75-word Statement:
This extension of the original essay portrait of Lady Charlotte Bury is based on the literary genre of historical literature and the later life of when Charlotte wrote her books, and the target audience should be those interested in rich History, especially in British aristocratic families. It can also identify as a target audience for those who love literature, historical writings, and royal life. It is about her diaries and work as an English novelist.
Essay:
Lady Charlotte Bury was a part of a family of noble women who were her special role models. She was of Anglo-Norman origin, and her writings were an important source of income for her. “The Right Honourable Lady Charlotte Bury, a woman distinguished as much by her literary attainments and the superiority of her intellectual powers as by every charm of person, every elegant and graceful accomplishment, is the sister of the present and youngest daughter of the late Duke of Argylle.” Illustrative Memoir of the Right Honourable Lady Charlotte Bury. La Belle assemblee, or Court and fashionable magazine: London Vol 11, Iss 66 (June 1830) pg. 231
On 14 June 1796, Charlotte married Colonel John Campbell from North Britain in Shawfield. With John, Charlotte had several children. Eliza Marie, Walter Frederick, Harriet, Julia, John George, Adelaide, Eleanora, and Emma. Harriet then became the Countess of Charville and an author, inheriting her mother’s skills and talents.
“The Duchess, her mother, was Elizabeth, second daughter of John Gunning, of Castle Coot. During her marriage with His Grace, the Duke of Argyll, on 3 March 1759, she was the widow of James, sixth Duke of Hamilton. On 20 May 1776, she was created a peeress of Great Britain by the title of Baroness Hamilton, of Hamilton, in the county of Leicester, with the remainder of the dignity of a baron to her heir’s male.” illustrative Memoir of the Right Honourable Lady Charlotte Bury. La Belle assemblee, or Court and fashionable magazine: London Vol 11, Iss 66 (June 1830) pg. 231
“Lady Charlotte Bury’s mother was the celebrated beauty Miss Gunning, of the ancient family of Morgan, in Ireland, first married to the Duke of Hamilton – secondly to the Duke of Argyle.” Hook, Theodore. E, (ed). New monthly magazine and humourist, Jan 1837-Dec 1852, Vol. 49, Iss 193, (Jan 1837): 76-77.
Her family touched on some of her favourite fictional themes, including her marriage to a nobleman from a position far lower than hers and her remarriage after her divorce.
She wrote poetry and published it in adulthood before her first marriage.
Since then, she has always had trouble with money.
Her first novels dated back to when she was widowed, and after her second marriage, she reached her highest point in her writing career.
From her diary at Court, she had memoirs printed on the non-fictional scandal on subject matters like ‘Lady Charlotte Bury | Orlando.’ – https://orlando.cambridge.org/index.php/profiles/burych that of her seventeen or more novels—The Life and Scandals of Fashionable Society—but her attitude, often reinforced by the heavy-handed authorial comment at the ends of novels, is generally overcritical as well as sentimental.
Her diary’s most scandalous and most interesting selections remain almost unknown. Continuation of the Diary Illustrative of the Times of George IV … – Lady Charlotte Campbell Bury which can be found online at Google Boeken – https://books.google.be/books?id=FRQMAAAAYAAJ&dq=editions:HARVARDHN46PL&hl=nl&output=html_text&lr=
In 1797, the year after her first marriage, Charlotte published a book in Edinburgh – her first book, “Poems on several occasions.” Bury had written several irrational novels and had become an overambitious writer.
She was mainly known and popular for “C. C, Bury (1839), The Diary Illustrative of the Times of George IV, Interspersed with Original Letters from the Late Queen Caroline, Princess Charlotte and Various Other Distinguished Persons. (Vol. 1). Lea and Blanchard.”
She kept a diary of when she was a lady-in-waiting from 1809 to 1818.
She was most eloquently described as “of illustrious birth, and her forefathers stand recorded in the page of history.” Hook, Theodore. E, (ed). New monthly magazine and humourist, Jan 1837-Dec 1852, Vol. 49, Iss 193, (Jan 1837): 76-77.
She was quite a wealthy widow with little wealth and narrow-minded thinking.
During these years, she preserved or copied large quantities of personal letters from princesses and other famous people. She mainly kept her diary, notable for its incoherence and pettiness.
It had been twenty years since she withdrew from public life and married her fourth cousin, Colonel John Campbell, a highly religious priest, and soldier in the British Army. He was born around 1770 in Scotland. They were married for thirteen years and had two sons and six daughters before John sadly passed away in 1809. Lady Charlotte received a pension after his death.
Needing more money than her novels could bring her, she relied on notes and letters she had collected from her court days, coating them with sentimental and superficial moral content and giving them to her publisher, Henry. She then sold it to Henry Colborne for one thousand pounds.
Throughout her literary career, Bury was also reviewed by William Thackery, also known as an English novelist and an illustrator, who reviewed her in The Times, Edinburgh, and the Quarterly Reviews.
The book about the diary was a massive success; several editions were sold out in just a couple of weeks. It had original letters from the lady Queen Caroline, Princess Charlotte, and other high society people of Britain. The style of the diary is known to be discourteous, and it was intended for something other than publication. Charlotte anticipated that the diary would never have been made public.
An excerpt from the diary of what Sir W. H wrote in a letter was, “Lady W – said she thought the Duchess of Oldenburg’s figure quite beautiful and her manners quite perfect; and that Princess Charlotte had remarked that she had never had an idea of what manner ought to be in a royal person till she had known the Duchess of Oldenburg.” “C. C, Bury (1839), The Diary Illustrative of the Times of George IV, Interspersed with Original Letters from the Late Queen Caroline, Princess Charlotte, and Various Other Distinguished Persons. (Vol. 1). Lea and Blanchard.” This shows the sophistication of the books, and their English language is perfect. Making comments from Princess Charlotte’s point of view, this essay shows the ethics, social, and behaviour of high society through discussing her manners.
An extract of a letter for Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales included, “The most amiable Archbishop who is very anxious for my conversion to the true faith. He gives me books to read, and Lord M strives hard to persuade me to become a catholic. C. C, Bury (1839), The Diary Illustrative of the Times of George IV, Interspersed with Original Letters from the Late Queen Caroline, Princess Charlotte, and Various Other Distinguished Persons. (Vol. 1). Lea and Blanchard.” This shows the ethics of writing about the self.
Charlotte’s legacy lives on till these times as a huge audience loves to read and delve into British History. It is a hot topic for more than just the British, as most of the world is fascinated by the Royal Family.
Charlotte Campbell Bury lived a long, fulfilled life, and on 31 March, she passed away at the ripe old age of 91 at her beautiful townhouse home on Sloane Street in Chelsea.
Bibliography
Illustrative Memoir of the Right Honourable Lady Charlotte Bury. La Belle assemblee, or Court and fashionable magazine
New monthly magazine and humourist
Continuation of the Diary Illustrative of the Times of George IV: Interspersed with Original Letters from the Late Queen Caroline, the Princess Charlotte and From Various Other Distinguished Persons, Volume 1
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