Home
cover of episode 442. Lord Byron: Dangerous Liaisons (Part 3)

442. Lord Byron: Dangerous Liaisons (Part 3)

2024/4/21
logo of podcast The Rest Is History

The Rest Is History

Chapters

Lord Byron, a poet who had just returned from his travels, quickly rose to fame with the success of his poem, Child Harold's Pilgrimage. He became a celebrity in the modern sense, carefully crafting his image and captivating the public's attention. His fame, largely driven by print and commercial culture, drew comparisons to Beatlemania, with a devoted fan base, primarily women, fueling his celebrity status.

Shownotes Transcript

Good God I am surely in hell!

Upon Lord Byron’s return to England and the publication of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, he became one of the most notorious men in Europe and the world's first celebrity. The next period of his life would be rocked by shocking scandal, moral depravity and sexual outrage. Pale and sickly but devastatingly romantic, he attracted a dedicated fan base, the likes of which had never been seen. Chief amongst these was the eccentric and androgynous Lady Caroline Lamb, whose affair with Byron would inflame London society and push both to the brink of insanity. So extreme was Caroline’s obsession that upon the advice of her mother-in-law, the cunning and cruel Lady Melbourne known as "the Spider", Byron set out to find himself a wife. The woman he chose was an unlikely candidate: a mathematician, Annabella Milbanke, who Byron hoped would redeem his devilish disposition. Their marriage would be blighted by cruelty, immorality and a particularly pernicious breed of infidelity. For, one other woman now played a central role in Byron’s life: Augusta Leigh, his lover, and sister…

Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Lord Byron’s tumultuous romantic love affairs and marriage; culminating in a scandal so shocking and sexually licentious that it would drive him from England. 

The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024

Tom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London!

Buy your tickets here: therestishistory.com

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices)