The Aristocrat Who Hosted Dinner Parties For Her Dogs

In 19th-century Paris, extreme wealth led to extreme behaviour. One notorious marquise was said to pamper her thirty dogs more than people. She reportedly dyed her horses pink, bathed in champagne, and held formal dinners where each dog sat on a chair at the table and was served food by footmen, while human guests had to stand. Her devotion was so great that she is said to have tried to leave her entire fortune to her favourite poodle, leading her husband to leave her. Such stories became a symbol of Belle Epoque excess, when conspicuous spending was a competitive sport among the rich.