Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Gilded Age Season 3.
One of the best parts about HBO’sThe Gilded Ageis that it incorporates so many historical accuracies into its storytelling.Real-life figuressuch as Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) and J.P. Morgan (Bill Camp) help bring the late 19th century to life in such a magnificent way. But creatorJulian Fellowesalso alwaysmakes sure to tell storiesthat feel compelling and continue to make us want to tune in to every episode. Fans ofThe Gilded Agehave been caught up in all the love stories and thefascinating caste differencesbetween the wealthy characters and their staff. There is one storyline that has us on the edge of our seats (and helps infuse some of that intriguing history into the mix).
Bertha Is Determined To Marry Off Gladys to the Duke of Buckingham in ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3
Since the very first episodeofThe Gilded Age, Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) has shown that she has a singular focus: to climb to the very top of American society. She will stop at nothing to ensure that her family has a future that is the envy of everyone. Bertha has never been one to shy away from manipulations and threats, and that means she typically gets her way in the end. When Bertha is introduced to Harold, the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb)in Season 2, she suddenly has a one-track mind: to use the Duke to get whatever she wants. She is able to convince him to attend the Metropolitan Opera House’s opening, in the Russells' box, and cements her status as someone holding all the cards in the upper crust of the New York elite.While it’s not implicitly spelled out, it seems that Bertha might havepromised the Duke her daughter’s handin marriagein exchange for his cooperation in the Opera Wars.
In Season 3, Bertha insists that Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) keep herself out of any other engagements, so that she might be free if the Duke does ask her to marry him.Gladys holds out hope that she’ll be able to marry for love, but there’s no way that Bertha is backing down. She cannot fathom that Gladys wouldn’t want to marry royalty, especially because it would give her such an impressive status in society. Both Bertha and George (Morgan Spector) assure Gladys that the marriage would be beneficial to her and would allow her to influence the world in a way that Bertha has only dreamed of. Despite Gladys’s attempt to get engaged to Billy Carlton (Matt Walker),by the end of Episode 2, she does seem to be headed to the lion’s den with the arrival of the Duke in New York.
‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 Review: HBO’s Most Consistent Period Drama Is No Longer Playing It Safe
‘The Gilded Age’ Season 3 premieres June 22.
‘The Gilded Age’s Duke of Buckingham Is a Fictional Character
As real as the Duke of Buckingham sounds,this version inThe Gilded Ageis actually not based on a real-life person. That particular title has been used throughout British history, includingmemorably in the 2024 series,Mary and George. But none of them quite match the Duke that pops up with ourGilded Agecharacters. However, there is definitely a kernel of truth to a duke arriving in America in order to find a bride.
Many members of European royalty visited American families with new money during the 1870s through 1890s, with the express purpose of marrying. Nobles were starting to lose their fortunes during the Industrial Revolution and needed to find a way to retain their wealth. There were plenty of heiresses in the U.S. who were happy to trade their riches for a fancy title. These womencame to be known as “buccaneers"or “dollar princesses,” and examples of this trend have been found recently in television shows, such asDownton AbbeyandThe Buccaneers. So, it makes sense thatThe Gilded Age’s writers would include a storyline featuring a Duke who has come to America in hopes of marriage.
We Might Already Know Gladys’ Fate in ‘The Gilded Age’
Although the Duke’s character might not be based on a specific person, Gladys' character and storyline could be based on a well-known figure during this time period.The Gilded Ageseems to havetaken inspiration for Gladys from Consuelo Vanderbilt, the daughter ofWilliam KissamandAlva Vanderbilt. Just like Gladys, Consuelo was determined to marry for love, but her parents had other plans for her. It was arranged for her to marry the ninth Duke of Marlborough in 1895. It was alleged thatshe had to be locked in her bedroomthe night before the wedding so that she wouldn’t escape and run off. There were also claims that she had to have tears sponged off her face during the wedding because she was so despondent. Because Bertha has been so dead-set on following through with this engagement, it seems like Gladys might be following in Consuelo’s footsteps.
Just as Gladys is surmising about what could happen if she marries her own Duke, Consuelo’s marriage did end in disaster as well. In real life, Consuelo and the Duke of Marlborough ended up being completely unhappy, and the Duke wasn’t even satisfied with his dowry of $2.5 million (which would amount to almost $75 million today).Allegedly, the Duke told Consuelo right after the wedding that he had only married her in order to save his home.Although he was indeed able to renovate his palace near Oxford and build an additional estate in Mayfair, the couple were never content together. They lived apart in the U.K. for most of their 25-year marriage,separated officially in 1906, and divorced in 1920. The marriage was annulled in 1926. Consuelo eventually married a Frenchman namedJacques Balsanand moved back to the U.S., where they stayed happily married until his death. She died at the age of 87 in 1964.
Despite being the Duchess of Marlborough for a time, Consuelo would likely have been happier if she had been able to choose her own path. Of course, this should be a lesson for Bertha, who justmight be locking her daughter into a loveless marriage(that could take Gladys years to get out of).IfThe Gilded Agedoes continue to model Gladys' character after Consuelo, poor Gladys might be saddled with the Dukefor many more episodes. As tragic as that would be, it would make for a completely compelling storyline for Season 3, and would help groundThe Gilded Ageeven more in historical fact. There might not have been this particular Duke of Buckingham, but there was a Consuelo, who also couldn’t escape her parents' clutches.
New episodes ofThe Gilded Ageair on Sunday nights on HBO and are available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S.
The Gilded Age
A wide-eyed young scion of a conservative family embarks on a mission to infiltrate the wealthy neighboring clan dominated by ruthless railroad tycoon George Russell, his rakish son, Larry, and his ambitious wife, Bertha.
