Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Approach

Summary (from the publisher): The fate of Brooke Astor, the endearing philanthropist with the storied name, has generated worldwide headlines since her grandson Philip sued his father, Anthony Marshall, in 2006, alleging mistreatment of Brooke. Shortly after her death in 2007, Anthony was indicted on charges of looting her estate.

New York journalist Meryl Gordon has interviewed not only the elite of Mrs. Astor's social circle but also the large staff who cared for her during her declining years. The result is the behind-the-headlines story of the Astor empire’s unraveling, filled with never-before-reported scenes.  This powerful, poignant saga takes the reader inside the gilded gates of an American dynasty to tell of three generations’ worth of longing and missed opportunities and is filled with secrets of the sort that have engaged Americans from the era of Edith Wharton to the more recent days of Truman Capote.  Even in this territory of privilege, no riches can put things right once they’ve been torn asunder. Mrs. Astor Regrets is an American epic of the bonds of money, morality, and social position.

 

Review: Born Roberta Brooke Russell in 1902, Brooke Astor became renowned as a philanthropist after her third marriage to Vincent Astor. After five years of marriage, Vincent died, leaving Brooke with "a famous surname, an intense desire for liberation from a claustrophobic existence, and a trust fund of more than $60 million" (7). With multiple homes and staff of 42, Brooke was friends with presidents and royalty and such well known names as de la Renta, Rockefeller, and Barbara Walters. Her charm, social verve, and oversight of the Astor Foundation helped to rebrand "the Astor image with a newfound glamour and respect" (6). Yet her name generated worldwide press when her grandson Philip sued his father and Brooke's only child, Anthony Marshall, alleging mistreatment of Brooke. After Brooke's death at the age of 105, Anthony was indicted on charges of looting his mother's estate and he and his wife Charlene faced negative publicity and social shunning as a result of the lawsuit. This is a behind the scenes look at the breakdown in the Astor family, based on the author's interviews of more than 230 individuals, including Mrs. Astor's social circle, staff, and family members.

 

Brooke's grandson Philip was spurred to instigate the lawsuit against his father after becoming concerning about his grandmother's care and hearing concerned reports from her caretakers. The investigation uncovered that Brooke's son Tony and his wife Charlene lied to the increasingly mentally fragile Brooke, telling her that she was sort on funds to coerce her into selling artwork, fired several beloved and long-term staff (who coincidentally would have inherited sizeable amounts if they were still employed upon Brooke's death), and instigated several changes to Brooke's will, despite knowing that she had Alzheimer's and was thus mentally unfit to authorize such changes.

 

Yet the story is complicated - Tony and his wife staunchly defended their actions, arguing that they never mistreated Brooke and provided adequate care. And despite Philip's argument that he only instigated legal proceedings out of concern for his grandmother, the level of discord between father and son that could lead to this action must have been immense. If not for Philip's betrayal and legal action against his father, known of the details of Mrs. Astor's final years would be known to the public.

 

This is a murky tail of an immensely wealthy family at odds with one another in a very public way. I found it ironic that such a brouhaha erupted over money that Brooke Astor only inherited by marriage, her son by a man not named Astor, and his third wife, who also married into the wealth. The tragedy to me that all the good work that Brooke Astor accomplished with the Astor money was overshadowed in her death by the lawsuit and battle over who would inherit. Although I know that Gordon chose to focus on the public controversy of her last years and after her death, I would have liked more of a comprehensive biography of Brooke's life to help explain her background and early years. While the legal details and minutia of the case began to drag near the end of this book, this was a comprehensive look inside a story whose news headlines could only begin to cover.

 

Stars: 3