Strike a Pose! Madonna has nothing on this gal!

Emma Hamilton, better known as Lady Hamilton, mistress to Admiral Lord Nelson, and the muse of artist painter George Romney. She was born 26 April, living until 15 January 1815. Her story is quite interesting, as she was quite progressive and rather scandalous for the times.

As a child of 12, she worked as a maid for a quack Doctor in Chester, England, eventually meeting another maid who was an aspiring actress. This inspired her to seek out the stage as well, wher she started working at the Drury Lane Theatre in London. Her dreams of greatness were not realized, and she moved on to "act" as hostess and entertainer to Sir Harry Featherstonhaugh. She was only 15, became pregnant with his child (what became of the child is little known), but she was now among the movers and shakers, and met many titled folk, including Charles Francis Greville, Earl of Warwick. He was dull, but influencial, and she soon became his mistress.

At this time, Greville had her painted many times, by artist Romney. These works are immortal, and show Emma at her very best. Greville through lavish living beyond his means needed to find a wealthy wife, and so he pawned Emma off to his uncle, Sir William Hamilton, who had seen her paintings, and was smitten, indeed. Hamilton took her to Naples, where she resumed her "entertaining" among the European glitterati. Not long after, she met Admiral Nelson, and he became her champion. Of course, Lord Hamilton was older, and Nelson a younger, and more attractive man, let alone a man in uniform!
Emma set her cap on him, even taking to wearing military inspired clothing, anchor style earrings, and the like.

Also, at this time, Emma began what she called her "Attitudes", an entertainment where she assumed classical poses, in skimpy, gauzy, revealing dress, moving by posturing, dancing, and acting in slow motion, appearing statue-like.

Nelson was thunder-struck, having left a dutiful, responsible and rather plain English wife back home. This other type of woman was something completely apart from the norm. They began a torrid affair, which the admiralty frowned on, but Nelson continued the liasion. On his deathbed, at the battle of Trafalgar, he asked his first officer Hardy to see that Emma would be looked after. By this time he had a child, a little girl, Horatia, with Emma. Of course, there was nothing provided for Emma by the British Navy. She lived as long as she could at Merton (Nelson's home with her), and then riddled with debts, even a stay in debtor's prison, she made her way without the child who was left to relatives, to Calais. Her life sank, drinking, and she died in January 1815 of amoebic dysentery -- an illness she probably contracted during her years in Naples.

Suffice it to say, she lived the high life, until it got the best of her. I recall Madonna's VOGUE song:

Ladies with an attitude
Fellows that were in the mood
Don't just stand there, let's get to it
Strike a pose, there's nothing to it

Vogue, vogue
Vogue, vogue

Let your body move to the music
Ooh, you've got to just
Let your body go with the flow!