Aristocracy, derived from the Greek word “aristotle,” refers to the power of a social group and its supporters, often inherited and gained in prestige through the right of the first night. This medieval custom, known as the droit du seigneur (lord’s right), allowed noblemen to spend the first night with newly-wedded brides. The British aristocracy, which constituted the top political layer of the upper class, was largely influenced by family politics over the centuries.
The natural aristocracy, developed by Thomas Jefferson in 1813, is a hypothetical political elite that derives its power from talent and virtue. It differs from traditional aristocracies, which are based on inherited status or wealth. The idea of jus primae noctis, also known as the law of the first night, has been the subject of locker-room humor and scholarly debate for centuries.
In the 14th century, a French tale called Baudouin de Sebourc mentioned the right of the first night as a lord’s right. In the Middle Ages, menarche was most commonly reached around age 16, and marriages within the aristocratic elite were viewed as constitutive of the exchange of courtly fashions.
Marriages within the aristocratic elite can be assigned a key role in the exchange of courtly fashions. Mystics enacted marriage to Jesus in visions, while nuns vows and profession ceremonies are described as a marriage to Christ. Noblemen often repudiated wives in favor of more illustrious foreign brides on the occasion of an unforeseen event.
📹 How American Social Climbers Sold Their Children for Rank
In the 1870s, rich Americans came up with a new scheme: they sold their daughters abroad, marrying them off to British aristocrats …
What is the forbidden tradition of the first night?
First night is a former and now-outlawed custom practised in Westeros for many thousands of years.
Under this custom, any noble could claim the right to spend the first night of any couple of lesser ranks marriage with the bride. It is not clear when this custom originated or how many of the old kingdoms used to practise it.
The custom was outlawed during the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen (48-103 AL) at the behest of his sister-wife Alysanne, who considered it barbaric and unfair. It has remained outlawed ever since.
Did droit de seigneur exist?
In other words, a noble was allowed to deflower a virgin bride as the price for his consent to the wedding. Many historians claim that “Droit du Seigneur” was simply a myth. But no less a writer than Voltaire was convinced that it was historical fact.
What did you do on first night of marriage?
Sexy lingerie. Nothing turns on a man more than seeing his wife slip into something sexy after all the traditional rituals are done. After all, that requires some efforts and it isnt every day when it happens. To get into the mood, make sure you pack some sexy intimates that you can change into after the wedding is over. This is sure to spice things up in the bedroom. And men, you too can take some efforts by wearing something new just for her and spraying some intoxicating perfume to charm her with your scent.
Condoms. Well, this one is a no-brainer but unless you want to start a family on your first night itself, make sure you have a pack of condoms that you can use when you consummate the marriage. Condoms even though dont promise 100 per cent protection, are still the best form of contraception. They also guard against STDs and so make sure you use one on your first night and other nights as well until you want to have kids. (ALSO SEE Exercises to have a better sex life)
Lubricant. This is your first night and even if you both know each other, chances are you may be nervous just because of the pressure on this ritual. And so, to ensure that all things go smoothly, it is a good idea to keep some lubricant handy. A lubricant makes penetration easier and makes the sex less painful. Even though the vagina is self-lubricating, sometimes it may not be enough and that is where a lubricant can help to ease things out without any discomfort or irritation.
What is a prima donna slang?
The literal meaning of prima donna is the lead or main female singer in an opera company. Prima donna is commonly used as a negative term for a person whos extremely self-centered and temperamental.
In this sense, a prima donna expects and demands constant praise and special treatment and is easily irritated when they dont get it. Though the literal sense of prima donna refers only to women, its figurative sense can be applied to anyone. The plural of prima donna is prima donnas (though the plural of the Italian phrase is prime donne).
Example: After the director had a fight with his lead actor, he accused him of being a selfish prima donna who was impossible to work with.
Prima donna is taken directly from Italian, in which it literally means “first lady.” The first records of the term in English come from the 1700s. In the context of opera, the equivalent term for the leading male singer is primo uomo.
When did prima nocta end?
