Lady of Passion

Beautiful and talented actress, poet and fashion icon, Mary Robinson was one of the most famous women of her time – yet she died virtually penniless, her reputation in ruins.  For Mary was destined always to be betrayed by the men she loved, whether it be her father, a prosperous Bristol merchant who abandoned his family for a life of adventure  - and another woman; her husband, the weak and foolish Tom Robinson, who bankrupted the family with his inveterate gambling and humiliated his young wife with his numerous affairs; or the Prince of Wales, later George IV, who fell in love with Mary when he saw her playing Perdita in A Winter’s Tale.  Mary gave up everything for her prince – her career, her husband and her independence – only to be cruelly abandoned when his affections turned elsewhere.