- This article is about Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor; "Mrs. Astor". For her daughter, see Carrie Astor.
Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn Astor, often referred to as simply Mrs. Astor, is the most prominent American socialite of her time. She is imperious and commanding, and is the chief gatekeeper standing in the way of the Russell family's acceptance into New York "400" high society. Bertha Russell seeks to earn Mrs. Astor's acceptance at any cost.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Lina Astor was born to the Schermerhorn family, the descendants of the original Dutch aristocrats that settled New York. She married William Backhouse Astor Jr., the son of the respectable and wealthy Astor family, though Lina's birth family was even more respected as an old Knickerbocker family. The couple had five children, Emily, Helen, Charlotte, Caroline "Carrie", and John Jacob Astor IV.
Out of her children, only Caroline features as a recurring character in the show. Her other children are briefly visible in the first episode, Never The New. Her husband doesn't feature in the series.
After the Civil War, Mrs. Astor became the chief gatekeeper of respectable New York society, and codified proper behavior and etiquette, chiefly aided by Ward McAllister. She became the foremost authority of the American "aristocracy" of New York, and began to regularly host elaborate parties for herself and other members of New York society, with none being allowed to attend without her official calling card.
Season 1[]
Mrs. Astor receives an invitation to an At Home party hosted by Bertha Russell, the wife of a "new money" railroad tycoon. Unimpressed and disapproving of her social inferiors, she ignores the invitation and puts it in the fireplace.[1] But by the end of the first season, Bertha Russell's plan of being accepted into society comes into fruition after she prohibited Caroline Astor, Lina's daughter, from participating a ball in her house. This move left Lina Astor without a choice but to call upon Bertha and welcome her into the "old money" society.
References[]
- ↑ The Gilded Age, season 1 episode 1: "Never The New"