Mentions of the ancient practice began to pop up in the 1500s with stories of how kings in the past abolished the custom of jus prima nocta. The Scottish king Malcolm III supposedly did so under the influence of his wife in the 11th century, Ferdinand II of Aragon, in the 1480s.
Renaissance and Early Modern literature used the custom as a plot device in plays and novels to show how evil the antagonists were. French philosopher and writer Voltaire would coin the term droit de seigneur (“lords right”) when speaking of the Early Middle Ages or the Dark Ages.
Voltaire and his contemporaries used the term to show how far society had come by the 17th century and the age of the Enlightenment. They were no longer these barbaric people with low morals but sophisticated people with rational laws.
What’s a prima donna?
Prima donna is a term that comes from the Opera, and literally means first woman, in Italian. Because the ladies that starred in operas were often egotistical, demanding, and flamboyant, the term prima donna came to mean anyone who acted as if they were a world-famous talent. The term is not an insult if youre talking about an actual opera star, but if anyone else is called a prima donna, it means theyre terribly vain.
A distinguished female operatic singer; a female operatic star.
What is the Primae Noctis in Scotland?
The year is 1301, and the first War of Scottish Independence is at its height. The English king, Edward I, has sent English lords to occupy Scottish castles and control the people. King Edward has also enacted the right of primae noctis, which gives these English lords first sexual rights to any Scottish bride on her wedding night. Soldiers are amassing in the castle strongholds, preparing for battle against the Guardian of Scotland, William Wallace.
As Cora Keith, a woman sworn to avenge her sisters rape and murder under the pretense of primae noctis, the player infiltrates Lachlan Castle in the disguise of a new bride. Cora invokes two terrifying faerie spirits to assist her in her mission to kill Lord Anacletus and his sons, dispatching of her sisters murderers and crippling the English forces in Scotland. Once inside the castle, the player uses the abilities of Coras human form and the forms of the two faeries to make her way through the castle through strike and run ambush tactics.
In her human form, Cora does not attract attention as quickly as the faeries do. She can bring down these unsuspecting enemies with a quick stab of her knife. She can also seduce guards into fighting for her, providing her with extra assistance in battle.
Was prima nocta an actual thing?
Certain things in the recent era can feel akin to the Middle Ages…or at least what we think of the Middle Ages. The truth is a lot of what pop-culture presents of the period doesnt match the actual history. This week at Cracked, were doing a Middle Ages deep-dive – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
According to tons of pop culture, medieval marriage included a barbaric practice called prima nocta. This law put a damper on weddings, as it gave a lord the right to have sex with any bride on her wedding night. Dont worry too much about it, though, because it is, by all accounts, almost definitely a myth created centuries later. That hasnt stopped it from regularly popping up in books, movies, etc., though.
Also known by the full Latin name of jus primae noctis, or “right of the first night,” this horrible law was often attributed to medieval Europe, but it had been mentioned for thousands of years prior. In the earliest surviving story in the world, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the titular character terrorized weddings and abused the power of prima nocta, leading the people to desperately pray for a hero to fight him off.
What is the meaning of prima nocta?
The phrase prima nocta, based on the Latin “first night,” is a shortened and corrupted from jus primae noctis, “right of the first night.” It generally names an ancient tradition in which all noble lords, whether kings or dukes, had the right to have sex with any of their female subjects—regardless of their will and even with a virgin bride—on her wedding night.
One of the earliest first known references to this feudal, misogynistic tradition appears in the second-millennium BCE Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, though the term prima nocta itself isnt used. Its also mentioned, though again not as prima nocta, in the fifth-century BCE Histories by Ancient Greek historian Herodotus.
While there are many references to the custom throughout the centuries, scholars since the 1800s have questioned whether such a law ever truly existed or was practiced, with many believing it was simply a trope used to make rulers seem more barbaric. It it possible that prima nocta may have been real, and because its victims had no or low social status, the instances were never recorded. Theres also no clear-cut evidence that the phrase jusprimae noctiswasever used as the formal name of any law.
