The Final Astors: Where Is The Astor Family Today?

The Astor Family today, in the 21st century, has on one side thrive in a world of continued influence, political power, and financial clout, maintaining their storied past.

In this episode, we delve into the 21st-century lives of the remaining Astors, exploring the contrasts between their two branches.

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
1:30 Chapter 1: The “Anglo-American” Dynasty
6:37 Chapter 2: The British Astors
12:30 Chapter 3: The American Astors

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For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, having an Astor in your family tree was akin to possessing a golden ticket to the upper echelons of American society.

Even today, the Astor name graces some of the most iconic landmarks in the United States.

You can luxuriate at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, sip coffee beside the Astor-constructed New York Public Library, or dine at a chic spot on Astor Place in Manhattan.

Yet, beneath this polished legacy lies a tale of division and disparity.

The colossal Astor fortune bifurcated into two distinct branches, each on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

The story of the Astors began with John Jacob Astor, who left Germany for America in 1783 with little more than ambition and a fur trade venture.

By 1848, he was America’s first multimillionaire, and his offspring expanded the family's wealth, notably in New York real estate.

William Backhouse Astor Senior further amplified their fortune, while iconic family members like Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor helped define the "old money" versus "new money" dynamic.

The Astors' fame and fortune also wove into British nobility through strategic marriages.

For instance, American heiresses, including the Astors, married into British aristocracy, a trend also seen with figures like Consuelo Vanderbilt, whose dowry aided Blenheim Palace and, indirectly, supported Winston Churchill’s rise.

William Waldorf Astor, who moved to Britain in 1890, became the First Viscount Astor, and his descendants continued to shape British society.

Despite John Jacob Astor The Fourth's tragic death on the Titanic in 1912, the family’s influence persisted.

In the U.K., William Astor, the Fourth Viscount Astor, navigates his role with a mix of charm and controversy.

His marriage to Annabel Lucy Veronica Jones has further intertwined the Astor lineage with British politics through their children and connections like former Prime Minister David Cameron.

Similarly, John Jacob "Johnny" Astor The Eighth, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, and his family continue to blend aristocratic and royal dimensions, with recent additions to the family including Princess Eliane Marie Ghislain de Merode.

Across the Atlantic, the American Astors present a more varied picture.

Vincent Astor, who inherited a vast fortune after his father’s death on the Titanic, became a prominent philanthropist and media mogul.

His marriage to Brooke Astor brought further prestige, but her son, Anthony Dryden Marshall, faced legal troubles that marred the family’s reputation.

Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, a descendant of John Jacob Astor, connects the family to Russian nobility, while Alexandra Aldrich’s memoir, "The Astor Orphan," provides a candid look at a family struggling between grandeur and financial reality.

Thus, the Astor family saga reveals a tale of two branches: one flourishing in the U.K. and the other grappling with financial and social challenges in the U.S.

[oldmoneyluxury]

COMMENT: Which descendants of a legendary “old money” family would you like us to feature next?

[mattmikkelsen]

I went to school across the street from an Astor home in London....students were not allowed to sit on the school steps, which were very sunny when the sun was out. Lord and Lady Astor would complain. We may not have been sitting on the steps but we did like to keep the noise level very loud.

[janecook]

I have a copy of a Land Assessment signed by my 2nd great grandfather Abial Cook and John J Astor.. It was signed in 1839 in Chenango County, New York.

[pamelabaker]

John Jacob Astor was at least one that was a true gentleman. He gave up his lifeboat to two small children I later came to know family. He knew he would die.

[taybak]

"The good, the bad and the luxury." I love that! Please do a video of Bhutan's Wangchuk dynasty and/or of their related Dorji family, who served as prime ministers.

[deniseb.]

I would love to hear about the Vanderbilts! Thank you! So interesting! ❤

[Euroasian]

A surprising omission to this otherwise excellent video is one of the most prominent current Astors : the rather elegant Duchess of Richmond.

She is married to the current Duke and is mother to the next.

Their estate at Goodwood is one of the most famous and successful in the country.

[AB-jcox]

The two last Astors in the US are Gregory Todd Astor (Director) and his son Stephen William Astor. Greg's father was William Backhouse IV, whose sister is Jackie Astor Drexel. Jackie and William were the children of Jakie, the Titanic baby. Prince Serge Obolensky died in Jan 2019 at 94yo; his mother was Ava Alice Astor, Vincent Astor's sister and half-sister to Jakie.

[thomaskeiper]

Enjoyed this video very much. I’d very much enjoy seeing a video of the Delaware duPont/ Carpenter families. Particularly, the Carpenter family. An interesting family indeed here in Delaware. Thank you for posting this video on the Astor family.

[titizroyal]

Very interesting. Next month I will begin to read the book "The last Mrs. Astor" from Frances Kiernan. Thank you for your documentation.

[marissaclaridge]

Alexandra is so special and amazingxxx❤❤❤

[janetwinberg]

Love your videos. I would love to learn more about Brooke Astor! Thank you!

[Rosie-wjle]

Never knew there was a British Astor family line.

[jennyandrievna]

Another wonderful video. Thank you! Please consider the noble family Mussine-Pushkin of Russia/France. I believe their records go back to the 1000's, but the line was scattered in the events of the last century.

[yuniyonson]

A Very very good video. A big Thank YOU.

[Genevois]

Fantastic video as always! Thank you so much for your tireless efforts in shedding light on all of these 'old money' families. It's all so delightfully interesting. However, one small note, if I may... Brooke Astor was the widow of W. Vincent Astor, not his stepdaughter. And as a side note as well, you might be interested in checking out the Cushing sisters. Daughters of a prominent neurosurgeon (the man who identified Cushing's Disease), these sisters all married into some of the richest and most prominent families in American High Society. First there was Betsey, who married and divorced a son of Franklin D. Roosevelt and later married Ambassador to the Court of St. James, John Hay Whitney (both legendary 'old money' families, the Whitneys also related to the Vanderbilts); Barbara or 'Babe', married firstly to 'old money' scion and Standard Oil heir Stanley Grafton Mortimer Jr. and later to become one of Truman Capote's 'Swans' as the wife of CBS founder Bill Paley; and finally Mary or 'Minnie', first wife of Vincent Astor, who actually hand selected Brooke as her replacement before their divorce, as she knew Vincent would require a woman of a certain temperament to be able to live with him. I think you would find making a video of these three incredible ladies to be an interesting adventure. 😊

[ThunderDunder]

I don’t know if the Cushing family (Dr. Cushing and his wife, parents of Babe Paley, Minnie, & Betsey) qualify as old money, but mother Cushing sure raised her daughters to marry I would find that video interesting.

[MarthaGlass-xs]

What about the descendants of Jack Astor who went down on the Titantic?

[mommyharris]

There are many of these robber barons that still own homes in Central Florida in an exclusive gated neighborhood called Mountain Lake Estates. The Astors have a home there, the DuPonts, the Rockefeller family, many many others have lived there and currently own homes. Ironically, they must know something that we don’t because the meteor that sunk Atlantis also landed there and a few other places making deep lakes and a huge mountain that they built a singing tower on top of called Bok Tower Gardens. Edward Bok also lived in Mountain Lake.

[ellennordstrom]

I found it odd that Downton Abbey characters as well as ITV footage was used bearing no relations to the Astors.