The Most Disturbing Socialite You’ve Never Heard Of
Gladys Marie Deacon was an American and European socialite and Duchess of Marlborough by way of marriage. But her sensational life story—from a tragic beginning to a fairy tale wedding and nightmarish ending—serves as a cautionary tale for those who get what they wish for.
1. She Was Born With A Silver Spoon
Gladys Deacon was born in Paris in 1881. Her parents were the wealthy American aristocrats, Edward and Florence Deacon. Through her mother, Gladys was the granddaughter of the famed American admiral, Charles H. Baldwin. It would be tragedy, however, that would mar the early years of Gladys’ life.
2. Her Mother Had Affairs
Edward and Florence Deacon were fixtures of Europe’s high society. But behind closed doors, they were hiding a dark secret. The Deacons were not happily married which meant that Florence was happy to seek "comfort" elsewhere. Gladys’ mother began carrying on an affair with a Frenchman named Emile Abeille. Her father, however, wouldn’t stand for it.
3. Her Father Did Some Digging
Gladys’ father found out that his wife was carrying on an affair and took some drastic measures to end her infidelity. Leaving little Gladys behind, Edward followed his wife and her lover to a hotel in Cannes where the two paramours were planning on having a romantic getaway. To say that Edward overreacted would be an understatement.
4. Her Father Put An End To Things
Gladys’ father confronted his wife and her lover…with a revolver. Edward let loose three bullets and put an end to Abeille, who staggered out of the room to the horror of the hotel guests. Mr. Deacon then handed himself into the local authorities. In an ironic twist of fate, revolvers would play a large role in Gladys’ later life as well.
5. She Became A Nun
While her father had to spend some time behind bars for his, ahem, transgressions, Gladys couldn’t stay at home. Her mother sent her to the Convent de l’Assomption in Auteuil, France—an ominous presage to her later years. Fortunately for the young Gladys, her unpleasant stay at the convent wouldn’t be a long one.
6. She Got Abducted
Luckily for Gladys’ father, "crimes of passion" carried lighter sentences in the 19th century. After just 12 months, he was a free man and won custody of his kids, including Gladys, in divorce proceedings. However, Florence wasn’t giving up that easily, and she came up with a disturbing plan. She abducted Gladys from the convent before her father could get her.
7. She Went To America
The on-going custody battle between Edward and Florence Deacon was about to go transcontinental. Edward was finally able to get Gladys and her sisters back from their mother—and take them far, far away. Edward took Gladys and her sisters to his home in the United States. But the happily ever after that Gladys would eventually have was still years away.
8. She Had Big Dreams
While stuck in the United States with her father, Gladys had dreams of her return to Europe. Like so many American socialites at the time, Gladys became obsessed with official titles of nobility—one in particular. Gladys set her sights on Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough. But her dreams of becoming the Duchess of Marlborough would have to wait…for now.
9. She Dabbled In Witchcraft
Eventually, Gladys learned of the Duke of Marlborough’s marriage to Consuelo Vanderbilt. She made her disappointment and frustration at the news clear in a letter to her mother: "If only I were a little older, I might catch him yet. I am too young though mature in the arts of woman’s witchcraft and what is the use of one without the other?" But she would soon be closer to her childish dreams than she realized.
10. Her Father Wasn’t Thinking
Gladys wouldn’t stay in the United States for much longer than she stayed in the convent. As it turned out, there might have been a chilling reason for her father’s earlier—shall we call it—rash behavior. Edward Deacon was suffering "paralysis of the brain," which was 19th-century code for late-stage syphilis. He passed on in 1901 and Gladys was on her way back to Paris.
11. She Had A Sweet 16
Back at home in Paris, Gladys wasted no time getting back into Europe’s highest social circles…and pursuing the man of her dreams. When Gladys was 16, she took a trip to London, where she met the Duke of Marlborough, the object of all her affections. Gladys must have used all of her charms because not long after her trip, she received an invitation to the Duke’s massive mansion, Blenheim Palace.
12. She Made A Frenemy
On her visit to Blenheim Palace, Gladys befriended the Duke’s wife, Consuelo Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt wrote of her, "She is a beautiful girl, endowed with a bright intellect, possessed of exceptional powers of conversation. I was soon subjugated by the charm of companionship and we began a friendship". But they wouldn’t be friends for much longer.
