Due to her beauty, grace, and vitality, the unusual nature of events
in which she played a key role rocked the foundations of Europe.
This woman is one of the most attractive personalities in history.
Furthermore, she stands out among more notable ladies of all time
because of the warmth of her heart and the natural richness of her settings.
It is a popular misconception that her charitable
heart was her downfall, but it was far more her making.
Without that characteristic, she would never have been able
to capture Nelson’s affection in such a way despite all of her beauty.
Join me now as we look back on the remarkable life of Emma, Lady Hamilton.
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Her early style of life did not influence Emma’s upbringing; therefore, she didn’t
ignore it, more like she was unaware that it even existed.
She expressed gratitude for the unanticipated compliment
on her attractiveness and abilities by saying, “I love to surprise people.”
Why else would Romney refer to her as his “divine lady”?
She fled the countryside when she was approximately fifteen
and arrived in London to work as a household servant.
She did not remain in this first job for very long; instead, she wandered
and encountered the hazards that a young, helpless, beautiful girl would face.
There are many tales about her life at this time, but most are incorrect
because history pays little attention to the career of an unremarkable
small country girl who went astray in the town.
There is no question that she acted improperly,
but to her warm, trusting heart, it is far less embarrassing
than to the cruel men who deceived her.
Charles Greville most likely first encountered her at the home
of one of these men, Sir Harry Fetherstone-haugh, a young squire
who embodied the traditional sporting type of gent in the eighteenth century.
FeatherStone-Haugh must have reached out to her with a slightly arrogant
act of goodwill because he abandoned her without a guinea.
She appealed to Greville since she was now expecting a child.
With an eloquent but unwritten plea, she said, “So what do I do?
Oh my God, what do I do?”
Greville had a deep passion for Emma.
Her kind and giving attitude and her impulsive and energetic nature
would not appeal to him in the same way they did to Nelson later on.
However, Emma drew this art expert to her exceptional attractiveness,
which led him to be willing
to change his “ways” and accept her into his structured life.
Whatever his motivations for giving her a place to stay
under his roof, it is clear that, even though society cannot morally endorse
the arrangement, it spared Emma a worse outcome.
In many respects, it was also the making of her
since she adored her protector with a fierce appreciation
and had a persistent need to win his approval.
The last peaceful, domestic years Emma experienced in her colourful life
were those of serene domesticity, and thanks to Greville’s
meticulous instruction, she was constantly gaining grace and success.
But the time for change was drawing close, and in 1784 the uncle of Charles
Greville, Sir William Hamilton, showed his hand completely unnoticed.
However, Emma was ready to embrace him with her passionate adoration.
Sir William Hamilton,
the British Ambassador to Naples at the time, was just fifty-four years old.
He was a handsome, honourable, and military man with interests aligned
with his cultured nephew.
being also an antique and an art connoisseur.
There were many schemes and agreements between the uncle and nephew,
and they were both very aware that Emma would feel intense bitterness
and anguish if she knew about their methods.
But eventually, everything fell into place as planned, and Emma was duped
into thinking she was only going to Naples for a short time.
Greville couldn’t accompany her because he had to remain in England
to care for his financial issues before eventually coming out
to pick her up.
Emma was utterly in love with Greville, yet
he disregarded her correspondence.
She repeatedly wrote that his uncle Hamilton would never be
more than a friend.
But her pleas fell on deaf ears.
Naples was far from home, yet Emma was stuck; she couldn’t just leave.
Her nerves were shattered; she knew Greville was never coming to fetch her.
But eventually, it became clear that “obliging”
his uncle would best delight him and serve her goals.
Emma received word through a letter, and her righteous fury erupted.
She cried, “If I were with you, I would kill both of us.”
Emma continued and said, “I’m going to London and will indulge
in every sin excess there till I die, an unhappy, heartbroken wretch,
and I’m going to use my fate to warn young ladies not to be too good.
For the time being, you have made me love you, made me good, then abandoned me.
If our relationship is to end, it must come to a violent conclusion.”
Yet the most intriguing aspect of this strange character and temperament
drama is how Emma became friends with Greville after overcoming her anger
and wounded love and had now accepted and enjoyed her life in Naples.
She was designated as Greville’s aunt by Sir William Hamilton.
She may have appeared to adapt to her new situation quickly,
but there is no doubt that Greville’s callous cruelty broke her heart
in a manner that the savagery of other men had never done.
But now that Emma was Hamilton’s wife, her life would change again.
The part of a love-forlorn, heartbroken heroine
could not suit Emma for a long time despite her
adaptable disposition, which served numerous elements.
Her vitality was sufficient for the required spiritlessness,
and her insistence on the joy of life was
too compelling to be denied.
