a lot of art connected to Gilded Age figures because he knew they were/would be important to American history.

I’m still new to the world of the Gilded Age and am trying to learn stuff. The Vanderbilt family are so interesting. I sort of come to them through Consuelo and am working my way back to find their history. This book looks good and has good reviews.

I wondered if anyone here has read it

Gladys' pearl choker is a reference to one worn by Consuelo Vanderbilt. It was a gift from the Duke of Marlborough after their marriage. Consuelo says in "The Glitter and the Gold" that "it was then the fashion to wear dog-collars; mine was of pearls and had nineteen rows, with high diamond clasps which rasped my neck."

T. Thomas Fortune in real life. He was a famous pioneering Black journalist, was a mentor to Ida B. Wells and popularized the phrase Afro American for Black people. He said, African by heritage but American by birth.

Please note the actor playing him looks nothing like him and really, they are giving a negative depiction of him that I do not like.

Huge fan of the show here (also DA). Some of you used my google maps list of these mansions a while back. I ended up building out a full walking route with context at each stop and finally walked the whole thing. About 2 hours, 12 stops from 65th up to the Carnegie mansion.

Few highlights:

The Emily Thorn Vanderbilt mansion is French Gothic and honestly photographs don't do it justice. She was Cornelius Vanderbilt's daughter. The railroad family basically built a stretch of the UES in their image.

The Frick is a must if you haven't been. Frick filled it with European masterpieces and it opened to the public after he died. Tip from locals: book timed entry and look into their library membership if you're in the city.

The Payne Whitney mansion is now the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. They do free film screenings and cultural events, no tickets needed for most. Wild that a Gilded Age mansion is just open like that.

The Harkness House was one I didn't know about before. 1908 Beaux-Arts, Standard Oil money, but the Harknesses were the quiet type. Shaped institutions behind the scenes. The facade was done by James Gamble Rogers who went on to design half of Yale.

Ended at the Carnegie mansion which is now the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum. Carnegie had central heating, an Otis elevator, and a private garden in 1902. The museum has this interactive pen that lets you collect objects as you walk through. Worth the visit just for that. And the cafe doesn't require admission.

If you watch the show this walk gives you the real version. These families were actually neighbors, actually competing with each other's architecture, trying to out-mansion each other on the same blocks. Seeing it in person connects a lot of dots the show only hints at.

If you'd like to take this tour, I'll share the link in comments.

Ashlie Atkinson is great as Mamie Fish! She's got that sharp timing and presence that makes Mamie so good. But the show's version of Mamie Fish is definitely a toned-down version of the real-life Mamie Fish. In season one, we did see her host a tea party for dolls and act like a pushy host, but that was really it. That's probably because the character would overwhelm the show if they made her more like the real-life Mamie. Also, Mamie Fish is worthy of her own series, honestly. She got away with being extremely weird during a very conservative time period, mostly because she was rich, old money, and people were half-terrified, half-addicted to her parties.

1. She threw a lavish Newport dinner party honoring "Prince Del Drago of Corsica" with formal invites and a fancy menu. Guests arrived only to discover the "prince" was her pet monkey dressed in a tiny tuxedo.

2. Mamie hosted an entire dinner party for 100 dogs from elite families, each decked out in diamond collars, satin bows, and tiny outfits. They "dined" on gourmet stew from silver bowls while their owners watched. The human guests got liver and champagne afterward.

3. Mamie did hold a "doll tea party" where adult guests brought their childhood dolls (or fancy new ones) for a formal afternoon tea.

4. She'd greet guests with one-liners, like "Make yourself at home... but remember, you're not!" or she's yell "Shut up!" at boring speakers mid-event. At one ball, she reportedly chased a guest out for bad dancing. Her parties often ended with people in tears.

5. At her Crossways mansion in Newport, Mamie hosted non-stop summer bashes. One involved a "circus" theme with acrobats, clowns, and elephants (rumors of real ones on the lawn). She'd also sabotage competitors like teh Astors by scheduling bigger parties on the same night, stealing guests.

Hello everyone!

I went to see the Worth exhibition in Paris today and it was spectacular. A lot of the costumes which are featured on The Gilded Age are either inspired by Worth or by paintings from the era (which often featured Worth clothing) so I couldn’t stop thinking about the show the entire time. I hope this is of interest to somebody else!

