Social Victorians/People/Keppel

Also Known As
Freddie Keppel The Honourable George Keppel
 * Family name: his, Keppel; hers, Edmunstone
 * Freddie (Alice Frederica) Edmonstone Keppel
 * Alice Keppel: VIAF: 62357923

Sir Derek Keppel

Overview
In his account of the "Social and Diplomatic Life" of Edward VII, Gordon Brook-Shepherd says of George and Alice Keppel: For Mrs Keppel, in particular, the accession brought greater problems as well as greater privileges. It was one thing to have an Heir-Apparent for a lover but something quite different when that lover became the ruler of the British Empire. To begin with, even to move in the appropriate style at the King's side cost a great deal more money, / and money was something that neither Edward VII nor the Hon. George Keppel had to spare. Indeed, in an attempt to put extra cash into the Keppel family coffers after Alice had become the mistress of a king, her husband was obliged to go "into trade." Sir Thomas Lipton, the grocer millionaire and yachting friend of King Edward's, found a job for him in his "Buyers' Association" at No. 70–74 Wigmore Street. This, to judge from the firm's stationery on which George Keppel once wrote a business letter to Soveral, sold everything direct to the customer, from groceries, bedding and tobacco, to cartridges and coal. It also advertised "Motor Cars Bought, Sold or Exchanged," and it was about this that Keppel, prompted by his Alice, wrote to the Portuguese Minister:


 * "Dear Soveral, My wife tells me you contemplate buying a small motor car for use in London. May we offer our services in the matter ...?[sic]

For an earl's son to be a salesman in Edwardian England was bad enough. For the salesman to be the husband of the King's official mistress was an added humiliation. Though George Keppel seems to have taken the whole situation philosophically, there were many in society who condemned him for being so much the mari complaisant. As one distinguished survivor from that Edwardian age, who shall be anonymous, commented: "Had Keppel been put up for membership at some London clubs, the black balls would have come rolling out like caviare."

Freddie (Alice) Keppel's Sexual Partners Outside Her Marriage

 * Ernest Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe
 * Humphrey Sturt, 2nd Baron Alington
 * Albert Edward, Prince of Wales

Timeline
1891 June 1, Alice (Freddie) Edmonstone and George Keppel married.

1897 July 2, Alice and George Keppel attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. (The Hon. George Keppel is #39 on the list of people who were present; Hon. Mrs. George Keppel — Freddie — is #231.)

1898, Alice (Freddie) Keppel became the mistress of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. The article on her in Wikipedia says they met in 1898, but they both were present at the Duchess of Devonshire's ball in 1897, so she likely was presented if not introduced to him; on the other hand, 700 people were there.

The Hon. Mrs. George Keppel
Freddie Keppel, called the Hon. Mrs. George Keppell in the newspapers, attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball.
 * She was "very beautiful"; she, "as Madame de Polignac, wore a lovely dress of silver cloth embroidered in silver and pink gems and garlands of small roses. The bunched out over dress was of pink and silver brocade lined with apple-green satin."
 * She was dressed as Madame de Polignac in the quadrille of the Louis XV and XVI Period.
 * "Mrs. George Keppel, as Madame de Polignac, wore a dress of silver cloth embroidered in silver and pink gems and garlands of small roses. The bunched-out over-dress was of pink and silver brocade lined with apple-green satin."
 * "Among these [in the Countess of Warwick's Marie Antoinette quadrille] the Honourable Mrs. George Keppell looked very beautiful.... Mrs. George Keppell, as Madame de Polignac, wore a lovely dress of silver cloth embroidered in silver, and pink gems and garlands of small roses. The bunched-out over-dress was of pink and silver brocade lined with apple green satin."
 * "Madame de Polignac appeared at the Devonshire House ball in the Louis XV. quadrille, represented by the Hon. Mrs George Keppel, in an old dress of the period, a rose and silver brocade handed down from that century. The pouf paniers were lined with pale green soft satin, and faced back with wide bands of silver embroidery. The hooped petticoat was of cloth of silver worked in tinsel threads of all shades, forming a design of roses in true lovers' knots extending from the waist to the hem; at the font it was garlanded with pink pompon roses, interlaced through the stripes of embroidery, and below this was a quaint pleating of silver lace. The low bodice was finished off with a transparent lace collar sewn with silver. The hair was powdered and dressed very high, with soft curls falling on the neck, surmounted by a pink and green ostrich feather and a small garland of roses. She wore long lace mittens."

The Hon. George Keppel
George Keppel (who is early in the list for the London Morning Post), walked in the "Oriental" Processions in the Suite of Men following the two Queens of Sheba (Lady Cynthia Graham and Princess Henry of Pless)  and was attended by "Messrs. Gordon Wood and Wilfred Wilson."

He was dressed as
 * "King Solomon. Tunic of white silk with an elaborate border of jewels; turquoise silk robe lined with white, and a jewelled crown."
 * "King Solomon. Tunic of white silk with an elaborate border of jewels; turquoise silk robe, lined with white, and a jewelled crown."
 * (King Solomon), tunic of white silk, embroidered in gold, with an elaborate border on the bottom of jewels and turquoise; turquoise silk robe lined with white; jewelled headdress."

Demographics

 * Nationality: British

Residences

 * 30 Portman Square

Family

 * William Coutts Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle (15 April 1832 – 28 August 1894)
 * Sophia Mary MacNab (5 July 1832 – 5 April 1917)


 * 1) Lt.-Col. Arnold Allen Cecil Keppel, 8th Earl of Albemarle (1 June 1858 – 12 April 1942)
 * 2) Gertrude Mary Keppel (9 November 1859 – 7 April 1860)
 * 3) Lady Theodora Keppel (11 January 1862 – 30 October 1945)
 * 4) Hon. Sir Derek William George Keppel (7 April 1863 – 26 April 1944)
 * 5) Lady Hilda Mary Keppel (29 August 1864 – 7 October 1955)
 * 6) Lt.-Col. Hon. George Keppel (14 October 1865 – 22 November 1947)
 * 7) Lady Leopoldina Olivia Keppel (14 November 1866 – 9 August 1948)
 * 8) Lady Susan Mary Keppel (5 May 1868 – 26 June 1953)
 * 9) Lady Mary Stuart Keppel (15 May 1869 – 21 September 1906)
 * 10) Lady Florence Cecilia Keppel (24 February 1871 – 30 June 1963)


 * Freddie (Alice Frederica) Edmonstone Keppel (29 April 1868 – 11 September 1947)
 * George Keppel (14 October 1865 – 22 November 1947)
 * 1) Violet Trefusis (6 June 1894 – 1 March 1970 [Wikipedia says 1972])
 * 2) Sonia Cubitt (24 May 1900 – 16 August 1986)

Notes and Questions

 * 1) David Cannadine says of courtiers with aristocratic connections and long careers, "Sir Derek Keppel, brother of the eighth Earl of Albermarle, served every sovereign from Queen Victoria to King George VI."