Charlotte and Lionel: A Rothschild Love Story

by Stanley Weintraub

Charlotte was young and beautiful. Lionel, almost ten years older, was rich and her cousin. Theirs was an arranged betrothal joining two branches of Europe's most powerful banking firm. It seemed an unlikely love match, and even their wedding had to survive catastrophe. Yet their marriage lasted through tragedies and triumphs. Charlotte became one of the grand chatelaines of the Victorian era; Lionel, England's leading financier, persevered through years of bigotry to become the first of his faith to be seated in Parliament. In Charlotte and Lionel, acclaimed biographer Stanley Weintraub, using full access to the Rothschild family archives, tells the story of their stunning and surprising love for each other, opening a fascinating window into a memorable age.

Together, Charlotte and Lionel de Rothschild challenged and redefined their place in Victorian society. At her celebrated salons, England's leading politicians and policy makers met and shared opinions. Disraeli regularly argued politics with adversaries; Gladstone discussed religion with Charlotte; "Tom Thumb" (with P. T. Barnum) entertained; artists and writers and aristocrats mingled. Refusing to swear a Christian oath, Lionel was elected to Parliament half a dozen times before he could take his seat. After a decade-long battle, the House of Commons changed its rules, enabling Lionel and future Jewish or non-Christian members to serve.

Lionel (and, behind the scenes, Charlotte) influenced events worldwide, helping to fund relief to a starving Ireland, aiding persecuted Jews in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, brokering the purchase of the Suez Canal, and arranging for France's postwar reparations to Germany. Yet despite the distractions of their power, glamour, and wealth, and problems of health for which money could buy no solutions, they remained intensely devoted to each other and their family. Although Charlotte lost a daughter, then her beloved husband, and had to come back herself from severe illness, she remained unbroken.

Charlotte and Lionel presents the evocative tale of one of the least known yet most touching love stories from the glamorous decades of Victorian England.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Weintraub was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 1929. He was the eldest child of Benjamin and Ray Segal Weintraub. He attended South Philadelphia High School, and then he attended West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University of Pennsylvania) where he received his B.S. in education in 1949. He continued his education at Temple University where he received his master's degree in English “in absentia,” as he was called to duty in the Korean War.

He received a commission as Army Second Lieutenant, and served with the Eighth Army in Korea receiving a Bronze Star.

After the War, he enrolled at Pennsylvania State University in September 1953; his doctoral dissertation “Bernard Shaw, Novelist” was accepted on May 6, 1956.

Except for visiting appointments, he remained at Penn State for all of his career, finally attaining the rank of Evan Pugh Professor of Arts and Humanities, with emeritus status on retirement in 2000. From 1970 to 1990 he was also Director of Penn State’s Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this narrative non-fiction book, Stanley Weintraub tells the story of Charlotte Rothschild and Lionel Rothschild, two of Victorian England's most prominent personages. The book is well-researched, pulling liberally from letters to and from the Rothschilds as well as contemporary publications, and giving a firm background in the goings-on of the world that serve as a backdrop for the main biograph-ees. If you are looking for a book on Charlotte and Lionel, this is a good one to consult, however, unless one is particularly invested in the subject-matter beforehand, I would give it a pass.

This book got off to a good start: it set the scene for the Rothschild families located accross Europe, it presented Lionel and Charlotte and their union well, and it outlined Lionel's fight to be admitted to the House of Commons despite being a Jew, a prohibitive quality to have at that time. However, everything past his victory seemed simply stagnant and repetitive, as though the climax of their life-stories came far too early, and then the rest of the book just sort of had to carry on. Part of this is because that is the nature of life. However, due to the ensuing redundancy - what took up several chapters could easily have been distilled into one with just as much value - I was dissatisfied overall. That said, the research and the writing were spot-on, even if the author did not manage to justify to the reader why so much time and energy was spent on what felt like the same details over and over, while still managing to miss key events, like Charlotte's first stroke.

Another thing that was particularly difficult to tackle, and which Weintraub could have done a better job with, was the plethora of "family names" that made it rather confusing as to who was who and who lived where and who belonged to who and how. A simple moniker - "Austrian Nathan" or "Charlotte of France" would have cleared this up considerably, but instead the reader finds themselves constantly checking the family tree provided at the front of the book, only to just say "forget this" and give up trying to keep track.

There is no graphic language or violence in this book; there is some mention of sex, since nuptials are a main topic in the book. I would recommend this book for high school level and above. Three stars.

[Rhiannon George · Rating 2 out of 5]

While interesting, this was often quite hard to follow and to keep track of who was who, particularly as proper names and nicknames were used interchangeably. I enjoyed it overall but did find it repetitive at times.

[Dayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! All the books I’ve read about the reign of Queen Victoria mention the Rothschild’s international banking system...this is a well researched “behind the scenes “ look at an amazing family.

[Rimma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never got a good sense of who they were as people and I remain confused about the family naming conventions.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An endearing telling of a known family and how they cemented their permanence in society in the late 1800 all supported by inquisitive investigations and memorable writing.
It is the tale of an arranged marriage, a large family, a bank and its branches, international relations and between that, love. Not only romantic love but fraternal love, friend love, love for your job.

[Kathrin Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not always easy to follow but offers some interesting insights into the Jewish experience in 19th century Britain. Lionel was a very successful banker but his knowledge and international contacts made him sought after by politicians as well. He - and his wife - were respected highly many including in particular Benjamin Disraeli.

[Claire Biggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read of the Rothschild cousins who made a love match, the ups and downs of family life and the story of their siblings, cousins and children

[Alethea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rothschilds were a clan bent on keeping their banking success and subsequent incredible wealth safe from 1) non-family members and 2) Gentiles, which was the reason behind their intermarrying of cousins upon cousins. Weintraub gave this book the subtitle of “A Rothschild Love Story,” but I admit I never saw the hinted-at romance. Charlotte and Lionel were, as mentioned before, cousins, and their marriage was arranged to ally two nations’ Rothschild banking houses. They did love one another, which at that time, in an arranged, intra-familial marriage, was certainly not a given; however, it seemed that Lionel spent his life either at the banking house or at Parliament, attempting to be the first Jew seated in the House of Commons, which he did achieve after years’ worth of failures; Charlotte became a celebrated Victorian hostess and philanthropic donor. Behind the scenes, the two did arrange for relief for various causes which were dear to them. I never, though, saw evidence of a gorgeous, flowering love. I have no issue with Weintraub claiming theirs was such a story, but perhaps without using so much vigor to describe it. It also was to the book’s detriment that names in the various Rothschild dynasties were used and used and re-used, so that every daughter, son, uncle, aunt, niece, and cousin blended together without much to distinguish each from the other. Weintraub told a good story in adequate language, but it was a bit of a flashy sale for an otherwise underwhelming product.