At the masquerade celebrating the end of the War of Austrian Succession no one could take their eyes off the beautiful Elizabeth Chudleigh. She had come, she said, as ‘Iphigenia, ready for the sacrifice’, and it was what she was wearing — or to all appearances not wearing — that caused a sensation that lasted for months.
Anne de Courcy
Shock tactics: the flamboyant life of a Hanoverian maid of honour
Elizabeth Chudleigh courted scandal all her life, and her secret marriage and trial for bigamy are vividly described by Catherine Ostler
Comments
Don't miss out
Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.
UNLOCK ACCESSAlready a subscriber? Log in