Gladys Deacon- later called Gladys Duchess of Marlborough- was an eccentric socialite from the Gilded Age, who in later life is notable for her complete seclusion from society. A renowned beauty, Gladys captivated high society and set her sights on marrying into royalty- which, eventually, she did. But she was unstable, unhappy and erratic; after her husband died, she became a complete recluse, refusing to talk to anybody, to the point of lowering her housekeeper a key on a piece of string through an upstairs window whenever she needed to clean.
