Lola Montez was a famous dancer, actress, and courtesan who lived a life of adventure, controversy, and romance. She was born in Ireland in 1821, but claimed to be a Spanish noblewoman. She eloped with a British officer, but left him for another man. She became the mistress of several famous men, including the composer Franz Liszt and the writer Alexandre Dumas. She also caused a political upheaval in Bavaria, where she seduced King Ludwig I and influenced his policies. She was eventually forced to flee the country after a popular uprising against her. She then traveled to the United States, where she reinvented herself as a lecturer and a philanthropist. She died in New York in 1861, at the age of 39, from a stroke caused by syphilis. This article will explore the fascinating and tragic story of Lola Montez’s cause of death, and how it reflected her turbulent life.
Contents
Lola Montez’s Early Life and Career
Lola Montez was born as Eliza Rosanna Gilbert in Grange, County Sligo, Ireland, on February 17, 1821. Her father was a British soldier, and her mother was an Irish aristocrat. Her father died of cholera when she was three, and her mother remarried a wealthy officer, Patrick Craigie. Lola was sent to boarding schools in England and France, where she received a good education, but also developed a rebellious and independent personality. She was fond of dancing, riding, and reading.
When she was 19, her mother arranged for her to marry an elderly judge, but Lola refused. Instead, she eloped with a young lieutenant, Thomas James, whom she married in Ireland in 1837. However, their marriage was unhappy, and Lola soon left him for another lover. She followed James to India, where he was stationed, but he rejected her. She then returned to England, where she obtained a legal separation from him in 1842.
Lola decided to pursue a career as a dancer, and adopted the stage name of Lola Montez, claiming to be a Spanish noblewoman. She studied dance in Spain, and made her debut in London in 1843. However, she was booed off the stage, as the audience recognized her as James’s wife. She then moved to Paris, where she met the famous composer Franz Liszt, who became her lover and patron. She also performed in other European cities, such as Warsaw, Berlin, and Munich, where she attracted attention for her beauty and her provocative style of dancing.
Lola Montez’s Affair with King Ludwig I of Bavaria
Lola Montez’s most notorious relationship was with King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who fell in love with her when he saw her perform in Munich in 1846. He was 60 years old, and she was 25. He showered her with gifts, money, and titles, and made her his official mistress. He also gave her a large influence over his political decisions, which angered the Bavarian aristocracy, clergy, and people. Lola Montez became a symbol of the king’s corruption and decadence, and a target of public hatred and ridicule.
Lola Montez did not help her reputation by her arrogant and erratic behavior. She insulted and assaulted her critics, interfered with the affairs of the state and the church, and supported radical causes, such as freedom of the press and education reform. She also made enemies among the king’s family and ministers, who tried to persuade him to dismiss her. However, the king remained loyal to her, and even created her Countess of Landsfeld in 1847.
Lola Montez’s influence over the king eventually led to a revolution in Bavaria in 1848, as part of the wider wave of uprisings that swept across Europe that year. The people demanded the king’s abdication and Lola Montez’s expulsion. The king refused to abandon her, but was forced to send her away to Switzerland. He then abdicated in favor of his son, Maximilian II, and retired to a castle. He never saw Lola Montez again, but continued to correspond with her until his death in 1868.
Lola Montez’s Later Life and Death
Lola Montez did not give up her adventurous and scandalous life after leaving Bavaria. She traveled to various countries, such as Austria, France, England, and Australia, where she resumed her career as a dancer and an actress. She also had several affairs, including one with the writer Alexandre Dumas, who based a character on her in his novel The Count of Monte Cristo. She also married and divorced two more times, to George Heald, a British army officer, and to Patrick Hull, a newspaper editor.
In 1851, Lola Montez arrived in the United States, where she settled in California, during the Gold Rush. She performed in San Francisco and other cities, and became involved in several lawsuits and scandals. She also met some famous people, such as the writer Mark Twain and the actress Lotta Crabtree, whom she mentored. She also became interested in religion and philanthropy, and converted to Christianity. She founded a school for girls in Grass Valley, and donated money to various causes.
However, Lola Montez’s health was deteriorating, as she suffered from syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that she had contracted in her youth. She also developed a drinking problem, and became addicted to laudanum, a narcotic. She decided to change her career, and became a lecturer, touring the country and giving talks on her life and experiences. She also wrote an autobiography, The Lectures of Lola Montez, which was published in 1858.
In 1860, Lola Montez moved to New York, where she lived in a boarding house. She continued to lecture, but her audiences were dwindling, and her finances were low. She also suffered a stroke, which paralyzed her right side. She died on January 17, 1861, at the age of 39. She was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, under the name of Mrs. Eliza Gilbert. Her grave was marked by a simple stone, with the inscription: “Lola Montez, Countess of Landsfeld”.
Conclusion
Lola Montez was a remarkable woman, who lived a life of passion, adventure, and controversy. She was a dancer, an actress, a courtesan, a mistress, a countess, a lecturer, and an author. She was loved and hated, admired and despised, praised and vilified. She was involved in some of the most important events and movements of her time, such as the Romantic era, the Revolutions of 1848, and the Gold Rush. She was also a victim of her own choices, and of the diseases and addictions that plagued her. She died young, but left behind a legacy of legend and mystery. Lola Montez’s cause of death was a stroke caused by syphilis, but her life was a stroke of genius.