13. She Had A Stalker
While Gladys was hoping to catch the attention of the Duke of Marlborough while visiting Blenheim Palace, she unintentionally caught someone else’s eye. The Crown Prince of Prussia, Wilhelm, developed feelings—or an awkward obsession—for the young beauty. On a group outing to Oxford, he couldn’t help but stare at Gladys the whole time to everyone else’s consternation.
14. She Said, "I Don’t"
The Crown Prince of Prussia wasn’t just satisfied with staring at Gladys, he had to have her. Some stories suggest that the Crown Prince might actually have proposed to Gladys with a big diamond ring. However, Gladys had only eyes for the Duke of Marlborough so she turned down the Crown Prince. As for Wilhelm, well, he had to return the ring to the Kaiser.
Wikimedia Commons, Jennifer Dickert
15. She Was The Toast Of The Town
After she left Blenheim Palace, Gladys remained friendly with the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough—although she probably didn’t stay in touch with the Prussian Crown Prince. In the intervening years, Europe’s obsession with Gladys’ growing beauty only intensified. The Crown Prince was just the first in a long line of suitors.
16. She Made Marcel Proud
Gladys’s beauty became Europe’s obsession and she had many, many suitors. Philosophers, dukes, artists, lords, and princes alike all fell for Gladys. Even the famous French writer, Marcel Proust, wrote, "I never saw a girl with such beauty, such magnificent intelligence, such goodness, and charm". And she made use of her good looks.
17. She Conquered Europe
Gladys claimed later in her life that her "beauty, intelligence, goodness, and charm" worked on just about everyone. She claimed to have slept with "every prime minister in Europe and many kings". There’s little or no evidence to support her claims…for the most part. She may have been telling the truth about one of her many conquests, however.
18. She Was Faun-ed Over
Gladys’ mother, Florence, maintained a close friendship with the famous French artist, Auguste Rodin. And Gladys continued the tradition, though it may have been more than a friendship. Rodin sculpted the intimate statuette, "Standing Female Faun," and signed his name on the base along with "A Miss Gladys Deacon". But, again, Rodin wasn’t the real object of her affections…
Wikipedia
19. She Made A Comeback
At the age of 20, four years after her visit to Blenheim Palace, Gladys would make her return. The Duke of Marlborough invited the most-talked-about socialite in Europe back to his home at Blenheim Palace for a six-month visit. This gave Gladys all of the time she needed to make the Duke fall in love with her. There was just one problem—i.e., the Duchess of Marlborough.
20. She Seized The Opportunity
The marriage between the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough was not a happy one. In fact, it was barely a marriage at all. It was a political alliance complete with business contracts and financial obligations. Consuelo Vanderbilt had married the Duke for his title while the Duke had married her for her money. Their marriage was a loveless one…and that was all the opening Gladys needed.
21. She Played The Long Game
Gladys and Consuelo Vanderbilt had become good friends from her first visit to Blenheim Palace—but that didn’t stop Gladys from committing a heartbreaking act of betrayal. While visiting Blenheim Palace the second time, Gladys began what would be a 20-year long affair with the Duke of Marlborough. But she wasn’t about to settle for second place.
22. Her Dreams Came True
Gladys played the role of mistress to the Duke of Marlborough for 20 years. But what she really wanted, ever since she had been a little girl, was to be his wife. In 1921, after two decades of playing second fiddle, Gladys would finally get what she wanted. The Duke divorced his wife and, later that year, married Gladys in style.
23. She Looked Good In Gold
Gladys’ childhood dream finally came true when she married the Duke of Marlborough. And, of course, if she was going to marry the man of her dreams, she would have to have the wedding of her dreams. The new Duchess of Marlborough tied the knot in Paris while wearing a dress made of priceless lace and gold tissue. Sadly, it was all downhill after that.
24. She Kept An Eye On Things
After the wedding, Gladys Deacon didn't hesitate to make some personal touches to Blenheim Palace. Gladys’ stunning blue-green eyes were the primary source of her beauty and she knew it. No longer just a guest at Blenheim, the new Duchess had paintings of her stunning eyes installed on the ceiling of the main portico. Tragically, the paintings would last longer than she would.
25. She Was Afraid Of The Inevitable
Now that she had everything she wanted; Gladys Deacon just had to keep it. But beauty fades. And she was all too aware of that. Even from a young age, Gladys was terrified that her good looks wouldn’t last. That might be why she worked so hard to get the Duke of Marlborough before everything went awry—and really, considering what happened, awry was an understatement.
