A Love Affair At Montacute House

Sophia Moseley looks at the love story amongst the history of one of Somerset’s finest mansions

- Sophia Moseley

There’s a chapter in the fascinating story of Montacute House probably best entitled Exotica Erotica and it’s a real page turner.

It involves unhappy marriages, passionate affairs and the ultimate betrayal of a woman blinded by unrequited love.

Elinor Glyn, the early 20th century equivalent of Barbara Cartland, was very much a product of her upbringing with a mix of French aristocracy thanks to her grandmother, who taught her the very strict rules of the upper classes and who frequently told Elinor stories of how her ancestors escaped from France during the French revolution.

Despite Elinor’s lack of noble breeding, thanks to her grandmother, she was able to enter the echelons of high society.

Credited with coining the phrase ‘It girl’, Elinor grew into a beautiful and fascinating woman with a talent for writing exotic stories, however she struggled to find a man who matched her exacting standards and frequently rejected many advances. This could explain why Lord Curzon of Kedleston found her so alluring.

Lord Curzon, viceroy to India in 1898 was a focussed, inflexible and confident man who believed completely in colonial rule. His political rise was meteoric and whilst he was the first to make a move, Elinor soon fell under his spell.