[Atarah]

EMMA HARTMANN - A friend of the King's and Tenant of the White Lodge.

Yesterday's Daily Mail gave a rather interesting story about an insight into Edward VII's lifestyle. One of the children of Queen Victoria and Albert, he was 59 years of age when finally crowned in 1901, after his mothers 64 years reign.
He was known for having many mistresses, including Lillie Langtry, Jenny Churchill (Winston's mother). The article claims that the greatest love of his life was the society beauty Daisy Warwick, known for throwing fabulous tea parties at her mansion in Essex. But ... there seems to be no mention of our Accrington connection. And yet it is documented that the two daughers of Mr Steiner - Emma and Lina (Emma Street and Lina Street) were exceptionally friendly with the King. (Steiner owned the turkey red dye works at Church, and lived in Hyndburn House, now the site of Hyndburn Park School and surrounding streets) - Through their fathers wealth, the Steiner family - especially the two girls, preferred the brighter lights of London. Both married Frenchmen and both caught the appreciative eye of the Prince of Wales. Lina became the Countess of Jaucourt and Emma married a Mr Hartman, a Roumanian financier. Emma, who became a personal friend of the King, often used to entertain him to dinner at her house in Berkeley Square, and one of his Majesty's first acts after his accession in 1901 was to grant her for life the use of White Lodge in Richmond Park. The house was beautifully furnished in the Louis XV style and the servants wore French liveries of the period. (She was then 65 yrs of age).

Why Edward granted the extensive property to Mrs Hartmann was never stated! It was a decision, as the Morning Post tackfully observed, that was "likely to be due to reasons of which the public know nothing".

So, I am off to get ready to watch BB2 at 9pm, just to see if there is any mention!