Maria Gunning was born in 1733 to a humble family in central England. But the family soon moved to a meager rental house in Dublin. To help the family get by, Maria and her younger sister Elizabeth worked as actresses in local playhouses, which was a somewhat dubious profession (actresses were often known to make other “professional income” on the side.) But it earned them a little celebrity, and an invitation to a grand ball at Dublin Castle. Unfortunately, they had no dresses sufficient for such an occasion. So they reached out to a local theater manager, who let them pull a few things off his costume rack. Attending the ball dressed as Lady Macbeth and Juliet, Maria and Elizabeth were presented to the Earl of Harrington, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was so struck by their innocence and beauty he took pity upon the Gunning family and paid for their relocation back to England.
There the girls were a sensation. They were, in the vernacular of the day, “hotties.” Soon after, they were attending events in London. When they were presented to the Court of St. James, the event was covered by the national newspapers. Pop went the Gunning sisters! Within a year, Elizabeth had married the Duke of Hamilton and had moved to a castle in Scotland. In 1752, Maria bagged an even bigger prize: George William Coventry, the 6th Earl of Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst, Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, a Lord of the Bedchamber of King George II and a peer in the House of Lords. The couple were married (he was 30, she was 19) and took a honeymoon trip to Paris. When they returned to London, Maria was mobbed by adoring fans, and had to be escorted through Hyde Park by the King’s Guard. She was now regarded as the most beautiful woman in the country.
But as quickly as the marriage was underway, things got ugly. Maria loved and courted the publicity, but her husband found it vulgar. She would dress up, he would dress her down. She would cover her face in white powder and rouge, he would wipe it off. Maria’s face soon broke out, and she used more makeup to cover it up. Frustrated, George turned his affections to a mistress; Maria turned her affections to her adoring public. She wore gaudier dresses, glitzier jewelry, and more makeup than ever.
In the end, her vanity proved to be her downfall. While still in her mid-twenties, Maria became sick. Doctors were called in, but could not diagnose the cause. No amount of costuming or makeup could conceal the fact that she was dying. The papers were soon reporting that she didn’t have long to live. And so it came to pass: 250 years ago today, the star who had blazed so brightly across London’s social scene, flamed out at the age of 27.
The culprit? Well, as Sherlock Holmes might have said, it was the Makeup That Did It. You see, the rouge of the day was based on a lead foundation. All that applying and wiping of toxic lead powder on her face resulted in an acute and fatal case of blood poisoning.
Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry: Society superstar, fashion victim.
By Mike Keeler [email protected]