📹 Top 16 Facts About Dollar Princesses, The American Girls Who were Sold Into Royalty
The Gilded Age, which began in the years after the Civil War, was characterized by wealthy railroad tycoons, steel barons, and …
A lot of these women were daughters of self made millionaires, and these millionaires would not be accepted in the circles of old money. This also had the unfortunate side effect of limiting their business options. So they sold their daughters off to be able to say “if someone we raised could be accepted into the circles of European nobility, then we are good enough to be here.” It was reprehensible, as they were selling their daughters, but the tactic often worked. Incidentally, I intend to remain single.
not only did they save the mansions and estates, they probably saved the Gene pool cutting down on the inbreeding, but even though they saved the day at the time, today many of the aristocrats are in financial difficulties as the upkeep of a mansion and grounds are crippling,mostly the only ones that are doing ok are the ones that put them into heritage trusts decades ago or ones that never had an estate
It works the same way inside America as well. Jackie Bouvier was from an “old money” American aristocratic family. Unfortunately, while the family may have been rich in “status,” they were “cash” poor, at least relatively speaking. However, Jackie “married well” by becoming the wife of a congressman. That was how she became Jackie Bouvier Kennedy. Five years after her husband was killed, she again “married well” by becoming the wife of a wealthy Greek shipping magnate. That was how she became Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
The girl shown at 8:35 was Gabrielle Ray, an English stage actress and this image is actually from a postcard depicting her in a play called “The Dollar Princess”. It also starred Lily Elsie, who made fashion waves in 1906 for her role in The Merry Widow as it helped to popularize the big hats of the day.
I think the most confusing thing about this article is that it’s on WEIRD History at all. Families have been marrying their sons and daughters off for benefits for literally hundreds of years. The idea of marrying for romance is a new concept. People marrying off women who might not have liked their spouse because the man was noble? Literally standard practice.
Love your articles!! The part where you mentioned the marriage went unconsummated with the woman who was a lesbian got me thinking how people knew when marriages were officially consummated. Got to googling and THAT is definitely a weird history lmao maybe a good article idea?? Thanks for the knowledge & entertainment!!
I love the Gilded Age. It was such a fascinating time. While Americans did marry into European continental nobility, the British aristocracy was seen as more exclusive. Therefore, rich Americans were fine with marrying their daughters to British nobles. They both got something out of the deal. Back then, unlike today, titles carried much more dignity, respect, and weight.
It’s interesting that these self made millionaires mostly had daughters but instead of treating them like blessings,they chose to not empower them in running the family businesses,for example. It’s a damn shame. This article also highlights how important it is to be a woman of means. These women lived lives by their own standards and weren’t shackled to being stuck in unhappy marriages
My grandmother has been married 3 times, the first 2 were for love. Husband 1 was an abusive alcoholic, husband 2 wound up being our country’s first official serial killer (not USA). Husband 3 was definitely just for convenience since my family’s banking and invention background was now ruined by scandal.
Even though both the US and the UK, most specifically England, go back and forth and have this superiority complex toward one another, you can see that there’s been constant help, exchange, bribe and bartering from both sides. It’s like a weird codependent relationship where both parties think there the one with no problems… and even though theyre but crazy they can’t leave each other alone. 😂😂 America: You need money? No problem. I’ll send my daughter over in a few days. UK: Great!! This palace needs repairs. There’s shit leaking through the ceiling.
9:07. Wineretta singer didn’t marry into royalty. She married into the French nobility. At that time the French Nobility wasnt really officially recognized but as titles came with money and estates it was still something fortunate to have. In the Ancien Regime, a noble Prince would rank lower than a noble Duke (Duc in French). Since her husband’s title was noble Prince and not a royal prince, she wasnt married into royalty but into nobility.
The conjecture about the lesbien dollar princess must immediately become a feature-length drauma! Complete with death threats hurled from furniture, adventures trying to hack the hetero-rigged system with hetero-presenting posh couple, and rise of the brilliant art scene that depended upon their charade. I want it to be true. Then I want them to fictionalize it gloriously.
