There’s
been a lot of online (and traditional) media coverage of the current day Lady
Colin Campbell, also known as Georgie Campbell. Her recently published book, “The
Untold Life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother” has hit the headlines with controversial
claims that the Queen Mother was illegitimate and that the Queen was conceived
via artificial insemination. The ensuing publicity has increased traffic to my
website on the Victorian Lady Colin (1886-1911) as searchers type in the same
name only to find out there are two Lady Colins.
The media
coverage has reminded me of the comparisons between the two Lady Colins. Both
married into the Argyll family after a whirlwind romance, both quickly
regretted their marriage, both went through a messy divorce with their
respective Lord Colin husbands, and both proceeded to earn a living through
writing. The Victorian Lady Colin concentrated on journalism, whilst the modern
Lady Colin has focussed on biography and autobiography, but both have written a
novel. In addition, those who study etiquette might find it interesting to
compare the vast differences in recommended behaviour set out in the 1893 “Etiquette
of Good Society” edited by the Victorian Lady, and those in the 1986 book “Lady
Colin Campbell’s Guide to Being a Modern Lady.”
Many
years ago I had a brief telephone conversation with the current Lady Colin
Campbell, who like the subject of my book, continues to use her title after her
divorce. She expressed an interest in her forbearer and referred to her as
“Gertie.” We have not spoken since, so I cannot claim to talk from personal
knowledge, but from what I have read about the two Lady Colins, the main
similarity is the strength of character … whatever you think of them as
individuals!