Queen Maria Carolina, the sister of Marie Antoinette
and the spouse of Ferdinand I of Naples, was introduced
to Lady Hamilton, and they soon became close friends. She created
what she dubbed her “Attitudes”
Emma would portray sculptures and paintings before British
visitors—sharing Sir William Hamilton’s interest
in classical antiquities and art.
Emma had outfits made by her dressmaker that were modelled
after the loose-fitting clothing she frequently wore when modelling
for Romney who painted many portraits of
her increasing her standing on international society.
She would pose in a way that evoked well-known imagery
from Greco-Roman mythology while wearing these tunics
with a few substantial shawls or veils draped over her. Emma
portrayed various classical figures, including Queen Cleopatra.
Her performances charmed aristocrats, artists, kings, and queens,
igniting new dance trends across Europe
and launching a fashion for a draped Grecian styles of dress.
Nelson had been married to Fanny Nisbet for nearly six years.
She was “a charming woman, attractive and exceedingly well humoured
and agreeable.” But after only five days in Naples,
it was evident that he had already begun to feel a little in love
before he embarked on his journey to Sardinia on September 15.
Even though Emma described Sir William as “the best husband and friend” in her
writing, after four years of marriage, she had given up hope of having children.
After winning his latest battle, Nelson, was now a living legend,
travelled to Naples with his stepson Josiah Nisbet, who was 18 at the time.
Nelson had prematurely aged due to his exploits at this time;
he had lost one arm and most of his teeth and was suffering from coughing fits.
Emma had expressed her admiration for him in a letter before his arrival.
Nelson even wrote to his increasingly estranged wife about Emma
in glowing terms. On September 29,
Emma planned a celebration with 1,800 guests
to honour Nelson, who was being nursed under her husband’s roof.
After the party, they started dating and immediately fell in love.
Nelson and Hamilton both displayed admiration
and respect for one another, and the affair was permitted.
By November, rumours about their relationship had made it to English media
from Naples. To take her mind off Nelson Emma turned to Queen Maria Carolina.
She provided the Queen with advice on how to respond
to the dangers posed by the French Revolution.
As Marie Antoinette, Maria Carolina’s sister,
had already perished during the ongoing struggles.
Shortly after, Hamilton’s appeal
for relief from his station in Naples was eventually approved by the government,
and Nelson was subsequently called back to Britain.
Around April 1800, Emma must have become pregnant.
Together, Nelson, Emma, her mother, and William
travelled across Central Europe, taking the longest journey back to Britain
via what is now referred to as the “Nelson Mass”
On November 6, 1800, they, at last, arrived in Yarmouth and were greeted
as heroes. Fanny was distraught to see Emma pregnant when they arrived.
As soon as the affair became known, Fanny did not accept it
as calmly as Sir William, much to the pleasure of the media.
But Emma won the media battle.
Yet Nelson made Fanny’s situation worse
by mistreating her while he wasn’t with his new love.
Nelson’s appointment as vice admiral was approved on January 1.
Although Nelson was furious when Fanny gave him a choice
between her and his mistress, he picked Emma.
He then resolved to take the necessary steps to legally separate from his wife.
And After being rushed out of town by an agent, he never saw her again.
Nelson and Emma sent each other many letters while he was at sea,
employing a hidden code to communicate about Emma’s health.
Although Emma continued to conceal the presence
of her first child, from Nelson while Sir William supported her.
On January 29, 1801, at number 23, Piccadilly, Emma
gave birth to Nelson’s daughter Horatia.
She was sent shortly after to Mrs Gibson for care
and the hiring of a wet nurse. Soon after, the Prince of Wales, later known as King
George IV, developed feelings for Emma, which caused Nelson to experience intense
jealousy and prompted Sir William to write a remarkable letter
to Nelson, leaving him in no doubt about her faithfulness.
Nelson revisited London in late February, where he met his daughter at Mrs Gibson’s.
The pregnancy was known to Nelson’s family, and his minister brother Rev.
William Nelson wrote to Emma to praise her “piety and purity.”
In the same year, Nelson borrowed money from his friend Davison
to purchase Merton Place, a modest, run-down home
close to Wimbledon, for £9,000, following Emma’s advice.
He allowed her the freedom to spend money on property improvements, and she had
the idea of turning the mansion into a tribute to his brilliance.
Nelson was relieved of active duty following the Treaty of Amiens on
March 25, 1802.
Still, he wished to preserve his newfound social standing
by upholding an air of riches, and Emma
worked diligently to fulfil this wish.
On the day Nelson’s father passed away,
Nelson celebrated Emma’s 37th birthday at home
instead of travelling to Norfolk to see his gravely ill parent.
Emma and Nelson travelled to Wales to see Sir William’s
lands and took a vacation to Ramsgate to give him some peace.
The press followed their every move, looking to Emma to create trends
in clothing, house décor, and even dinner party menus.
