Lillie Langtry Great English theater actress. Date of Birth: 13.10.1853 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Lily Langtry
2. Early Life and Marriage
3. Love Affair and Life's Challenges
4. Later Life and Achievements

Biography of Lily Langtry

Lily Langtry, born Emily Charlotte Le Breton on October 13, 1853, was a great English theater actress, known for her love affair with the Prince of Wales and future King of England, Edward VII.

Early Life and Marriage

Not much is known about Lily's childhood and youth. It is only known that in 1874, Lily became engaged, and in 1876, she married Edward Langtry, an Irish landowner. Edward was well-off and prominent in high society, and according to some accounts, Lily insisted on moving to London with her husband. They relocated to London, and within a year, Lily Langtry attended her first formal dinner in high society, where she was introduced to Prince Albert Edward, the future King Edward VII. The Prince was immediately captivated by her beauty, and in 1878, Lily Langtry became his favorite. Soon, she was presented to Queen Elizabeth.

Love Affair and Life's Challenges

Lily's affair with Prince Edward lasted until 1880, and later on, it was not publicly acknowledged. During this time, her husband Edward Langtry faced financial difficulties, and with the possible assistance of the Prince, he was declared bankrupt. In the same year, the renowned artist John Millais painted a portrait of Lily, which became the painting of the year, and Lily herself earned the nickname "The Lily of Jersey."

After her breakup with the Prince, Lily Langtry found herself in a new romance, this time with Prince Louis of Battenberg. Approximately a year later, Lily abruptly traveled to Paris, where she secretly gave birth to a daughter named Jeanne Marie. After her affair with Prince Louis ended, Lily embarked on a career as an actress to support her family. One of her friends, the famous Oscar Wilde, offered her a role in the play "She Stoops to Conquer" at the Haymarket Theatre. Whether due to Oscar Wilde's writing or Lily's inherent acting talent, the play was a tremendous commercial success, and within a year, in 1885, Lily Langtry embarked on a tour of America with her own program.

Later Life and Achievements

Lily briefly settled in America and even obtained citizenship in 1887. A year later, she divorced her husband and returned to London in 1892. Her connection with Prince Albert Edward was a thing of the past, and it remains unclear how a simple actress acquired a 120-foot yacht, several houses on both sides of the ocean, and how she managed to buy the Imperial London Theatre in 1901.

In 1905, Lily Langtry attended the coronation of King Edward VII. In 1906, she embarked on another tour, this time to South Africa. Afterward, Lily returned to America and performed on the stage of the renowned Vaudeville Theatre. In 1909, she won a jackpot at one of the casinos in Monte Carlo and immediately bought a house in Monaco.

Following this, Lily became a writer, penning several novellas and her autobiography, "The Days I Knew." She passed away on February 12, 1929, in Monaco and was buried in her hometown on the island of Jersey.