12. Upper-Class Men Kept Mistresses
Women of nearly every era were expected to remain chaste until marriage and then monogamously virtuous to their husbands, while men have very rarely been expected to follow the same rules. The Regency Era was no exception, with countless upper-class men keeping at least one mistress after marriage and pursuing numerous trysts before marriage. The familiar image of the Regency dandy or rake included widespread success with women and late-night carousing, while the women of the era were expected to stay indoors doing needlepoint or playing the piano. It rarely harmed the reputation of a man to be known to have a mistress, even if his relationship with her was quite open to the public eye.
Military officers were especially notorious for their mistresses, often bringing them to war and allowing them to share their tents. Aristocratic men, including the military officers, were expected to provide financially for their mistresses, especially if they bore them children. A long-term mistress would often be cared for even into her old age. It was considered a testament to the character (and wealth) of a man if he provided good financial care for his mistress. When several wealthy men failed to care for one shared mistress, she wrote a tell-all book naming and shaming them for their thrift.