History Main / NobilityMarriesMoney

* The current page image is Pavel Fedotov's 1848 painting "Matchmaking of the major", where a noble, but rather poor retiring major intends to marry a rich merchant's daughter. The painter wrote a non too short [[http://az.lib.ru/f/fedotow_p_a/text_0030.shtml poem]] commenting on the art piece.
* The concept is also relentlessly satirized in 18th Century British artist William Hogarth's "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_%C3%A0-la-mode_%28Hogarth%29 Marriage à-la-mode]]", a series of paintings that tell the story of an ArrangedMarriage between the son of a [[ImpoverishedPatrician bankrupt Earl]] and the daughter of a [[NouveauRiche greedy businessman]]. The marriage is a disaster right from the start, with both partners quickly engaging in affairs with other people and generally neglecting each other and the crumbling state of their household. In the end, the husband is [[DuelToTheDeath killed in a duel]] against his wife's lover when he catches them in the act. The wife then [[DrivenToSuicide commits suicide]] after both her husband has died and her lover has been executed for his murder.

-->--'''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride''

** This forms the backstory of the show. Lord Grantham went to New York to find his bride; he found Cora Levinson, daughter of a dry-goods magnate from [[UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}} Cincinnati]]. A significant fraction of the first season's drama comes from the fact that at the old Earl's insistence, Cora's money was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entail entailed]] to the estate--i.e. it can't be separated from the land and title. 30 years later, as they only had daughters (British noble titles are very strictly part of the HeirClubForMen), and thus the family is very anxious about what will happen to the daughters.[[note]]Irony of ironies, entail [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Property_Act_1925 would be abolished thirteen years later]].[[/note]]

** This forms the backstory of the show. Lord Grantham went to New York to find his bride; he found Cora Levinson, daughter of a dry-goods magnate from [[UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}} Cincinnati]]. A significant fraction of the first season's drama comes from the fact that at the old Earl's insistence, her money can't be separated from the land and title, 30 years later, as they only had daughters (British noble titles are very strictly part of the HeirClubForMen).

* Although both were nobility, Jirall's family had fallen on hard times, but they were close relatives of the emperor. Count Arganan was quite wealthy, so he set up his niece, Calista, to marry Jirall and tie his family to the throne.

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* Two of the marriages in ''BelisariusSeries''. Both turned out as PerfectlyArrangedMarriage, Eric Flint having a fondness for this.

* Found in ''SteppingOnRoses'': Nozomu, the heir to a banking fortune has a arranged marriage to an impoverished aristocrat Miu. When she asks about divorcing Nozumu, her father says that they need his money.

* The concept is also relentlessly satirized in 18th Century British artist William Hogarth's "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_%C3%A0-la-mode_%28Hogarth%29 Marriage à-la-mode]]", a series of paintings that tell the story of an ArrangedMarriage between the son of a [[ImpoverishedPatrician bankrupt Earl]] and the daughter of a [[NouveauRiche greedy businessman]]. The marriage is a disaster right from the start, with both partners quickly engaging in affairs with other people and generally neglecting each other and the crumbling state of their household. [[spoiler:In the end, the husband is [[DuelToTheDeath killed in a duel]] against his wife's lover when he catches them in the act. The wife then [[DrivenToSuicide commits suicide]] after both her husband has died and her lover has been executed for his murder.]]

* The concept is also relentlessly satirized in 18th Century British artist William Hogarth's "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_%C3%A0-la-mode_%28Hogarth%29 Marriage à-la-mode]]", a series of paintings that tell the story of an arranged marriage between the son of a bankrupt Earl and the daughter of a greedy businessman. The marriage is a disaster right from the start, with both partners quickly engaging in affairs with other people and generally neglecting each other and the crumbling state of their household. [[spoiler:In the end, the husband is killed in a duel against his wife's lover when he catches them in the act. The wife then commits suicide after both her husband has died and her lover has been executed for his murder.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'', Victor's parents have money and are extremely excited to get a chance to be part of the nobility. Victoria's parents are noble and are absolutely disgusted that marrying her off to the NouveauRiche is the only way to get out of their perpetual poverty -- they even acknowledge that the only thing that would be worse would be marrying someone else poor. However, once Victor and Victoria meet, [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage they like each other for other reasons.]]

