Camille Thornton

Camille is the second eldest child of Viscount and Viscountess Alden. She is played by Karol

Camille Thornton

Portrayed by Natalie Dormer
Full Name	Camille Thornton, Countess of Weston
Date of Birth	14th March 1783
Father	Byron Everett
Father's Rank	Viscount
Mother	Marceline Everett
Mother's Rank	Viscountess
Year of Debut	1799
Dowry	£30,000
Year of Marriage	1802
Spouse	Anthony Thornton
Spouse's Rank	Earl
Year of Widowhood	1807
Issue	None

Family

Husband: Anthony Thornton, 2nd Earl of Weston (1776 - 1807)

Father: Byron Everett, Viscount Alden (1757-)

Mother: Marceline Everett, Viscountess Alden (1762-)

Brother: The Honourable Alain Everett (1779-)

Brother: The Honourable Cyril Everett (1786-)

Sister: The Honourable Adrienne Everett (1793-)

Background

Camille was born to a French mother and an English father in their estate in Berkshire in 1783. Although Camille’s mother Marceline was French, she had been living in England for some years by then, as her family had decided to emigrate to England. Lord and Lady Alden already had an older son Alain, but they were very happy to have a daughter as well. Especially Marceline, since she had always wanted a daughter she could grow into a fine lady. When Camille was four years old, her younger brother Cyril was born. Almost immediately, Cyril acquired a special place in her heart as her baby brother. Camille often found herself coming to Cyril’s rescue, when their older brother saw fit to tease the youngest.

Camille was homeschooled in the fine arts of ladies. She was especially good at drawing and playing the piano. Due to her English and French heritage, she spoke both languages fluently and was also learning Italian. Out of her two brothers Camille was closest to Alain and he would often try to encourage the young girl and their little brother Cyril to come romping around with him - much to their mother’s chagrin. Alain taught her how to play cards and chess, both of which she enjoyed immensely. A few years later, her younger sister Adrienne was born and was adored by the whole family. Camille especially had always wanted a sister, who she could play with and dress up.

Camille entered the society in London when she was 16 years old and enjoyed it to the fullest. Due to her witty and lively nature, Camille was popular amongst suitors and friends alike. She was enjoying the attention she was given, but showed no interest in acquiring a husband - a view which her overprotective brother Alain encouraged. This however changed a few years later when she met Anthony Thornton the Earl of Weston, in a party in London. She had always found the notion of getting married a dull and an unavoidable fate. Lord Weston however matched her wit and roused her interest with their similar views and ways. Suddenly the notion of getting married wasn’t so horrible after all - especially if her husband was to be Anthony. It didn’t take long for Anthony to propose and completely smitten with him, Camille was more than happy to accept. Her parents were very content, because she had made a wonderful match with a noble and wealthy husband. Anthony and Camille were married when she was 19 years old and together with him, they returned to his Weston manor in Surrey.

For a few years, life could not have been any happier for Camille. She was very much in love with her husband, and the feeling was reciprocated. Anthony treated her like a treasure, but there was one problem that the couple couldn’t surpass. They had been trying to conceive a child, but the attempts had been fruitless so far. Camille was afraid of being barren and that her husband’s love for her would eventually turn into hatred, if she couldn’t give him a male heir. Anthony however wasn’t losing hope and kept reassuring his wife, that no matter what, they would be all right together.

But as fate would have it, Camille’s marital bliss did not last for long. A year later, when she was 24 years old, Anthony was injured on a hunting trip when his horse was spooked. He fell badly and was quickly brought back to the house. His condition however only seemed to get worse and a few days later he passed away. Stricken with grief and left alone in their big house, Camille fell into a deep depression. For a whole week she was barricaded inside her room and refused to eat or speak to anyone. Only the arrival of her brother Alain got her out enough, so that she started to show some semblance of life. After the death of Anthony, Alain stayed with her for a while and helped his sister get past her grief - a task which at some points seemed impossible. Still very devastated about her husband’s sudden death, Camille did indeed appreciate her brother’s company. She started to get better a bit by bit and understood that she couldn’t just lock herself away from the world or her grief. Alain stayed with her for two full months and after that Camille reassured her brother, that she was fine and would manage on her own. Alain was sceptical at first but having witnessed Camille’s grief first hand, he could tell that she was feeling better and decided, that she could indeed manage on her own.