I didn’t mention what I thought about the dads who sold their daughters to British aristocrats…what can be said about their greed for status? These men knew their money would fall into the hands of their husbands who were career gamblers and these dads would just be famous for the pawning of their girls for a title they could boast about!
The peacock dress wasn’t made with feathers, it was embroidered to look like glistening peacock feathers, using gold/metallic threads and beetle wings (common in embroidery in those days). Cathy Hay is attempting to recreate it, but is also uncovering the dark side of the dressmaking industry in those days. Check it out here: youtu.be/Jb0jPc-3Nmw
In fairness most of the money the ‘princesses’ brought with them did help maintain the family estates of their husbands for a least a generation or two until increased rate of death duty* (and the death of one or several sons in WWI) after World War 1 caused most of said estates to be sold off, not that I’m encouraging forced marriage with healthy dowry but by those girls getting sold into ‘wedded bliss’ then meant that we can see said estates in relatively good repair today. Also, for all those families that managed to survive the world wars the American blood meant they weren’t completely inbred * early form of what the UK government now calls inheritance tax
It is only in recent history that marriages were made for love. In the past marriages were business contracts usually arranged between the parents for mutual benefit to increase lands, income or social status. Often the boy and girl never even saw each other before the wedding. For people to date and to choose their own marriage partners really only became common in the 20th century.
🤣😂There is never a article where you don’t make me bust out into laughter with your humor. You’re Awesome!! 👸🏻 On this subject matter though I think the men of today have gotten terribly lazy when it comes to providing for their family or dating partner. I’m not loaded, but I am educated and financially stable even raising my sons after ever deadbeat bailed. Yet ever relationship I attempt, the men wear a great cloak and mask for about 3 months, then it falls off because NOW they want me to help take care of them and provide for them. I’ve tried not to let income be an issue for me when partner seeking, but I don’t want to be the provider..yet more of a contributor. I’m an old soul what can I say. As I believe I am not a gold digger, I am a complimenter.
Don’t feel sorry for Consuelo Vanderbilt. She was an awesome person. Read her book “Glitter and the Gold”. She was very intelligent, sophisticated mind and manners and good hearted. Even humble and self deprecating. She’s always been in control of her character. She wasn’t shallow or naive. That book impressed me so much. She is not what one would expect.
I think it’s amazing that Americans believe in equality but were willing to export millions of American dollars to pay to be part of a system of titles which only mean something if everyone agrees that they do. Whereas the title “nurse” or “engineer” describes a set of valuable skills, a title like “duke” or “princess” means nothing except that the aristocracy keeps hanging on to unearned prestige.
So our Prince Harry marrying Megan Markle wasnt so novel after all. So many British aristocrats have American genetics to this day. At least we know Harry & Megan married for love. Although Megan was a well known actress & very much up & coming she didnt have anywhere near the monetary value Harry has. I must say, the majority of the American brides of the past were very beautiful ladies indeed & our own suitable brides were abit outshone in the most. As was the practise the aristo’s keep within their own class & the gene pool must have suffered as many 1st cousins married to keep the wealth in the family. So an infusion of good strong American genes were def needed. I really enjoyed this vid, & hadnt realised how many American brides were in our great families of British Aristocracy. Loved the photographs, some of those brides were real beauties & i have to add the beautiful Megan to this list. I think she saved our Harry & getting him away to live his own life & not in the stifling confines of any Royal family as his poor mother, Diana found out to her cost.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, best known these days for writing THE SECRET GARDEN and A LITTLE PRINCESS, wrote one of her adult novels about the dollar princess theme: THE SHUTTLE. The first part of the book is hard to take because of the way sweet, innocent Rosalie Vanderpoel, daughter of a very rich American, is treated by her husband, Sir Nigel Anstruthers, and his equal awful mother. Luckily, the book shifts tone when Rosalie’s smarter, tougher little sister, Bettina, has grown up and visits Rosalie. (Bettina never liked the cad her sister married.) Bettina gets things in shape, has a romance of her own with an impoverished aristocrat who really is a noble man, and Sir Nigel gets what’s coming to him.
Personally, I think that there should be a cap on how much $$$ people are allowed to keep from their businesses. It is ok when people have become well-off, but then beyond that it becomes ridiculous and that is where the “clout, arrogance & too much privilege” comes in !! The excess should be given to actually help other less fortunate people—those who could not or can not not help themselves. The world would be a better place and there would be no such thing as “clout & extreme privilege” and those aspiring to such immoral & unethical things.
What I find so interesting is that the British aristocracy was inbred for years because they could only marry others in their social circle; it was a scandal to marry beneath your class and many people were cut off with the proverbial shilling for attempting to marry a commoner. Then all of a sudden, it’s ok to not only marry people not in the aristocracy, but not even British, just to get the money. Those must have been some interesting marriages. I know my own English grandmother was from one of those Mayflower descendant families and could trace her lineage back to The Earl of Arundel’s daughter. She married an Italian Catholic and was disowned. They even burnt her belongings on the front lawn. She and my grandfather had zero in common, fought like cats and dogs, and were barely on speaking terms for 40 years, lol. Then they actually separated in their 70s, :). So I can just imagine what these marriages were like.
Eating a Weird History snack! Eating Maraschino Cherries*…while perusal this Weird History article! That is a social climber food, it can be put in everything from pop to cocktails to desserts! * Inspired from the Weird HIstory article —TIMELINE 1989—…Tone Loc was on the article and now the song “Wild Thing” is on a Wild Cherry Pepsi commercial!
It’s much worse than the question you posed. These women/girls were sold off by their parents/families for a title and their family’s wealth with no regard for their free will or consideration of their happiness. These women were treated as actual property which is why some people still have issues with marriage in modern times, and honestly, I don’t blame them for that. It actually made me think long & hard when my husband and I were getting married,, and we had to discuss issues that people really shouldn’t have to when they really love each other and are planning a life together.
The fact is, that even British and European aristocratic girls had arranged marriages, royalty too. They had no say in the matter. They were married off for financial and dynastic and diplomatic reasons. They were rarely happy marriages. The Duchess of Devonshire was one such, forced into a marriage with a much older man and it ruined her life. She is an ancestor of Princess Diana.
The Vanderbilt women didn’t receive nearly the amount of money as did their brothers. The sons got between 55 and 5 million dollars each. The 5 daughters receive 50 thousand and were married off for a title. To say that these marriages were draining the wealth in the US is really misleading at least with this particular family.
The many viewers who recognized the errors and misrepresentations in this article are to be commended. It is reassuring to know that there are still some people who value the facts of history and the importance of being accurate. To help viewers appreciate the sums involved, $1 in the Gilded Age was worth about $28 in today’s money — the heiress who brought a dowry of $4 million to the marriage would have contributed about $112 million in today’s currency.
Deep History, I have enjoyed some of your other articles however you have made some obvious mistakes. For instance, Frances Ellen Work was not Lady Diana Spencer’s grandmother. She was her great grandmother. Diana Spencer’s grandmother was Ruth Sylvia Roche, Baroness Fermoy, who was also the Queen Mother’s lady in waiting. Most of the people who watch your article are history buffs, so PLEASE do your research properly!
DH, Many years ago PBS did two miniseries on Jenny Jerome/Lee Remick and The Marvelous Mrs.Langtry/Francesca Annis that were Excellent. The Men and Women of that time and earlier did whatever they needed to do to Survive without really any options. Remember No Internet or Social Media to conjest your life with or even lie too. RCJ/LEO
Leaving a socialites life with the best of everything being shipped off to old cold homes and stuffy life. Must have been incredibly boring. Sitting around looking at old paintings. Being a baby machine. Knowing you’re only needed for your womb and your families money. Then being snubbed by people that may have a title but have far less money than you. Imagine being known as Fanny in Britain. Lmao
Maurice Ravel composed “Pavane pour un Infante Perdue” for Winnaretta Singer, the Princess de Polignac, who was a great patron of the arts. A marriage which is undertaken to for the purposes of concealing or camouflaging a man’s homosexuality (or between a lesbian and a gay man to camouflage their sexuality) is called a “lavender marriage,” as between the actors Ilsa Lancaster and Charles Laughton.
1. You talk about John Jacob Astor (1764 – 1848) but show a photo of John Jacob Astor IV who died on the Titanic in 1912. 2. Not all brides cried: your 1st photo is of Mary Leiter and Lord Curzon. She did the pursuing until he finally gave in, and they seem to have been happily married until she died.
In the days before birth control. Girls married very young & all were “arranged”, since girls would usually become pregnant within the first year of having sex and therefore the husbands ability to be a provider– and what his and her parents could provide we’re very important for the welfare of the grandchildren. People are always shunning the importance of money, but when you have to feed babies and haul water and no cars, no welfare or retirement homes, etc… Money was taken very seriously by poor and rich. All decent people “arranged” marriages. Men having discreet affairs was often appreciated by wives who didn’t want more pregnancies and weren’t ever attracted to their husbands anyways. Security was always more important than fleeting love. Even now.. how many men are in love and faithful for their entire life? Very few. That’s why social systems have created more security for society & are holding men accountable for who they are impregnating. We cannot juge the past by modern culture. Even the importance of “social standing ” or “having a husband ” doesn’t really exist anymore and cannot be understood by young people of today.
I notice that only a couple of the Dollar princess’s were mentioned with the inference that they were very unhappy. Certainly poor Conseula was..but as stated both parties were already n love with other people .It was her’disgraced’ mother who needed to get back into American society, that pushed for the match. All this story proves is that the wealthy on both side of the pond will do anything to keep both status and wealth. It turned out well for both parties in many many case’s . Many noble families today are very proud of their Anglo/ American ancestory. A pity his ‘drone ‘ like article made it seem otherwise
“Coronated”? Did you mean “crowned”? An interesting topic but far too much repetition — same marriages mentioned more than once, same “benefits” to both parties repeated using slightly different phrasing, and I am not sure why these cases were numbered since some cases were mentioned more than once, with the same social and financial reasons for all involved. Also, The King Who Abdicated For Love didn’t marry Wallis Simpson for her money. On his side at least, this was a love match. Wallis may have married him for status, but she was an entirely free agent, in fact a divorcee, and was NOT “sold into the aristocracy” by conniving ambitious parents. ( In future offerings, it might be a good idea to have your presentation “vetted” by someone who knows WHICH words to use, and HOW to pronounce them. Credibility is undermined by grammatical errors, mispronunciations and shall we say CREATIVE forms of verbs….)
Politics before WW1 was family politics and keeping it that way; after WW1 not so much because of the horrible failure of the families in preventing the war, from Austria and Prussia to Russia and Britain to the Ottoman Empire. To this day, and perhaps particularly in this day, rich people imitate their arrogance and foolishness.
Do you seriously think that the daughter of an American tycoon would have been allowed to marry for “love”? She would have been required to marry a man connected to a family such as her own, likely as a sort of business arrangement or merger. If the prospective groom had a title, albeit not money, what’s the difference.
YOU DO TALK SUCH ROT, I HAVE AMERICAN COUSINS EVERY BIT AS ROYAL AS ME BY ACESTRY, you can be born into a royal house inusa and canada, because if you are royal descent by fact you are born into that line, place of birth does not change this fact and just to clear things up, neither does a passport, i am part American, my great grand mother was American but she was royal descent and cousin of diana spencers great grand father too, winston is my distant cousin too i am also princes Alice of Battenbergs distant cousin and Prince Philips, oh yeah and Queen Victoria’s too, i descend from the french houses of bourbon, de orleans and bonaparte,I DESCEND FROM THE SCOTTISH ROYAL HOUSES TOO, BRUCE AND STEWART, VERY PROUD OF THAT, i am related to Hadrian, frankish, carolingian and german, austrian, dutch, bohemian, prussian luxumborge, lictonstein russian, danish, swedish, norwegian, spanish, tuscan so many i can not even remember, so my point is clear, my cousins are all over the usa and from royal lines and still as such nobility, i have a lot of presidents as cousins, a very lot