Thomas and
Cole Porter met on January 30, 1918, at the wedding of Henry Potter Russell to heiress
Ethel Borden Harriman, daughter of railroad and investment banking tycoon
J. Borden Harriman and his wife, née
Florence "Daisy" Hurst, at the
Hôtel Ritz Paris. Thomas and Cole were married on December 18, 1919, in the city hall of the
8ème arrondissement of
Paris. From 1930 to 1939, the Porters lived at 13 rue Monsieur, a house next door to
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and with a garden adjoining the future residence of
Nancy Mitford. They were married 34 years, and although they had no children born of their marriage, Thomas conceived and miscarried. in gondola, 1923 Thomas died from
emphysema in 1954, aged 70, in the couple's apartment in the
Waldorf Towers. She left an estate of over $1.5 million (over $ million today) in which Cole inherited a lifetime interest. Her jewelry collection included pieces by
Paul Flato. She was buried in the Porter family plot at Mount Hope Cemetery in
Peru, Indiana. == Portrayals ==