Duchess, Countess

By: Catherine Ostler

Narrated by: Catherine Ostler

Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

A Vogue Best Book of 2021

When the glamorous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall for bigamy in April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than the American War of Independence.

A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder the trial was a sensation. However, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Rather than backing gracefully out of the limelight, she embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe, being welcomed by the Pope and Catherine the Great among others.

As maid of honour to Augusta, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth led her life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court and her exploits delighted and scandalised the press and the people. She made headlines, and was a constant feature in penny prints and gossip columns. Writers were intrigued by her. Thackeray drew on Elizabeth as inspiration for his calculating, alluring Becky Sharp. But her behaviour, often depicted as attention-seeking and manipulative, hid a more complex tale – that of Elizabeth’s fight to overcome personal tragedy and loss.

Now, in this brilliantly told and evocative biography, Catherine Ostler takes a fresh look at Elizabeth’s story and seeks to understand and reappraise a woman who refused to be defined by society’s expectations of her. A woman who was by turns, brave, loving and generous but also reckless, greedy and insecure; a woman totally unwilling to accept the female status of underdog or to hand over all the power, the glory and the adventures of life to men.

©2021 Catherine Ostler (P)2021 Simon & Schuster UK

Critic reviews

"Outrageously scandalous, soaked in sex and money, aristocracy, adventure and grandeur.... Catherine Ostler, accomplished storyteller, is the perfect writer to restore the Duchess Countess to life." (Simon Sebag Montefiore)

"A scintillating story superbly told.... [Ostler] packs every paragraph with eye-opening detail." (Ysenda Maxtone Graham, The Times)

"A rollicking read...[Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto." (Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times)

Excellent writing, grating narration

I really dislike it when publishers encourage writers to read their own work—rarely do their talents as narrators match their talents as writers.

This is a well-written and well-researched book, and I think I will enjoy reading the print version, but the author’s voice is so terrible and grating that I just can’t finish the audio version.

Ugh Bad Narration

I think this would be an interesting book but the narrator is awful, so awful. There’s another version of this book on Audible with a different cover but unfortunately the same narrator. I tried but I will be returning. Listen to the sample. She’s loud and overly dramatic, every word… dramatic. This would be a great book with the right narrator. You may be able to tolerate the narration but I gave it a good 3 hours to see if I could adjust to it and I couldn’t.