Cornelia Vanderbilt was the only child and heiress of George Washington Vanderbilt II, the owner of the Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned home in the United States. She was born in 1900 and died in 1976, but the exact cause of her death remains a mystery. In this article, we will explore the life and death of Cornelia Vanderbilt, and the possible reasons behind her demise.
A Life of Privilege and Tragedy
Cornelia Vanderbilt grew up in a life of privilege and luxury, surrounded by art, culture, and nature. She was the great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad tycoon and one of the richest men in American history. She inherited the Biltmore Estate from her father, who died when she was 14 years old. Her mother, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, remarried a senator from Rhode Island and moved to New York, leaving Cornelia to manage the estate with the help of her staff.
Cornelia married John Francis Amherst Cecil, a British aristocrat and diplomat, in 1924. They had two sons, George and William, who were born at the Biltmore Estate. However, their marriage was not a happy one, and they divorced in 1934. Cornelia then left the estate and moved to Europe, where she lived a nomadic and eccentric life. She married three more times, to Vivian Francis Bulkeley-Johnson, a British army officer, William Robert Goodsir, an Australian surgeon, and Edward John Webb, a British farmer. She also had several affairs, including one with the poet Robert Graves.
Cornelia was known for her unconventional and sometimes bizarre behavior. She was fond of astrology, numerology, and occultism. She changed her name several times, using aliases such as Mary Cecil Johnson, Cornelia Webb, and Cornelia Goodsir. She also changed her appearance, dyeing her hair different colors and wearing eccentric outfits. She was often seen with a pet monkey, a parrot, or a snake. She was also generous and charitable, donating money and art to various causes and institutions.
A Mysterious Death
Cornelia Vanderbilt died on February 7, 1976, at the age of 75, in Oxfordshire, England. She was buried at the St. Peter’s Churchyard in Great Tew, near her last husband’s farm. However, the exact cause of her death is unknown, as there was no autopsy or death certificate issued. According to some sources, she died of pneumonia, while others claim she died of a heart attack, a stroke, or cancer. Some even speculate that she committed suicide, or that she was murdered by one of her enemies or lovers.
The mystery of Cornelia Vanderbilt’s death is compounded by the fact that she left no will or instructions for her estate. She had sold the Biltmore Estate to her sons in 1956, but she still owned a large collection of art, jewelry, and personal belongings. Her heirs had to go through a long and complicated legal process to claim their inheritance, which was estimated to be worth millions of dollars. Some of her possessions were auctioned off, while others were donated to museums and galleries.
Cornelia Vanderbilt was a fascinating and enigmatic figure, who lived a life of adventure and intrigue. She was the last of the Vanderbilt dynasty, and the end of an era. Her death remains a mystery, and a source of curiosity and speculation for many.