26. She Had A "Kink" In Her Armor
Gladys’ good looks had been the talk of Europe for decades. But, despite her beauty being the stuff that inspired poets and artists alike, Gladys was less impressed with herself. From a young age, the Duchess of Marlborough was insecure about her nose which she complained had a "kink" in it. Her insecurities would be her undoing.
27. She Wanted To Be A Greek Statue
Gladys learned about a new and exciting cosmetic procedure in Paris. The procedure claimed to give its recipients a perfect "Grecian profile" by injecting paraffin wax into their face. This was exactly what Gladys needed to address her insecurities around her nose and aging. Little did she know that things would go horribly, horribly wrong.
28. She Got Wax Surgery
Gladys left her home at Blenheim Palace and took off to Paris to have the new cosmetic treatment. The Duchess of Marlborough had paraffin wax injected into her nose and jawline. All was well for a few days after she returned home, and then disaster struck. As the old saying goes, everything that goes up must come down…
29. She’s A Cautionary Tale
The new cosmetic procedure worked. The Duchess of Marlborough had the perfect "Grecian profile" as promised…for a few days. Then, in a cruel twist, the paraffin wax in Gladys’ face slipped out of place and settled into her chin. It resulted in Gladys having a permanently disfigured chin. And her reaction to the end of her beauty days was about as dramatic as what you’d expect.
30. She Banned Her Reflection
Gladys Deacon had been the most beautiful socialite—maybe even the most beautiful woman—in Europe for decades. Naturally, she freaked out after her procedure left her with a terrible disfigurement. She just couldn’t bear the sight of herself. Literally. Gladys ordered the staff at Blenheim Palace to remove all of the mirrors from her rooms.
31. She Was A Dog Person
If she wasn’t able to look at herself, Gladys Deacon hardly expected anyone else to. The Duchess became something of a recluse after her botched surgery. Instead of entertaining guests at Blenheim Palace as her childhood dream would have been to do, she found herself entertaining dogs. Gladys became a dog breeder. Blenheim spaniels to be exact. Clearly, she had too much time on her hands.
32. Her Home Was Overrun
Gladys was so good at breeding her Blenheim spaniels that they soon overtook Blenheim Palace. The Duke of Marlborough, however, was not impressed with his wife’s new hobby. He complained that the dogs took to tearing up his expensive carpets and rugs. But he could always buy new ones—the Duke dared not confront his fragile wife.
33. Her Marriage Was On The Rocks
Gladys Deacon had always dreamt of marrying the Duke of Marlborough—but there was a disturbing dark side to their relationship. She was not so keen on the man himself. Her marriage wasn’t exactly what she had dreamed of, and not only because her botched surgery ruined her famous good looks. The Duchess and the Duke had different interests beyond breeding dogs and eventually, the two drifted apart. Gladys’ bad temper didn’t help.
34. She Slept With Protection
Gladys Deacon entertained few house guests after her disfigurement. The ones she did entertain, however, left with some particularly sensational gossip. They spoke about her increasingly "erratic" behavior and one…odd habit. Apparently, the Duchess of Marlborough had taken to sleeping with a revolver next to her bed. And the reason was frightening.
35. Her Bedroom Was Off Limits
Gladys’s obsession with her revolver was reminiscent of her father’s earlier actions. But her reasons were a little different. The Duchess kept the revolver within reach, apparently, because she didn’t want her husband to enter her bedroom. Frighteningly enough, the Duke’s first wife had reportedly done the same thing. What was with this guy?
36. She Dined In Style
Gladys wasn’t just satisfied with her revolver at her bedside. On one account, the Duchess came very close to actually using the thing. Gladys came down the stairs for dinner one night with her trusted, double-barreled companion. As she sat down, Gladys plopped her revolver onto the dining table with a thud. When one of her guests asked why she had it, Gladys replied by saying, "I might just shoot the Duke".
37. Her Husband Feared Her
After the Duke witnessed his wife’s little game of "revolver roulette," he was more than a little disturbed. Considering her erratic behavior and bad temper, he had to take his own drastic measures. In 1933, 12 years after his happy wedding day, the Duke of Marlborough fired his wife’s staff and fled his own palace for his safety.
38. She Was Homeless For A While
After the Duke of Marlborough abandoned his own home, Gladys had free reign of the place for two years. But she would leave in style. The Duke evicted his wife and sent moving vans for her to pack up her things and get out. Allegedly, the Duchess stood on the steps of the palace and photographed the whole affair. That would have made for an interesting Instagram story.
