Downton Abbey; The British Empire as a marriage between Jewish finance and the British aristocracy.

[Anglojew]

British social critic Hilaire Belloc described the British Empire as a partnership between Jewish finance and the British aristocracy. The marriage of Jewish finance and British aristocracy took place literally. Spendthrift gentry married the daughters of rich Jews. One may say that by the last third of the nineteenth century, they had become virtually identical.

An outstanding example is the marriage of the 5th Earl of Roseberry who married the only daughter and heiress of Baron Mayer de Rothschild and later became Prime Minister. “She stayed in the Jewish religion but her children were educated as Christians…The alliances between Jewish ladies and British lords are mostly of this type, the wife providing large sums…while the aristocrat has the title and ancient estate. The children are able to look back upon a varied bag of ancestors.

The excellent British period drama Downton Abbey actually documents this phenomena with the charater of Lady Cora Crawley originally the American heiress daughter of "Isidore Levinson, a dry goods multimillionaire from Cincinnati". Lady Crawley's fictional marriage to an English Earl mirrors many such historical marriages such as “Sybil Sassoon (who) was Jewish and British, although her mother was a French Rothschild,” and “She married the Marquess of Cholmondeley. And Lord Rosebery married an English Rothschild.”

[Issy]

I love love love Downton Abbey! I would highly recommend it

[1stLightHorse]

A marriage of finance + aristocracy = ubermensch offspring.

[Anglojew]

I love love love Downton Abbey! I would highly recommend it

Great show.

A marriage of finance + aristocracy = ubermensch offspring.

Yes. Perfection.

[Arend]

Anglos, Jews, bad news……

Never really liked that show. Too snobby, too pretentious, too British. But each to his own

[rhiannon]

British social critic Hilaire Belloc described the British Empire as a partnership between Jewish finance and the British aristocracy. The marriage of Jewish finance and British aristocracy took place literally. Spendthrift gentry married the daughters of rich Jews. One may say that by the last third of the nineteenth century, they had become virtually identical.

An outstanding example is the marriage of the 5th Earl of Roseberry who married the only daughter and heiress of Baron Mayer de Rothschild and later became Prime Minister. “She stayed in the Jewish religion but her children were educated as Christians…The alliances between Jewish ladies and British lords are mostly of this type, the wife providing large sums…while the aristocrat has the title and ancient estate. The children are able to look back upon a varied bag of ancestors.

The excellent British period drama Downton Abbey actually documents this phenomena with the charater of Lady Cora Crawley originally the American heiress daughter of "Isidore Levinson, a dry goods multimillionaire from Cincinnati". Lady Crawley's fictional marriage to an English Earl mirrors many such historical marriages such as “Sybil Sassoon (who) was Jewish and British, although her mother was a French Rothschild,” and “She married the Marquess of Cholmondeley. And Lord Rosebery married an English Rothschild.”

I have watched the entire series to this point and did note no reference being made to the American Lady Cora as being Jewish. However, I did catch the name Levinson as her mothers' last name so it made me wonder if she was in fact, Jewish. Your post helped clear that all up lol...thanks!

It is a fantastically well-done series for anyone that is thinking of watching it, BTW

[Anglojew]

Anglos, Jews, bad news……

Never really liked that show. Too snobby, too pretentious, too British. But each to his own

Too British lol

Would you rather Inspector Rex?

[Anglojew]

I have watched the entire series to this point and did note no reference being made to the American Lady Cora as being Jewish. However, I did catch the name Levinson as her mothers' last name so it made me wonder if she was in fact, Jewish. Your post helped clear that all up lol...thanks!

It is a fantastically well-done series for anyone that is thinking of watching it, BTW

Yes, it's good. It's a pity that Dan Stevens who plays Matthew Crawley doesn't want to do another season.

[derLowe]

I watched a few episodes, it is not my cup of tea.

[Arend]

Too British lol

Would you rather Inspector Rex?

It’s Austrian. German (and also Dutch) TV is really badly made for the most part, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like a British Soap Opera about some early 20th century snobs.