Hi everyone, I hope you are well and survived this heatwave, only in England can the temperature be 100 degrees one day and 50 degrees the next!
I know I have been pretty elusive of late (apologies that I have had no availability), I have been all over the place, having some incredible experiences and doing some pretty damn cool stuff, that even I can’t believe I have got to do lol…..sadly for discretionary reasons I’m not able to share with you!…..sorry to be a tease lol
I’ve also had a month of concerts and events in my personal life, British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Rag and Bone Man, Paloma Faith, Van Morrison and Madame Butterfly at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, all of which were fantastic. Madame Butterfly was perhaps my favourite, an opera that I’ve wanted to see for a long time, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. For my pre opera dinner I chose a restaurant in Covent Garden called “Cora Pearl”, named after a famous English Courtesan from the 1800’s.
Eliza Emma Crouch was born in Plymouth England in 1836, deserted by her father in 1841, Eliza’s mother Lydia brought Richard Littley into the household, who was considered a “stepfather”. Cora was sent to boarding school in Boulogne France, but later returned to live with her grandmother.
When Eliza was around 20 she accepted the advances of an older man, allowing him to take her to a drinking den, ultimately leading to the man attacking her. Upon waking Eliza found the man had left a five pound note (worth around £377 today). Eliza never returned to her grandmother’s house, instead rented a room in Covent Garden London.
On her own in London Eliza met and became the mistress of Robert Bignell, a proprietor of a notorious pleasure establishment, studying her new environment Eliza came to the conclusion that life as a common prostitute was a tragic one. Eliza resolved to practice her trade with higher expectations with the goal of meeting rich select lovers.
Eliza and Bignell travelled often to Paris, Eliza was enamoured with the city and persuaded Bignell to return to London without her……Eliza chose to change her name to Cora Pearl.
By 1860, Cora was one of the most celebrated courtesans in Paris, she was the mistress of notable aristocrats who gifted her with money, jewels, horses and funded her love of gambling.
In 1864 Cora rented a luxurious and expensively decorated chateaux, using it for gala entertainments, there were rarely fewer than 15 guests at the dinner table, and the chef instructed to spare no cost on the expenditure for food. Cora was known for devising entertainment of an unexpected and outrageous theatricality, of which she was the star. One meal was Cora herself presented lying naked on a huge silver platter garnished with parsley!
1865-1870 was the peak of Cora’s courtesan career, for Cora money was for spending, her jewel collection alone was worth one million francs, she owned 3 homes, and as her career prospered the gifts from her suitors needed to be both costly and imaginative. At her peak she was able to command a price of ten thousand francs per evening(£115000 today if my calculations are correct).
Cora was very eccentric and theatrical, there are stories of her dying her hair bold colours to match her carriage and clothing, and dying her dogs also to match. She also wore very heavy makeup, much heavier than most French women of the time, and was once pronounced “shockingly overdone”.
When Cora was 37 she found herself in a relationship with Alexandre Duval, whose obsession with her was so intense that he spent his entire fortune on gifting her jewels, fine horses and money. Pearl eventually dismissed him, something Duval could not accept, Duval went to Cora’s home armed with a gun with the intention of shooting her. The gun accidentally discharged nearly fatally injuring him, he eventually recovered, but this incident damaged Cora’s reputation.
Cora was forced to liquidate her fortune and by 1883 had returned to common prostitution, however her reduced financial circumstances did not stop her love of gambling, an old acquaintance of Cora’s wrote in his memoirs “I found a woman seated on the curbstone and weeping pitifully. She appeared to be about fifty years of age, handsome….but much bedraggled”, she told him that she had been turned out by her landlord and her belongings seized in lieu of rent, she had no place to go, and was hungry and in misery.
In 1886 Cora published her memoirs, it is claimed Cora contacted her previous lovers offering to anonymise their names in return for payment. In the event most names were changed, but many lovers have since been identified.
Soon after her memoirs were published Cora became seriously ill and died 8th July 1886, she was buried in Batignolles cemetery in Paris.
I update my website, each Sunday with my upcoming availability. At present I am only able to accept prebooking requests for the current week (when I know I am definitely available), new clients wishing to prebook may do so providing they have feedback or references from other established escorts (otherwise a deposit will be requested to secure your booking.
Posted on July 22nd, 2022