By the autumn of 1803, Sir William’s health was deteriorating,
and the peace with France was breaking down. Upon their return Sir William
soon fell unwell at 23 Piccadilly
and passed away in Emma’s arms on April 6.
The estate executor, Charles Greville, gave her the order to vacate.
She still had to maintain a different address from Nelson’s for respectability,
so she moved into a nearby location, a few months later.
Nelson had now been given
the Mediterranean Fleet Commander-in-Chief job.
On May 18, 1803, the day
before Nelson’s departure to fight in the Napoleonic Wars.
Emma was pregnant with their second child, although neither of them were aware
at the time.
Emma was incredibly lonely, consumed with making Merton Place her new home
the lavish house Nelson desired, yet afflicted
with various illnesses and desperate for his return.
Early in 1804, a female child was born; but passed away
approximately six weeks later, and Horatia was sick while staying with Mrs Gibson
Emma concealed the infant’s passing from the media, hid her intense sadness
from Nelson’s family, and at the same time found it harder to manage by herself.
Emma turned down numerous marriage proposals from affluent men
in 1804, all because she was still in love with Nelson
and thought he would strike it rich and leave her a large inheritance.
When Nelson’s homecoming appeared likely in 1804,
Emma spent a lot of money furnishing and decorating Merton at Nelson’s urging.
Horatia, then five, moved into Merton in May 1805. Nelson had to report
to duty in August 1805 following a brief trip to England.
He wrote to Emma on October 1, October 7, and October 13.
In a memorandum meant to stipulate his will,
he asked that King and Country provide Emma with “ample provision
to maintain her station in life.” In exchange for his legacy
and his adoptive daughter, Horatia should, only use the surname Nelson
in the future.
On October 21, 1805, at the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson’s
fleet triumphed over a combined Franco-Spanish naval force.
But during the combat, Nelson
suffered a critical injury and died three hours later.
When word of his passing reached London, a courier was dispatched
to Merton Place to inform Lady Hamilton.
Later, she remembered, They brought me news from the Admiralty, Mr Whitby.
I commanded, show him in directly.
We have gained a big victory;
he remarked as he entered with a pale face and weak voice.
Never mind your victory, I said.
My letters, please give them to me.
I could understand Captain Whitby even though he could not speak
due to the tears in his eyes and the deathly paleness of his face.
I think I screamed and fell back, and for the next ten hours,
I could not speak or cry.
Emma spent many weeks in bed, stricken
with sadness, and frequently received visitors who were in tears.
To add to her sorrow it still took a few weeks for her to learn
that Nelson had pleaded with the country to care for her and Horatia
in his final words.
Nelson’s will was read aloud in November; William, his brother, received
everything of Nelson’s property and financial accounts except Merton.
Emma received £2000 pounds from the estate,
and Merton would recieve £500 annually; this was far
less than when Nelson was living and was insufficient to support the home.
Even though Nelson was revered as a national hero, the government
disregarded the directives he gave them regarding the care of Horatia and Emma.
The extravagant funeral cost the state £14,000,
yet Emma was not invited.
She spent the day with her family. William and Emma’s relationship deteriorated, to
the point he even refused to provide her with the £500 annuity entitlement
she should receive. But Emma continued to spend money on parties
and transforming Merton into a Nelson memorial.
Nelson had ordered certain items for which Emma required money.
Yet she became heavily in debt
because the annual annuity of £800 from her husbands inheritance
was insufficient to pay off the debts and maintain her lifestyle. Emma
accumulated more than £15,000 in debt in just three years.
She spent most of 1811 and 1812 and found herself confined to a debtor’s prison.
In December 1812, she was given a prison sentence
at Southwark held at the King’s Bench Prison.
Despite not being housed in a cell, she was permitted to live in rooms
close by with Horatia under the system that allowed genteel inmates
to purchase the right to live “within the Rules.”
She asked for help from the
Prince of Wales, the government, and friends at the beginning of 1813.
But her requests were denied, and she was forced to sell many of her
belongings, including numerous Nelson artefacts, at cheap auctions.
She nevertheless kept taking out loans to maintain her façade.
Yet after the letters between Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton were published
in April 1814, the general public
now began to see her negatively.
Emma moved to Calais in france with her daugher,
a modest apartment at 27 Rue Française in November,
but then began binge drinking and abusing laudanum.
at the age of 49, she passed away
on January 15, 1815.
On January 21, Emma was laid to rest in Calais in
a public cemetery outside the town.
Her friend Joshua Smith covered the cost of the simple burial
at a Catholic church. Following Emma’s passing, Henry Cadogan
took care of the 14-year-old Horatia and paid for her trip to Dover.
The Rev. Philip Ward was Horatia’s next husband.
She had ten children, the first of which was named
Horatio Nelson, and she lived until 1881.
Horatia never made it known that she was Emma,
lady Hamilton’s daughter.