Book Description

From the authors of An Infamous Mistress: “The tale of two juicy 19th-century scandals, both concerning the aristocratic Cavendish-Bentinck family” (Cheshire Life). Almost two books in one, A Right Royal Scandal recounts the fascinating history of the irregular love matches contracted by two successive generations of the Cavendish-Bentinck family, ancestors of the British royal family. The first part of this intriguing book looks at the scandal that erupted in Regency London, just months after the Battle of Waterloo, when the widowed Lord Charles Bentinck eloped with the Duke of Wellington’s married niece. Over two decades later and while at Oxford University, Lord Charles’ eldest son fell in love with a beautiful Romany girl, and secretly married her. When his alliance was discovered, he was cast adrift by his family—with devastating consequences. A love story as well as a brilliantly researched historical biography, this is a continuation of Joanne Major and Sarah Murden’s first biography, An Infamous Mistress, about the eighteenth-century courtesan Grace Dalrymple Elliott, whose daughter was the first wife of Lord Charles Bentinck. The book ends by showing how, if not for a young gypsy and her tragic life, the British monarchy would look very different today. “An easy read of a subject that keeps you engrossed from start to finish. This book is brilliant for those who enjoy the scandals of historical television, with the added authenticity of historical fact.” —History of Royals “The plots may seem to come straight out of the world of Regency Romance but they are all true, and carefully annotated and verified by Major and Murden.” —Naomi Clifford, author of The Murder of Mary Ashford