About the Author
Author and historian Catherine Ostler's first book, The Duchess Countess, was published in the UK in April 2021 by Simon & Schuster; it will be published in the US on 22nd February 2022 (click here).
She is currently working on her second book for Simon & Schuster. Catherine is also co-founder and Vice-Chairman of Cliveden Literary Festival, which will take place this year on 23rd-24th October, and has been Editor of Tatler, Editor of ES Magazine at the Evening Standard, and Editor of Times Weekend.
She has also been a columnist for the Evening Standard, a contributing editor to Newsweek, an occasional columnist for the Financial Times, and written for Vogue (British and US), Harper’s Bazaar and US Town & Country amongst other publications.
She has made numerous radio and television appearances including Good Morning America, ABC News and CNN in the US.
Catherine is a graduate of Oxford University, where she read English Language and Literature, specialising in eighteenth century literature. She lives in London with her husband, Albert Read, and their three children.
Articles
Treasures belonging to Catherine the Great's lover on display at the Winter Palace
The Winter Palace, a creation of sugary confectionary, swirls and twirls of baroque white, gold and green, rises above the icy snow-carpet of Palace Square in St Petersburg. Outside, the square has been the stage for revolutions and rock concerts…
The scandalous duchess who inspired one of English literature’s greatest works
A new biography tells the story of Elizabeth Chudleigh, whose charm, ambition, and conviction for bigamy inspired Vanity Fair's Becky Sharp…
A who's who of the most scandalous, daring and dangerous duchesses in history
There is nothing Tatler loves more than a Duchess with attitude. Gratifyingly there are quite a few terrors in tiaras to consider, as they swish past us, admiring themselves in the looking glass. As she releases her book about the Georgian’s era most outrageous one, Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, here are Catherine Ostler’s top five Duchesses of drama...
Television, podcasts and Talks
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Rob rinder - Talkradio
Rob Rinder talks to Catherine about escapism, the joy of reading and the allure of the Georgians.
Talk begins at 1:53 at the link below:
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Chelsea history festival
The Duchess Countess: Join Catherine Ostler as she examines the astounding and scandalous story of Elizabeth Chudleigh and revaluate her life, her behaviour and her legacy.
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how to academy
The Duchess Countess – The Woman Who Scandalised a Nation Catherine Ostler In Conversation With Simon Sebag Montefiore
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Intelligence squared
Crazy Rich Georgians: The Story of Elizabeth Chudleigh How an army officer’s daughter took on the courts of law and a good chunk of the British aristocracy to become her own woman
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BBC Historyextra
The bigamy trial that scandalised Georgian England Catherine Ostler shares the story of Elizabeth Chudleigh, a glamorous aristocrat whose high-profile bigamy trial fascinated 18th-century society
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dan snow's history hit
A Scandalous Duchess Author and journalist Catherine Ostler joins Dan Snow to discuss one of the most intriguing, flawed and complex women of the 18th century
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englesberg ideas
History Lessons - Catherine Ostler on Elizabeth Chudleigh Mattias Hessérus is in conversation with Catherine Ostler on the 18th-century Duchess who scandalised a nation
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Histfest at the British library
Outrageous Women: The Remarkable Lives of Elizabeth Chudleigh and Caroline Norton With Lady Antonia Fraser and Catherine Ostler in conversation with Hallie Rubenhold
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Alain Elkann Interview
A Bigamous Countess? Alain Elkann in conversation with Catherine Ostler
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Sky News
Press Review Sky's Anna Botting looks at how the nation's newspapers honour the Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip with Catherine Ostler, former editor of Tatler and author of a new book, The Duchess Countess, and former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond.
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Cliveden: tina brown
All the fun of Vanity Fair: About to publish her Vanity Fair Diaries, the editor, author of The Diana Chronicles and mistress of reinvention on her dazzling and ever-changing career
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Cliveden: emily maitlis
Britain’s Sharpest Airhead Boris, Trump, the Dalai Lama: Catherine Ostler gets the scoop from our most thrilling political broadcaster, EMILY MAITLIS
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cliveden: misha glenny
McMafia: Author of the book behind the hit TV series, MISHA GLENNY talks to Catherine Ostler about Russian Mafia, global crime and the modern day oligarchy