Camille had to move on and for a time she went to stay in London but soon noticed that the busy city life was not what she needed while she was in mourning. A few months later, Camille decided to return to Surrey for a while. Now that Anthony was dead, she was left with a sizeable jointure but no idea what to do now. Surrey however reminded her of happier days, and she decided to stay there at least until her mourning was over.

After a year had past since Anthony’s death, Camille decided to go traveling in Europe. She enjoyed it for a while, but started to think about going back to England and eventually decided to do so. After Camille got back to England again, she went to stay with her parents, Cyril and Adrienne in Berkshire. Her family welcomed her with open arms. They had been concerned for her, because after Anthony’s death, she hadn’t quite been herself. For some time, Camille was content to spend time with her family in peace. However after a while, she started to crave being with people and started thinking about going back to London again. A few months later she bid her family goodbye and left for London, in hopes of starting anew.

Personality

Outwardly Camille seems like a proper and prim lady with a calm and confident demeanor. She pays attention to herself and others in a way that might even make her seem calculative. This is not far from the truth, because Camille does possess a certain calculativeness to her character. She gives away a polite and elegant picture to others, and always tries to keep calm. She comes across amiable to almost everyone, but at the same time she is measuring her company and deciding who is worth her time and who is not. Her calculative nature comes out especially when she is playing chess. Camille enjoys a challenge and strategic games, as well as interesting people are her two favorite things.

Camille can get bored quite easily, thus she is always searching for something new and interesting to keep her amused. She is a witty and intelligent woman, who is quick to keep the conversation flowing. She does enjoy talking and is generally a very social person. Camille is always ready to make new acquaintances and talk gossip, but only if it’s not about herself. She rarely wants to delve too deep into her own affairs and if the conversation turns to her, she either keeps it light or steers it in another direction.

Beneath her social and amiable appearance, Camille is actually a very lonely person. After the death of her dear husband, she suffers from bouts of melancholy from time to time. Outwardly she gives nothing deeper of herself away and shows no weakness. To others she may seem like she always is, maybe just a bit more withdrawn than usual. When she is alone however, Camille allows the mask to slip and shows what she is actually feeling. Her melancholy may present itself as fits of crying, restlessness or constant tiredness. This might lead to her not leaving her home for a few days and just wanting to be alone for a while. Her melancholic time she usually spends drawing or playing the piano - since it makes her feel more at ease. Deep down Camille is very ashamed to show anyone what she is really feeling, which leads to her bottling up her emotions and having a small breakdown when it gets too heavy on her. Only the people closest to her get to see her emotional side.

She sometimes alleviates her loneliness by getting lovers. She always makes quite clear to her current lover, that the nature of their relationship is not in any way official, or other people's business. If her lover starts to get too invested in the affair, she ends the relationship swiftly and cuts the man off from her life. She is a sensual woman and has a certain craving for closeness and affection. Camille however, is not yet ready to fully move on from the loss of her husband and this causes her to keep potential suitors at a distance.

When Camille is annoyed, she keeps a calm facade, even if she is boiling with rage inside. In the privacy of her own home, she might even fling a thing or two, but never in public. Despite that, she rarely yells and her anger usually manifests itself as indifference or coldness towards the person who has angered her. Camille can be quite ruthless when she wants to and getting back into her favor might not be that easy, because she can hold a grudge for a very long time.

Relationships

Acquaintances

Friends

Lovers

William Gosling: Ex-lover. Camille is on amiable terms with William.

Enemies