The High-Profile Royal Wedding That Inspired Gladys Russell’s Nuptials on “The Gilded Age”

In season three of Julian Fellowes’s hit show The Gilded Age, Gladys Russell, the daughter of a socialite and railroad tycoon, marries the Duke of Buckhingham. However, for Gladys, the wedding is anything but a joyful occasion. She reluctantly says “I do” to the royal after enduring constant pressure from her mother, a woman who’s determined to see her daughter become a duchess. While the series is fictional, fans may be surprised to learn that the society wedding—and the conflict it caused—appears to be based on a true story.

Here, what to know about the real wedding that inspired the fictional one on The Gilded Age.

The Wedding of Consuelo Vanderbilt to the Duke of Marlborough: The True Story

In 1895, Consuelo Vanderbilt was forced to marry Charles Spencer Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough. The marriage between the two was arranged by Consulo’s mother, Alva, who had met her future son-in-law during a trip abroad. Like the Duke of Buckingham in The Gilded Age, Charles entered into the union for the financial assets it would provide him: $100,000, equivalent to $3.2 million today—and $2.5 million in railroad stock, equivalent to $81 million today. In return, Consuelo became the first American duchess, just like Gladys in the show.

However, like Gladys, Consuelo wanted to marry another man, Winthrop Rutherford. In her memoir, The Glitter and the Gold, Consuelo detailed the lengths she went to to reject the proposed engagement to Charles: “I considered I had a right to choose my own husband. These words, the bravest I have ever uttered, brought down a frightful storm of protest. I suffered every searing reproach, heard every possible invective hurled at the man I love,” she wrote, according to Vogue. Ultimately, Consuelo was unsuccessful in her efforts, tying the knot with Charles at St. Thomas Church in New York City. “I spent the morning of my wedding day in tears and alone; no one came near me. A footman had been posted at the door of my apartment and not even my governess was admitted,” she wrote in her memoir, according to the outlet.

What Happened to Consuelo Vanderbilt, the Real-Life Gladys Russell?

While fans of The Gilded Age will have to wait to see what happens to Gladys in her marriage to the Duke of Buckingham, Consuelo’s fate is well-documented—and may even provide some clues into how the rest of the fictional period drama may unfold. In 1906, Consuelo and Charles separated. Fourteen years later, in 1920, changes to marital law allowed the duo to file for divorce. However, to do so Consuelo had to endure an arduous process, providing proof that her husband had had an affair with someone else—and had subsequently rejected her efforts at reconciling, in order to split, Vogue reported. The two ultimately divorced in 1921. Both parties later remarried: Consuelo tied the knot with Jacques Balsan, and Charles said “I do” to Gladys Marie Deacon. Even though Fellowes hasn’t yet publicly commented on where he drew inspiration for his characters from, the shared name between his featured character and Charles’s second wife appears to be yet another nod to the real-life story.