Emma Hamilton, in one of dozens of portraits by George Romney, at the height of her beauty in the 1780s

Emma, Lady Hamilton (born 1761); baptized April 26, 1765 – January 16, 1815) is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson. She was born Amy Lyon in Neston, Cheshire, England, the daughter of a blacksmith, Henry Lyons, who died when she was two months old. She was brought up by her mother, formerly Mary Kidd, at Hawarden, with no formal education. She later changed her name to Emma Hart. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Portrait of Miss Willoughby, second half of 18th century. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1765 (MDCCLXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... April 5-12: Mount Tambora explodes, changing climate. ... Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV of France. ... Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ... Neston is the name of more than one place in the United Kingdom: Neston, Cheshire Neston, Wiltshire This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Blacksmith (disambiguation). ... Hawarden (pronounced Harden; Welsh: Penarlâg) is a small town in Flintshire, north Wales, a few miles from the city of Chester. ...

Early life

By 1782 the 21-year-old Emma was already very well known in London society, having been taken from a brothel "into keeping" as the mistress of several men, and as the model of the "Goddess of Health" for James Graham, a Scottish "quack" doctor. (In 1780, at the age of 19, she reportedly had a daughter by a "patron", Sir Harry Featherstonhaugh, named Emma Carew, who was brought up by her grandmother in Wales. As a young woman, Emma Carew saw her mother reasonably frequently, but later when her mother fell into debt, Emma Carew was forced to leave the country to work abroad as a companion or governess, and probably died not long after her mother). This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A brothel, also known as a bordello or whorehouse, is an establishment specifically dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sex with the clients. ... This article is about the country. ... Pietro Longhi: The Charlatan, 1757 Quackery is a derogatory term used to describe questionable medical practices. ... This article is about the country. ...

Emma lived with the Honorable Charles Francis Greville (1749–1809), (son of Francis Greville, 1st Earl of Warwick) a young aristocrat who was deeply in love with her and sent her to sit for his friend, the painter, George Romney. In 1786, needing to find a rich wife to replenish his finances, he sent her to Naples to be the mistress of his uncle, Sir William Hamilton, British Envoy to Naples, in return for making Greville his heir. The Hon. ... The Earl of Warwick is one of the oldest English earldoms. ... Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ... Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ... William Hamilton Sir William Douglas Hamilton (December 13, 1730–April 6, 1803) was a Scottish diplomat, antiquarian, archaeologist and volcanologist. ...

Emma Hamilton, after the portraits by George Romney

Image File history File links Emma,_Lady_Hamilton_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_16914. ... Image File history File links Emma,_Lady_Hamilton_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_16914. ...

Marriage to Sir William Hamilton

Sir William was smitten with Emma and, to Greville's shock, married her on September 6, 1791 at St. George's, Hanover Square, London. As Sir William's mistress and then wife, Emma developed what she called her "Attitudes", a cross between postures, dance, and acting, that took Europe by storm. Using a few shawls, she posed as various classical figures from Medea to Queen Cleopatra, and her performances charmed aristocrats, artists, writers — including the great Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — and kings and queens alike, setting off new dance trends across Europe and starting a fashion for a draped Grecian style of dress. is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... St George Hanover Square is a Church of England church in what now the City of Westminster, built in the early 18th century. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... This article is about the Greek mythological figure. ... Cleopatra was a co-ruler of Egypt with her father (Ptolemy XII Auletes), her brothers/husbands Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, consummated a liaison with Gaius Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne, and, after Caesars assassination, aligned with Mark Antony, with whom she produced twins. ... Goethe redirects here. ... The noun Greek refers to: Synonymous to Grecian; a native or inhabitant of Greece, or a person of Greek descent. ...