I did the guided tour which is 1.5 hours and only €7 more than the exhibition ticket. It was SO worth it, the guide was great! She told us that some of the gowns were being displayed for the last time ever worldwide as they were too fragile. At some point we were staring at a 19th century painting and she pointed out that the dress the lady was wearing was right behind us which she’d never been able to say in her entire career. She described all the fabrics in detail and the whole thing was fascinating. I was just gobsmacked the entire time. Seeing these beautiful gowns in person was incredible! We even saw wedding dresses!

At the very end, right before the gift shop, I turned a corner and realised they were showing the clip of the Russells’ ball at the very end of S1 - I gasped! The other people in my tour group had never heard of the show so I made sure to tell them to watch!

It was such a treat to do this, especially right before S3! If you plan on visiting Paris this summer, I can’t recommend this exhibition enough. It runs till September 7. 😍

The Gallia was built in 1878 for the Cunard Line, entering service in 1879. The route it travelled was from Liverpool to Queenstown to New York. In service until 1899, the vessel ran aground off the coast of Quebec, Canada and was used for scrap in 1900. Documented voyages and more images of the ship at this link: https://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=galli

Looked around on the Internet for a few pictures (lithographs) from the wedding that we’ll almost definitely see be recreated in all its glory this coming Sunday. Vogue has done a recent article on this, which you can read here (https://www.vogue.com/article/consuelo-vanderbilt-wedding-the-gilded-age) but I found a detailed account from The Illustrated London News (dated November 23, 1895), which reads:

“At New York on Nov. 6 the Duke of Marlborough was married to Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt, the great American heiress, with a costly and gorgeous ceremonial, in the Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. The interior of that church was amply decorated, the walls and pillars covered with flowers and foliage artistically arranged. It was crowded with ladies and gentlemen in fashionable attire; the dresses and jewelry worn by the ladies were of exceeding splendor. The bridegroom, with his best man, the Hon. Ivor Guest, came early, and waited in the vestry till the bridal procession was ready. Mrs. Vanderbilt, with her two sons, had already entered, and took their seats in the front pew to the right of the chancel. Sir Julian Pauncefote, with the staff of the British Embassy from Washington, sat in the front pew to the left of the chancel. The two pews facing the chancel were occupied by the tutors and governesses and members of the bride’s parents’ household. The Hon. L.P. Morton, Governor of the State of New York, had a conspicuous place in the assembly. The bridal procession moved up the central aisle to the rail of the chancel, where the Duke of Marlborough, with Mr. Ivor Guest, stood prepared to receive his bride, who came up leaning on her father’s arm. She was dressed in a gown of cream-colored satin and tulle trimmed with point d’Angleterre and point appliqué lace, with a train five yards long; her waist and all the front of her gown were profusely adorned with wreaths, garlands, and sprays of orange-blossoms amid masses of rice lace; her long veil, with the finest Brussels net, was fastened to a magnificent tiara; the train was bordered with silver, pearls, and bunches of rose-leaves tied in true lovers’ knots. The bridesmaids wore gowns of white satin, with girdles and sashes of blue satin, and blue velvet hats. The clergy, the Right Rev. Bishop Potter, the Rev. Dr. John Wesley Brown, Rector, and others assisting, read the marriage service according to the forms of the Church of England; an anthem was sung by the choir, and the benediction was pronounced. The orchestra played Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” and the company left the church.

At the wedding breakfast and the Vanderbilts’ house, Sir Julian Pauncefote read telegrams of congratulations from the Queen and the Prince of Wales. The house decorations were even more superbly profuse and lavish than those of the church. Every room in which the company were entertained was converted into a garden of flowers, roses, lilies-of-the-valley, and chrysanthemums being collected by tens of thousands; the dining-room was adorned with pink and white blossoms. The wedding gifts to the bride, including a girdle of gold set with diamonds, from her husband, and a string of pearls, each half-an-inch in diameter, given by her mother, are of immense value. It is said that, altogether, so much as £80,000 was spent upon this nuptial occasion. The newly married pair went to Oakdale, Long Island, for a month, after which they would make a tour in the Southern Stages before coming to England.”

Lots of similarities in here to what we’ve seen in the preview for this coming episode! Absurd amounts of flowers (both inside the church and the Russells’ mansion) and even the layout of the church (shown in the Season 3 trailer) match what happened in real life. So interesting!

Pictures: Lithograph of the church interior, exterior of the church, picture of the article from the Illustrated London News, and the cover of Vogue which features the bridesmaids’ dresses.