Talk: Harriet Arbuthnot (1793-1834), political commentator & the Duke of Wellington's close friend

As the Lincolnshire-born youngest daughter of a younger son, Harriet Fane had aristocratic connections but no fortune. Like a Jane Austen Regency heroine, she overcame family objections to marry the man she loved, Charles Arbuthnot, a widower many years her senior. He was an MP and central to the Tory government of the day. As Mrs Arbuthnot, and with a home on Downing Street, Harriet found herself at the centre of political society. She formed close friendships with Viscount Castlereagh and the Duke of Wellington, becoming known to the latter when visiting Paris weeks after the Battle of Waterloo.
Throughout the 1820s and into the 1830s, Harriet kept a journal. Writing in private, she documented events at which she had a front-row seat, conversations with statesmen, much gossip, and gave often acerbic descriptions of her peers. More than a century after Harriet’s death, her journals were published and remain an amazing first-hand source for historians.
Discover more in this entertaining talk by Joanne Major.
Members and non-members welcome.
Please note that due to the age and character of St Mary's Guildhall, it is not wheelchair accessible.