The meeting with Nelson

Lady Hamilton became a close friend of Queen Maria Carolina, wife of Ferdinand I of Naples. As wife of the British Envoy, she welcomed Nelson in 1793, when he came to gather reinforcements against the French. He returned to Naples five years later, a living legend, after his win at the Battle of the Nile in Aboukir. However, Nelson's adventures had prematurely aged him: he had lost an arm and most of his teeth, and was afflicted by coughing spells. Emma reportedly fainted when she saw him. Still, she nursed him under her husband's roof, and arranged a party with 1,800 guests to celebrate his 40th birthday. They soon fell in love and their affair seems to have been tolerated, and perhaps even encouraged, by the elderly Sir William, who showed nothing but admiration and respect for Nelson, and vice-versa. HM Queen Marie Caroline of Naples and Sicily Her Majesty Queen Marie Caroline of Naples and Sicily née Her Imperial & Royal Highness Archduchess Marie Caroline of Austria (13 August 1752- 8 September 1814) was queen consort and de facto ruler of Naples from 1768 to 1799 and from 1799... King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (January 12, 1751 - January 4, 1825). ... Combatants Britain France Commanders Horatio Nelson François-Paul Brueys DAigalliers† Strength 14 ships of the line: * 13 x 74-gun, * 1 x 50-gun, 1 sloop 13 ships of the line: * 1 x 120-gun, * 3 x 80-gun, * 9 x 74gun, 4 frigates, some smaller Casualties 218... Abū Qīr (Arabic أبو قير) (also Abukir or Aboukir) was a village on the Egypt, twenty-three kilometers (fourteen and one-half miles) northeast of Alexandria by rail, containing a castle used as a state prison by Muhammad Ali of Egypt. ...

Emma gave birth to Nelson's daughter Horatia, on January 31, 1801 at Sir William's rented home in Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London. By the autumn of the same year, Nelson bought Merton Place, a small ramshackle house on the outskirts of modern day Wimbledon. There he lived openly with Emma, and Sir William (along with Emma's mother) in a menage a trois that fascinated the public. The newspapers reported on their every move, looking to Emma to set fashions in dress, home decoration and even dinner party menus. Piccadilly is a major London street, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. ... , This article is about the district of London. ... A ménage à trois (also sometimes known as a trio, threesome, or three-way) is a sexual relationship involving three people. ... Dinner is a term with several meanings. ...

Sir William died in 1803 and Nelson returned to sea soon after, leaving Emma pregnant with their second child. She was desperately lonely, preoccupied with attempting to turn Merton Place into the grand home Nelson desired, and frantic for his return. The child, a girl, died a few weeks after her birth in early 1803. Emma reportedly distracted herself by gambling, and spending lavishly.

The final years

After Nelson's death in 1805, Emma (who had quickly exhausted the small pension Sir William had left her), fell deeply into debt. (Nelson had willed his estate to his brother; he gave her Merton, but Emma exhausted her finances by trying to keep it up as a monument to him). In spite of Nelson's status as a national hero, the instructions he left to the government to provide for Emma and Horatia were ignored (they showered honours on his brother instead). Sir Galahad, a hero of Arthurian legend In many myths and folk tales, a hero is a man or woman (the latter often called a heroine), traditionally the protagonist of a story, legend or saga, commonly possessed of abilities or character far greater than that of a typical person, which...

Emma was to spend a year in debtor's prison (Horatia was with her at the time), before moving to France to try to escape her creditors. Turning to drink, she died in poverty of liver failure in Calais in January 1815. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Liver failure is the final stage of liver disease. ... Calais (Kales in Dutch) is a town in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ...

Lady Hamilton as a Bacchante, by Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, 1790–1791. Vesuvius, an interest of Sir William's, is in the background.

Horatia subsequently married the Rev. Philip Ward, and lived until 1881. She had ten children: Horatio Nelson (born 8 December 1822); Eleanor Phillipa (born April 1824); Marmaduke Philip Smyth (born 27 May 1825); John James Stephen (13 February 1827–1829); Nelson (born 8 May 1828); William George (born 8 April 1830); Edmund Nelson (1831); Horatia Nelson (born 24 November 1833), Philip (born May 1834) and Caroline (born January 1836). Image File history File links LadyHamilton. ... Image File history File links LadyHamilton. ... Self Portrait in a Straw Hat, 1782 Elisabeth-Louise Vigee-LeBrun (April 16, 1755 - March 30, 1842) was a French painter, the most famous woman painter of the 18th century. ... Mount Vesuvius (Italian: Monte Vesuvio) is a volcano east of Naples, Italy, located at 40°49′N 14°26′ E. It is the only active volcano on the European mainland, although it is not currently erupting. ...

