The Duke's Children
'The Duke's Children' Summary
Lady Glencora, the wife of Plantagenet Palliser, the Duke of Omnium, dies unexpectedly, leaving the devastated Duke to deal with their grownup children, with whom he has had a somewhat distant relationship. As the government in which he is Prime Minister has also fallen, the Duke is left bereft of both his beloved wife and his political position.
Before her death, Lady Glencora had given her private blessing to her daughter Mary's courtship by a poor gentleman, Frank Tregear, a friend of Mary's older brother, Lord Silverbridge. Mrs Finn, Lady Glencora's dearest confidante, somewhat uneasily remains after the funeral as a companion and unofficial chaperone for Lady Mary at the Duke's request. Once she becomes aware of the seriousness of the relationship between Mary and Frank, Mrs Finn insists that the Duke be informed.
Managing the Duke's two sons also proves troublesome. At first, Lord Silverbridge follows the wishes of his father by entering Parliament, and proposes to Lady Mabel Grex, whom he has known all his life, and of whom the Duke approves. She turns Silverbridge down, due to his immaturity, although with a hint of a more welcoming answer another time. In the meanwhile, however, Silverbridge becomes enamoured of American heiress Isabel Boncassen. She agrees to marry him only if the Duke is willing to welcome her into the family. At first, the Duke disapproves; and he disapproves even more of his daughter's suitor. To add to his troubles, Gerald, his younger son, gets expelled from Cambridge after attending the Derby without permission.
However, by the end of the book, the Duke grows closer to all three of his children; he allows the engagements of his oldest son and daughter, and he is invited once more to take a part in the government.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1880Author
Anthony Trollope
England
Anthony Trollope was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, which revolves ar...
More on Anthony TrollopeDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless, Vol. 1 by Eliza Haywood
The flirtations of a rich young maiden, Miss Betsy Thoughtless with several suitors, as she alienates the right man by refusing to take the issue of m...
The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless, Vol. 3 by Eliza Haywood
Betsy Thoughtless is about marriage, rather than dealing with courtship and thus differs from the type of domestic writing that would develop in the 1...
Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson Page
Livingstone has reached a pinnacle in his life. He is finally worth 7 figures, yet his bottom line requires that he cut back on charities this year at...
The Friendship of Anne: A Story by Ellen Douglas Deland
In the enchanting novel "The Friendship of Anne: A Story," penned by the brilliant Ellen Douglas Deland, secrets intertwine with the delicate threads...
Veronica by Johanna Spyri
Published in 1886, this novel encompasses a small community wherein Veronica, having lost her own mother, is “adopted” by a neighbour, Gertrude, who h...
Mr Scarborough's Family by Anthony Trollope
MR SCARBOROUGH, wealthy owner of Tretton Park in Staffordshire, is dying. His eldest son and heir Mountjoy has gambled away his inheritance to avarici...
Rainbow Valley by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Rainbow Valley (1919) is the seventh book in the chronology of the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, although it was the fifth book...
The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith
The Vicar of Wakefield – subtitled A Tale, Supposed to be written by Himself – is a novel by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774). It was written...
The Man On The Other Side by Ada Barnett
Ruth never expected to have a house of her own. Raised in an orphanage, she is forced to work for her living. She chooses to work in a book store, unt...
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
An Old-Fashioned Girl is a novel by Louisa May Alcott first published in 1869. The first six chapters of the novel were serialised in the Merry's Mus...
Reviews for The Duke's Children
No reviews posted or approved, yet...