39. She Ran Out Of Gas
After the Duke of Marlborough ejected Gladys Deacon from Blenheim Palace, the Duchess of Marlborough had to find new digs. Fortunately for her, the Duke had no shortage of property. Gladys moved into another one of her husband’s properties in London, but she wouldn’t be there for long either. The Duke forced Gladys’ eviction by having the gas and electricity shut off, making the place uninhabitable.
40. Her Dream Fell Apart
Needless to say, the marriage between the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough wasn’t what the young Gladys Deacon had dreamed of. Between disfigured chins, unruly Blenheim spaniels, a revolver, and ongoing evictions, the marriage just wasn’t going to last. The Duke and Duchess were preparing for a divorce when, sadly, the Duke passed on. It was the end of the socialite’s social life…
41. She Was A Mix-bury Bag
Following her husband’s passing, Gladys Deacon had no one left. The Duchess of Marlborough embraced her new lifestyle and became a total recluse. The former beauty retired from public view to the small village of Mixbury. She did have some companions, however. Gladys took her dogs with her. Those Blenheim spaniels were just about the only ones who saw her after that.
42. She Ran From Strangers
The Conservative politician Henry "Chips" Channon recalled an instance when he visited a jewelry shop. While browsing, he noticed a peculiar old lady. To his surprise, the old woman was the Duchess of Marlborough. When he tried to say hello, however, her reaction was chilling. Gladys dropped everything a ran out of the shop. Her erratic behavior only got stranger from there.
43. She Was The Real Rapunzel
Apart from her dogs—and an increasing number of cats—Gladys didn’t keep any company at her Mixbury home. Except for one person. In a weird twist fit for a Brothers Grimm tale, Gladys’ Polish servant visited her every day. But Gladys had to lower a key from a window to let him in. Any other guests were a little less than welcome.
44. She Was Awash
A nosey journalist made a trip out to Mixbury, presumably to see what the reclusive, aged beauty the Duchess of Marlborough was getting up to. Gladys was, let’s say, less than keen to resume her tabloid-topping days. Reportedly, Gladys tipped a bucket of water over the journalist’s head. Her erratic behavior was beginning to get the attention of her neighbors.
45. She Liked Her Apples
Gladys’ revolver—the one she slept near to and casually dropped onto her dining table—made a comeback in her later life. Only this time, she was serious. The Duchess threatened to shoot people who stole apples from her orchard and began calling people at all hours of the night. Fortunately, she wouldn’t be terrorizing the people of Mixbury for much longer.
46. She Was Evicted Again
Gladys Deacon had become a nocturnal recluse and sightings of her became increasingly rare to the point that there weren’t any. Despite her strange antics, Gladys’ neighbors in Mixbury became concerned for the aging Duchess when they hadn’t seen her in years. In 1962, they called the authorities who arrived at her home and forcibly removed her. Thank goodness she wasn’t carrying her revolver at the time.
47. She Suffered Her Father’s Fate
After removing her from her home, the authorities took Gladys to an institution. In an incident reminiscent of her father’s decline, Gladys was committed to the psychiatric ward of St. Andrew’s Hospital, where she would remain until 1977. But, despite her previously odd behavior, the Duchess may not have gone around the bend after all.
48. She Was Sharp As A Tack
Hugo Vickers, Gladys’ biographer, visited the aging Duchess in hospital. According to him, the Duchess hadn’t lost her mind at all. He wrote, "Whilst sitting in this reclusive atmosphere she was reading the newspaper, keeping diaries, noting what was going on in the world and was as shrewd as anything". He made no mention of her famous good looks or terrible disfigurement though.
49. She Sleeps With Her Eyes Open
Gladys Deacon passed on at the age of 96 of presumably natural causes while still in the hospital. Though, just as she had feared, her beauty had faded, she still clung to her youthful days. The Duchess of Marlborough had her famous blue eyes—the ones that had bewitched crown princes, dukes, and artists—painted onto her gravestone.
50. Her Beauty Hasn’t Faded Yet
At the height of her famed beauty—you know, before the whole "botched surgery, paraffin wax in the chin" thing—Gladys Deacon had been a model. The would-be Duchess of Marlborough posed for early Pond’s advertisements for cream and soap. Though her beauty may have faded, it was immortalized in those black and white photographs from her glory days.
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