The Italian dessert Zuppa Inglese, a more alcohol-laced version of the English trifle, is claimed to date from Lady Hamilton's time in Naples. There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Trifle A trifle is a British dessert dish made from thick (or often solidified) custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or, more recently, jelly (American term: gelatin) and whipped cream, usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom, custard and cream on top. ...

Appearances in Fiction

• Jasper Fforde wrote Emma Hamilton into his book Something Rotten where Emma was brought back from the past to the year 1988, and enjoyed a short relationship with the fictional character Hamlet.
• Susan Sontag authored a novel based on Emma, Hamilton, Nelson, and their historical position called The Volcano Lover.
• Terence Rattigan published A Bequest to the Nation in 1970, based on his 1966 television play Nelson.
• Geraldine James played Lady Hamilton in the 1982 television miniseries I Remember Nelson.
• Glenda Jackson starred as Lady Hamilton in the 1973 film The Nelson Affair.
• Corinne Griffith starred as Lady Hamilton in the 1929 film The Divine Lady.
• Vivien Leigh starred as Lady Hamilton, with Laurence Olivier as Lord Nelson, in Alexander Korda's 1941 film Lady Hamilton (released in the U.S. as That Hamilton Woman), a film which Winston Churchill is reported to have seen "more than a hundred times".
• In the BBC comedy Blackadder the Third (Series 3) Lady Hamilton is referenced in recurring similes meant to question the chastity and virtue of women promoted as chaste yet known not to be.

Jasper Fforde (born in London on 11 January 1961) is an English novelist. ... Something Rotten is the fourth book in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. ... For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ... Image needed Susan Sontag (January 16, 1933 – December 28, 2004) was an American essayist, novelist, filmmaker, and activist. ... The Volcano Lover is a 1992 novel by Susan Sontag, set largely in Naples It focuses upon Emma Hamilton, her marriage to William Hamilton, the scandal relating to her affair with Lord Nelson, her abandonment, and her descent into poverty. ... Terence Rattigan — British Playwright Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (June 10, 1911 – November 30, 1977) was one of Englands most important 20th century dramatists. ... Geraldine James is a British actress who lives in London. ... Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson, CBE, (born 9 May 1936) is a two-time Academy Award-winning British actress and politician, currently Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hampstead and Highgate in the London Borough of Camden. ... Promotional Picture Corinne Griffith was a Hollywood actress who is believed to have been born in Texarkana, Texas, on November 24, 1895. ... The Divine Lady is a 1929 film which tells the story of the love affair between Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton. ... Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier (November 5, 1913 – July 8, 1967) was a two-time Academy Award winning English actress. ... Sir Alexander Korda (September 16, 1893 - January 23, 1956) was a film director and producer, a leading figure in the British film industry and the founder of London Films. ... That Hamilton Woman is a 1941 historical film drama, directed by Alexander Korda, for Alexander Korda Films. ... Churchill redirects here. ... Blackadder the Third was the third series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September 1987 to 22 October 1987. ...

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Emma Hamilton

• Kate Williams England's Mistress (October, 2006).
• Flora Fraser, Beloved Emma (1986)
• Mollie Hardwick, Emma, Lady Hamilton (1969)
• Norah Lofts, Emma Hamilton (1978)
• Oliver Warner, Emma Hamilton and Sir William (1960)

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Flora Fraser is a British writer, best known for her historical biographies. ... Paul C. Doherty (1946) is a British writer, with a doctorate in history from Oxford, who writes historical mysteries and novels under the pennames Anna Apostolou, Michael Clynes, Ann Dukthas, C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, and Mollie Hardwick. ... Norah Lofts (27 August 1904—10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. ... Oliver Warner was born in 1903. ...

External links

• 'Lady Hamilton as a Bacchante' in the Lady Lever Art Gallery