This Giveaway is now closed. Winners will be posted soon.

 

Welcome to the Valentine’s Hearts Through History Blog Hop! Hop from site to site and enjoy historical anecdotes and trivia tidbits about all things romantic. Stories of old love, fascinating insight into love/courting/marriage and weddings from all over history await! Even better, each stop is offering a giveaway you can enter with just a comment, so hop away!

An Unlikely beginning and a Happy Ending

Charles James Fox(1749-1806) was in parliament from the age of 19, at 21 he was first lord of the Admiralty. He could speak 5 languages fluently was renowned as the best orator of his day and was friend to the Duchess of Devonshire. His grandparents had the most romantic story.

His great grandfather owed a friend a large gaming debt. To settle the debt, he gave his daughter,  Sarah to be married to Charles, later the second Duke of Richmond. She was 13 and he 18 year old.   They disliked each other on sight. So great was the strife that after the wedding she was sent to school and he away to the continent for the Grand Tour.Their separation lasted three years.

When Charles returned he tried to avoid reuniting with his detestable wife.  One night he attended the opera where he saw beautiful woman, and fell in love . The woman was none other than his wife.

He wooed her properly and won her affections. Their marriage was universally regarded as happy and they were known to kiss and cuddle often. She later bore him 12 children.

I am giving away several different prizes for this hop.  I have one of each of my book: Darcy’s Decision and The Future Mrs Darcy (paperback for US, e-book for elsewhere).  I also have exclusive ‘Jane Austen said it best’ 4×6″ magnets in four different designs. Four winners will win a magnet with a randomly selected design.

Comment for your entry into the contest. Comment link is just under the post title. Please include whether you’d prefer a book or a magnet if you win. Extra entries can be earned for new blog follows, twitter follow, pinterest follow, facebook page likes and a double entry for e-newsletter subscriptions. All extra entry activities can be access from the button in the right hand sidebar. I have comments set to moderation, so if your comment doesn’t appear right away, don’t worry, it will soon.

I’ve posted a little early so all the links may not be live yet. They will be live 2/10/13.

Be sure and visit the other Hop Locations

1. Random Bits of Fascination (Maria Grace)
2. Pillings Writing Corner (David Pilling)
3. Sally Smith O’Rourke
4. Darcyholic Diversions (Barbara Tiller Cole)
5. Faith, Hope and Cherry Tea
6. Rosanne Lortz
7. Sharon Lathan
8. Debra Brown
9. Heyerwood   (Lauren Gilbert)
10. Regina Jeffers
11. Ginger Myrick
12. Anna Belfrage
13. Fall in love with history (Grace Elliot)
14. Nancy Bilyeau
15. Wendy Dunn
16. E.M. Powell
17. Georgie Lee
18. The Riddle of Writing (Deborah Swift)
19. Outtakes from a Historical Novelist (Kim Rendfeld)
20. The heart of romance (Sherry Gloag)
21. A day in the life of patootie (Lori Crane)
22. Karen Aminadra
23. Dunhaven Place (Heidi Ashworth)
24. Stephanie Renee dos Santos