 In 1911 he had been engaged to author Katherine Cecil Thurston, who died before they could marry; she had already changed her will in favour of Bulkeley Gavin.Langtry used her high public profile to endorse commercial products such as cosmetics and soap, an early example of celebrity endorsement.She used her famous ivory complexion to generate income, being the first woman to endorse a commercial product when she advertised Pears Soap.