Gilded Facts About Caroline Astor, New York’s “Mystic Rose”
In the Gilded Age, Caroline Astor ruled New York. Born Caroline Schermerhorn, she was already a member of one of the oldest families in the metropolis before she married into the obscenely wealthy Astor family. Soon enough her lavish parties, rigid etiquette, and clique of mean-girl socialites had turned Caroline into the gatekeeper of the New York Elite. And she didn’t become the Mrs. Astor by playing nice.
Caroline Astor Facts
1. She Came From Big Money
They say anyone can make it in America, but Caroline Astor was not just anyone. Born in 1830 to the Schermerhorn clan, she could trace her ancestors all the way back to the founding of New York City, a claim many would beg, borrow, and steal to make. Moreover, all that time in America had produced a mountain of wealth; her father Abraham was worth half a million dollars when she was born. And with all that money came big plans for little Lina.
2. She Had The Wedding Of The Year
After an extravagant childhood, Caroline came out into the world with a bang. After learning the best manners money could buy, she married William Backhouse Astor, Jr. at the age of 23. The middle son of the Astor real estate and fur-trading empire, William had a lot of money to throw around, and it was one of the society weddings of the season.
But there is one thing about their nuptials most people don’t know.
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3. She Married Down
Today, the Astor family is a towering dynasty, and old New York and the Gilded Age are practically synonymous with the clan. But believe it or not, it was Caroline who was stooping when she married William, not the other way around. As one of the oldest families in New York, the Schermerhorns had much more clout than the upstart Astors. And Caroline made sure her husband knew it.
