Lady Emma Hamilton: Her Life and Connection to Warwick
Sunday 8 October
The Court House Ballroom, Jury Street
7.30pm
Lady Emma Hamilton remains one of the most intriguing female celebrities of late 18th century Britain. Emma was the muse of artists and painters, and eventually won the heart of the country’s naval hero, Horatio Nelson.
It is less well known, however, that she was discovered and brought to fame by Charles Francis Greville, brother to the Earl of Warwick, and eventually married Greville’s aged uncle, Sir William Hamilton. Emma visited Warwick several times and so charmed the Earl that he was inspired to write a poem on her notorious beauty and charm. The bells of St Mary’s were rung to welcome Emma, her husband – and Nelson – to the town in 1802.
Adam Busiakiewicz will explore Emma’s extraordinary life and her connections to Warwick and the Greville family.