** Anne Elliot fell for Captain Wentworth before the start of the plot. Her friends and aristocratic family tell her to reject him because he's poor. A few years on, he's risen up through the ranks of the navy and made quite a lot of money, while Sir Walter Elliot is deep in debts. However, the marriage of Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot relies on their love, and he doesn't care much for her coming from BlueBlood and she doesn't really care about his great wealth beyond being happy that they can afford to get married and have a comfortable income.

* The concept is also relentlessly satirized in 18th Century British artist William Hogarth's "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_%C3%A0-la-mode_%28Hogarth%29 Marriage à-la-mode]]", a series of paintings that tell the story of an arranged marriage between the son of a bankrupt Earl and the daughter of a greedy businessman. The marriage is a disaster right from the start, with both partners quickly engaging in affairs with other people and generally neglecting each other and the crumbling state of their household. [[Spoiler:In the end, the husband is killed in a duel against his wife's lover when he catches them in the act. The wife then commits suicide after both her husband has died and her lover has been executed for his murder.]]

* ''TheAlloyOfLaw'': The protagonist Wax who is the current Lord of an old but currently broke house, arranges a marriage contract with a woman from a young and well off house.

* Subverted in ''{{Discworld}}'', where Sam Vimes (then poor and a common copper) is marrying Sybil Ramkin (the richest and highest-titled lady in Ankh-Morpork). Only in later books is it revealed (or RetConned) that the Vimes family was nobility before being stripped of their titles and money for killing the last king of Ankh-Morpork, and Vimes becomes a Duke only some time after he's married.

* In ''Literature/{{Persuasion}}'' by Creator/JaneAusten, Anne Elliot fell for Captain Wentworth before the start of the plot. Her friends and aristocratic family tell her to reject him because he's poor. A few years on, he's risen up through the ranks of the navy and made quite a lot of money, while Sir Walter Elliot is deep in debts. However, the marriage of Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot relies on their love, and he doesn't care much for her coming from BlueBlood and she doesn't really care about his great wealth beyond being happy that they can afford to get married and have a comfortable income.

* This forms the backstory of ''Series/DowntonAbbey''
** Lord Grantham went to New York to find his bride; he found Cora Levinson, daughter of a dry-goods magnate from [[UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}} Cincinnati]] . A significant fraction of the first season's drama comes from the fact that at the old Earl's insistance, her money can't be separated from the land and title, 30 years later, as they only had daughters (British noble titles are very strictly part of the HeirClubForMen).
** In Series 3, Matthew--a middle-class solicitor and the heir-presumptive to the title and estate--comes into money just as Lord Grantham finds out that he had lost everything (he put the whole fortune in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Trunk_Railway one basket]], which was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_National_Railway nationalised by the Canadian government]]). However, Matthew's money comes from his late fiancee's father (himself some sort of professional; his brother was apparently a Liberal minister and linked to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marconi_scandal Marconi scandal]]), and he feels guilty taking it. [[ConflictBall Commence a whole season's worth of conflict]].

** In Series 3, Matthew--the heir-presumptive to the title and estate--comes into money just as Lord Grantham finds out that he had lost everything (he put the whole fortune in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Trunk_Railway one basket]], which was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_National_Railway nationalised by the Canadian government]]). However, Matthew's money comes from his late fiancee's father, and he feels guilty taking it. [[ConflictBall Commence a whole season's worth of conflict]].

** Lord Grantham went to New York to find his bride; he found Cora Levinson, daughter of a dry-goods magnate from UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}. A significant fraction of the first season's drama comes from the fact that at the old Earl's insistance, her money can't be separated from the land and title, 30 years later, as they only had daughters (British noble titles are very strictly part of the HeirClubForMen).

** Lord Grantham went to New York to find his bride. A significant fraction of the first season's drama comes from the fact that her money can't be separated from the land and title, 30 years later, as they only had daughters.
** In later episodes, their money is gone and the money Matthew has he won't give to the estate, so the impoverished posh people need to find some more new money.

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* In ''Manga/TheSecretAgreement'', the well-respected Hanayashiki family arranges a marriage with the wealthy Yonekura family to restore their fortunes. The groom stays for the ceremony but ends up running away that night, chasing after his lover. The remaining family members seem to get along, however, and still consider it a legitimate alliance.

* Two of the marriages in BelisariusSeries. Both turned out as PerfectlyArrangedMarriage, Eric Flint having a fondness for this.