Dec 30 2008
Ema Lyon - better known as Lady Hamilton
Emma Lady Hamilton, the wife of Lord Hamilton and at the same time, lover of Lord Horatio Nelson, is another historic example of a woman who through beauty, intelligence and viles rose to fame and influence.
She was born as Ema Lyon in 1765 as the daughter of an illiterate blacksmith in England. At age 12, she came to London and got work as a nurse maid. She was very beautiful and delicate and it didn’t take her long to move into the circle of Mrs. Kelly, a well known and well connected madame of her time. Soon Ema met a wealthy man who set her up as his mistress in a cottage at his estate. When Ema, aged 16, became pregnant, she was placed under the custody of Charles Greville, who was a nephew of Lord Hamilton. She had already chaged her name to Emily Hart. Greville set her up in London and looked after her, under condition that she gave up her child and changed her lifestyle. Emma complied and Greville fell in love with her. He commissioned the painter Romney to do several portraits of her in classical and romantic poses.
Through Greville, Emma met Lord Hamilton, who was the British Minister at the royal court of Naples and a man of wealth and influence. History remains a bit unclear on the point, but several machinations between Greville and Hamilton resulted in the fact, that Emma travelled to Naples and started to live under the protection of Lord Hamilton. He soon fell under her spell and dedicated a lot of time and effort to her education. Emma learned French and Italian and had singing lessons. She became the centre of social life in Naples, but her position as ‘mistress’ of the widower Hamilton did not give her the full status she craved and aspired to. Emma became the confidante of Queen Maria Carolina of Naples who had great power and influence. Finally, in 1791 Emma and Lord Hamilton married and her position became legal.
Lord Nelson, the great war heroe, entered her life, when wounded in the Battle of the Nile and was brought to Naples to recover. Emma nursed him back to health and their love affair began. From that time on, she, Hamilton and Nelson engaged in a manage a trois. Nelson was himself married but discouraged his wife to join him.
After the fall of Naples, the Hamiltons and Nelson returned to England. Emma was already pregnant with her and Nelson’s daughter Horatia. When Hamilton died, Emma was left rather poor, because Greville inherited most of his estate. Nelson did his best to support his ’second’ family, but Emma was constantly in debt. She even ended up twice in debtor prison. Her situation deterriorated after Nelson’s death. He had made a codicil to his will, leaving a share of his estate to Emma and his daugher, but it was ignored by is legitimate heirs.
Emma finally left England with her daugher and went to live in Calais/France. Poor and suffering from cirrhosis of the liver she died in 1815, 10 years after Nelson’s death. The only person to nurse her and care for her was Horatia.
