Meeting with Nelson Emma, Lady Hamilton

in cognocenti contemplating ye beauties of ye antique (1801), james gillray caricatured sir william s attitude toward affair between emma , nelson. emma portrait of cleopatra in upper left, , nelson adjacent mark antony .

emma nursed nelson under husband s roof, , arranged party 1,800 guests celebrate 40th birthday. fell in love , affair seems have been tolerated, , perhaps encouraged, elderly sir william, own health failing , longed retirement.

hamilton showed nothing admiration , respect nelson, , vice versa. emma hamilton , horatio nelson 2 famous britons in world.

emma had become not close personal friend of queen maria carolina, had developed important political influence. advised queen on how react threats french revolution. maria carolina s sister marie antoinette had fallen victim revolution.

in 1799, naples scene of strange revolution led members of aristocracy; common people did not agree revolution. french troops not welcome, royal family fled sicily. here nelson tried royal family put down revolutionaries. had absolutely no support british government. executed 1 of leaders of revolution, admiral francesco caracciolo. emma hamilton tried draw parallel between revolution in naples , irish uprising in 1798.

nelson s recall britain shortly afterwards coincided government granting hamilton s request relief post. nelson, emma , william therefore travelled – taking longest possible route britain via central europe (hearing missa in angustiis joseph haydn, known nelson mass in vienna in 1800), , arriving in britain hero s welcome. 3 lived openly, , affair became public knowledge , scandal, induced admiralty send nelson sea, if him away emma.

nelson perhaps had idea divorce wife after decisive victory. sir william remained obstacle. in fact 2 lovers, both loved , respected hamilton, had wait death contemplate marriage. emma not consider possibility of divorce. taint life, and, worse, taint nelson.

emma gave birth nelson s daughter horatia, on 29 january 1801 @ sir william s rented home in clarges street, 23 piccadilly, london. autumn of same year, nelson bought merton place, small ramshackle house on outskirts of modern-day wimbledon. there lived openly emma, sir william, , emma s mother, in ménage à trois fascinated public.

the newspapers reported on every move, looking emma set fashions in dress, home decoration , dinner party menus, emma s great days over. had become fat, , nelson did not social life craved. had turned down offer royal opera in madrid sing money. , nelson tried create new, quieter life.

sir william died in 1803, , nelson returned sea after fight in napoleonic wars, leaving emma pregnant second child. desperately lonely, preoccupied attempting turn merton place grand home nelson desired, , frantic return. child, girl, died few weeks after birth in 1804. emma reportedly distracted herself gambling, , spending lavishly. free marry nelson, if obtain divorce.

on 21 october 1805, nelson s fleet defeated joint franco-spanish naval force @ battle of trafalgar. nelson wounded during battle , died 3 hours later. when news of death arrived in london, messenger sent merton place bring news lady hamilton. later recalled

they brought me word, mr whitby admiralty. show him in directly, said. came in, , pale countenance , faint voice, said, have gained great victory. – never mind victory, said. letters – give me letters – captain whitby unable speak – tears in eyes , deathly paleness on face made me comprehend him. believe gave scream , fell back, , ten hours neither speak nor shed tear.