Dollar Princesses

In the late 1800s, American industrialists were raking in cash and living like princes, but they had no way, other than their mansions, servants and yachts, of making it clear that they were better than everyone else. Meanwhile, across the pond, the British aristocracy had come on hard times. They still had their titles, historic estates and aire of superiority, but they were running low on funds. This became a match made somewhere south of heaven when hundreds of American heiresses married cash-strapped British noblemen. Millions of dowry dollars crossed the pond to renovate ancient English mansions and bolster the ailing peerage, while American fathers got to brag that they had a baroness or a duchess in the family. There was even a magazine, “The Titled American” in which British nobles with a title to sell could advertise their eligibility to rich American ladies. But marriages based on exchanging cash for coronets weren’t always destined to be happy. Let’s get to know five of the American women who became Dollar Princesses...

Jennie Jerome

Consuelo Yznaga

Consuelo Vanderbilt

Mary Leiter

Nancy Langhorne Shaw

Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History!

Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091781568503

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyteatimelindsayholiday/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyteatime

Please consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday and help me make more fascinating episodes!

Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell

Music: Butterflies In Love by Sir Cubworth

Angevin - Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

#HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday

Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on this podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices