Someone on another thread mentioned that in some circles she is derided as a modern day Undine Spragg. Although I have previously read some Edith Wharton I hadn’t read this book and was prompted to address the omission. Thank you to whoever it was that pointed the way. I am enjoying it very much, about half way through now.
The parallels with Undine are so numerous and so similar that if anyone told me the book had been written within the last couple of years as a stealth revenge parody by an ex staff member I would have believed it. Early on, when she is newly engaged and cheerfully regales her soon to be in-laws with her view that a friend is likely to divorce a husband who isn’t up to scratch is so excruciating I cringed to read it. Whilst I doubt Meghan was tactless enough to chatter on about the matter of divorce, I can easily picture her seated next to Prince Phillip and expounding on her plans to shake up the Royal family with her much improved way of doing things. Then there is her excitement at the attention and admiration and her portrait brings - so very relevant today. I also find it amusing that her son is generally referred to as “the boy” - although possibly this was common at the time as she isn’t the only person who prefers this expression to his actual name, but it does bear comparison to her refusal to name Harry, preferring to refer to her husband or H or “that man”.
Of course there have always been gold digging social climbers. As a child, attending a pony club event on the Vestey estate, my mother overheard the then Lady Vestey telling friends she only married his Lordship for the alimony. Mum was shocked and outraged. I had no idea what allymunny was but was intrigued by the reaction this had provoked. Funnily enough, (we really aren’t a family of eavesdroppers 😅) my sister had a similar experience years later, at Ascot, which she attended regularly due to her husband’s work in the bloodstock trade. Friends of the then Susan Lilley chattered that poor Susan really needed a new husband as Peter (Lilley) was so boring. She went on to become the second Mrs Susan Sangster, marrying the wealthy racehorse owner Robert Sangster. She eventually got her comeuppance being branded a career divorcee by a judge after trying to overturn the pre-nuptial agreement made with her fourth husband.
_https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/ps18m-susan-sangster-is-a-career-divorcee-says-husband-no4-6643861.html_it
What makes Meghan stand out is her exceptional perseverance, tenacity and self belief which vastly exceed her abilities or talents. She has been much helped by living in the age of the internet. In a more deferential time I very much doubt the press and other outlets would have given her the opportunity to air her grievances, let alone profit from them.
Back to Undine Spragg “The Custom of the Country” - we should really have a read along thread…so much material for entertaining discussion - anyone?