Constance Lloyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Constance Lloyd
|
|
|---|---|
Constance Lloyd. Painting by Louis Desanges 1882
|
|
| Born | Constance Mary Lloyd 2 January 1858 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 7 April 1898 (aged 40) Genoa, Italy |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Period | Victorian |
| Genre | Children's stories |
| Notable works | There Was Once |
| Spouse | Oscar Wilde |
| Children | Cyril Holland Vyvyan Holland |
Constance Mary Wilde (born Lloyd; January 2, 1858 – April 7, 1898) was an Irish author. She was also the wife of the famous Irish playwright Oscar Wilde. Together, they had two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan.
Early Life and Family
Constance Lloyd was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her father, Horace Lloyd, was a lawyer. Her mother was Adelaide Barbara Atkinson. Constance was baptized in London in 1858.
She married Oscar Wilde on May 29, 1884. Their two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan, were born soon after.
In 1888, Constance published a book of children's stories. It was called There Was Once. She had heard these stories from her grandmother.
Constance and Oscar Wilde were also interested in the dress reform movement. This movement wanted to make clothes more comfortable and practical for women.
By 1894, Constance started collecting famous sayings from Oscar Wilde's writings. This collection was called "Oscariana." It was published the next year.
Their son Vyvyan later wrote that he and his brother had a happy childhood. He said their father, Oscar Wilde, was a loving parent. Constance and Oscar remained on good terms, even when Oscar spent more time away from their home.
After Oscar Wilde faced legal troubles, Constance changed her last name and her sons' last names to Holland. This was to protect them from the public attention. She moved with her sons to Switzerland. They never saw their father again.
Constance visited Oscar in prison to tell him that his mother had passed away. After he was released, she asked him to change his lifestyle.
Illness and Passing
Constance became ill and sought help from doctors. She died on April 7, 1898. This was five days after a surgery.
Later research, including family letters, suggests that Constance may have had multiple sclerosis. This condition was not well understood at the time. Her doctors might have misdiagnosed her illness.
One doctor she saw was a "nerve doctor" from Germany. He used treatments that were not very helpful. Another doctor, Luigi Maria Bossi, performed two operations on her. The second operation, in 1898, sadly led to her death.
Constance Wilde is buried in Genoa, Italy. Her grave is in the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno.
Images for kids
-
Constance Lloyd 1882
-
Mrs. Wilde at a charity flower stall in 1884
-
Mrs Wilde, around 1887
-
Oscar, Constance and Cyril Wilde in 1892
-
Constance in 1896 in Heidelberg
-
Her tomb in Genoa, Italy
See also
In Spanish: Constance Lloyd para niños
