The Final Astors: Where Is The Astor Family Today? скачать в хорошем качестве

The Final Astors: Where Is The Astor Family Today?

The Astor Family today, in the 21st century, has on one side thrive in a world of continued influence, political power, and financial clout, maintaining their storied past. In this episode, we delve into the 21st-century lives of the remaining Astors, exploring the contrasts between their two branches. ---------------------------------------------------------- The Astors: America’s First “Old Money” Family:    • The Astors: America’s First “Old Money” Fa...   ---------------------------------------------------------- How The Astor Family Created "High Society":    • How The Astor Family Created "High Society"   ---------------------------------------------------------- TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 1:30 Chapter 1: The “Anglo-American” Dynasty 6:37 Chapter 2: The British Astors 12:30 Chapter 3: The American Astors ---------------------------------------------------------- For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, having an Astor in your family tree was akin to possessing a golden ticket to the upper echelons of American society. Even today, the Astor name graces some of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. You can luxuriate at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, sip coffee beside the Astor-constructed New York Public Library, or dine at a chic spot on Astor Place in Manhattan. Yet, beneath this polished legacy lies a tale of division and disparity. The colossal Astor fortune bifurcated into two distinct branches, each on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The story of the Astors began with John Jacob Astor, who left Germany for America in 1783 with little more than ambition and a fur trade venture. By 1848, he was America’s first multimillionaire, and his offspring expanded the family's wealth, notably in New York real estate. William Backhouse Astor Senior further amplified their fortune, while iconic family members like Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor helped define the "old money" versus "new money" dynamic. The Astors' fame and fortune also wove into British nobility through strategic marriages. For instance, American heiresses, including the Astors, married into British aristocracy, a trend also seen with figures like Consuelo Vanderbilt, whose dowry aided Blenheim Palace and, indirectly, supported Winston Churchill’s rise. William Waldorf Astor, who moved to Britain in 1890, became the First Viscount Astor, and his descendants continued to shape British society. Despite John Jacob Astor The Fourth's tragic death on the Titanic in 1912, the family’s influence persisted. In the U.K., William Astor, the Fourth Viscount Astor, navigates his role with a mix of charm and controversy. His marriage to Annabel Lucy Veronica Jones has further intertwined the Astor lineage with British politics through their children and connections like former Prime Minister David Cameron. Similarly, John Jacob "Johnny" Astor The Eighth, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, and his family continue to blend aristocratic and royal dimensions, with recent additions to the family including Princess Eliane Marie Ghislain de Merode. Across the Atlantic, the American Astors present a more varied picture. Vincent Astor, who inherited a vast fortune after his father’s death on the Titanic, became a prominent philanthropist and media mogul. His marriage to Brooke Astor brought further prestige, but her son, Anthony Dryden Marshall, faced legal troubles that marred the family’s reputation. Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, a descendant of John Jacob Astor, connects the family to Russian nobility, while Alexandra Aldrich’s memoir, "The Astor Orphan," provides a candid look at a family struggling between grandeur and financial reality. Thus, the Astor family saga reveals a tale of two branches: one flourishing in the U.K. and the other grappling with financial and social challenges in the U.S.