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Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham, Mistress of King George IV of The United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham was the last mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom, from 1820 until the King died in 1830.

Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham – source: Wikipedia

Elizabeth Denison was born on July 31, 1769, the eldest child of Joseph Denison, a wealthy banker, and his wife Elizabeth Butler. She had two younger siblings:

On July 5, 1794 at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in Covent Garden, London, Elizabeth married Henry Burton Conyngham, Viscount Conyngham (later the 1st Marquess Conyngham). Viscount Conyngham was created Earl Conyngham and Viscount Mount Charles in the Irish peerage in 1797. In 1800, he was one of the original Irish representative peers to sit in the British House of Lords and was installed in the Order of St. Patrick in 1801. He served as Governor of County Donegal from 1803 until 1831, and in 1816 was created Marquess of Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles, and Viscount Slane in the Irish peerage. In 1821, he was created Baron Minster of Minster Abbey in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, became a member of the Privy Council and was appointed Lord Steward. In 1829, he was named Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle and served until he died in 1832. Elizabeth and her husband had five children:

According to the Duke of Wellington (to whom Elizabeth had become mistress in 1817), Elizabeth had expressed the desire to become the mistress of the Prince of Wales as early as 1806. Through the Duke of Wellington, she was introduced to the British court and caught the attention of the future King. By 1820, she had become his primary mistress, having replaced her friend, the Marchioness of Hertford. The aging king was besotted with Elizabeth, going so far as to ensure she was nearby at his coronation, reportedly winking and smiling at her during most of the ceremony. Quickly Elizabeth began to hold great influence over the new King, however, she avoided political matters, instead, she focused on the personal and financial gain of herself and her family. Her husband benefited greatly from the relationship – he was elevated to Marquess and received several positions within the royal household. One of her sons was made a Groom of the Bedchamber and Master of the Robes to the King, and of course, Elizabeth herself received lavish and expensive gifts as well, including some priceless jewelry from the royal vaults.

King George IV. source: Wikipedia

King George IV provided housing for Elizabeth and her family at Windsor Castle and the Brighton Pavilion. He ensured they traveled with him when he moved from one residence to another. Elisabeth was given full use of the King’s horses and carriages, and most of the large dinners held at her London townhouse were prepared in the kitchens of St. James’s Palace. To King George IV, nothing was ‘off limits’ for his beloved Elizabeth. Such was the King’s devotion to her that he bequeathed her all his plate and jewels although she refused them when he died.

However, it would all end on the morning of June 26, 1830, when King George IV died at Windsor Castle. By the following day, Elizabeth had packed her belongings and left Windsor for her brother’s home before traveling to Paris, reportedly expelled from the country by the new King William IV.

St. Mary’s Church, Patrixbourne. photo: By John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2747370

Widowed in 1832, Elizabeth remained in Paris until the death of William IV in 1837. She returned to the family’s Bifrons estate in the village of Patrixbourne, near Canterbury, where she lived the remainder of her life. The Dowager Marchioness Conyngham died at Bifrons on October 11, 1861, at the age of 92, having survived all but one of her children. She is buried alongside her husband at St. Mary’s Church in Patrixbourne.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Isabella Ingram-Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford, Mistress of King George IV of The United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Isabella Ingram-Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford was the mistress of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom from 1807-1819.

Isabella Ingram-Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford source: Wikipedia

Isabella Anne Ingram was born in London on July 7, 1759, the eldest of five daughters of Charles Ingram, 9th Viscount of Irvine and Frances Shepherd. Charles Ingram was a prominent landowner and politician and served as a Groom of the Bedchamber to King George III from 1756 until 1763. Isabella had four younger sisters:

On May 20, 1776, she married Francis Seymour-Conway, Viscount Beauchamp, the eldest son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford, and Lady Isabella Fitzroy, a daughter of the 2nd Duke of Grafton. Beauchamp would later succeed his father as 2nd Marquess of Hertford in 1794.

Francis spent much of his life in politics and public service. He served in the Irish House of Commons from 1761-1776 and held the position of Chief Secretary for Ireland under his father, who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1765-1766. He was a Lord of the Treasury from 1774-1780, and then Cofferer of the Household until 1782. A member of the Privy Council, he was appointed Master of the Horse in 1804, and Lord Chamberlain of the Household from 1812-1821.

Isabella and her husband had one son:

Ragley Hall. photo: By DeFacto – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57719761

The Seymour-Conways were one of the wealthiest families in Britain, with an extensive portfolio of land and properties throughout England, Ireland and Wales. Future generations would amass an extensive art collection that would later be left to the nation. Known as the Wallace Collection, it is housed at the former Hertford House, the family’s townhouse in London. In addition to their London home, Isabella and her husband also inherited Ragley Hall in Warwickshire, which would later become one of the first stately homes in Britain to be opened to the public, and Sudbourne Hall in Suffolk.

It was around 1806 when The Prince of Wales began to notice and pursue Isabella. At the time, the Prince was engaged in a legal battle over the guardianship of Minney Seymour, a ward of his mistress (and wife) Maria Fitzherbert. Using his influence, he had Isabella and her husband named as guardians to the young girl, with the assurance that Maria Fitzherbert would continue to raise her. It was then that he began to notice Lady Hertford. Despite her initial refusal, she soon replaced Mrs. Fitzherbert as the Prince’s mistress. Their relationship lasted for 12 years, during which time the Prince often visited Isabella at Ragley Hall and Hertford House. He had also visited her at Temple Newsam, in Leeds, where he gifted Isabella with some Chinese wallpaper and some tapestries.

Temple Newsam. source: Wikipedia

Temple Newsam had been the ancestral home of the Viscounts of Irvine. Following her father’s death, the property went to Isabella’s mother, and then passed to Isabella in 1807 upon her mother’s death. It was at that point that Isabella and her husband added ‘Ingram’ to their surname, becoming Ingram-Seymour-Conway. Temple Newsam had a rich history of royal connections. Perhaps the most widely known is that it was the birthplace of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and father of King James IV of Scotland/James I of England.

In 1819, Isabella’s relationship with the Prince ended, as she was replaced by the Marchioness of Conyngham, who would become his last official mistress. Following her husband’s death in 1822, Isabella retreated to the family’s homes, spending much of her time at Temple Newsam and Ragley Hall, and living a relatively quiet life. She died at Ragley Hall on April 12, 1834, having lived through the entire reign of her former lover as King George IV and the succession of his younger brother, King William IV. She is buried at the Holy Trinity Church in Arrow, Warwickshire, near Ragley Hall.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, Mistress of King George IV of The United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey was one of the mistresses of King George IV of the United Kingdom from 1793 until 1807.

Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey – source: Wikipedia

Frances Twysden was born in London on February 25, 1753, the daughter of the late Rt. Rev. Dr. Philip Twysden, Lord Bishop of Raphoe, and his second wife, Frances Carter. Rev. Twysden was a younger son of Sir William Twysden, 5th Baronet of Roydon Hall. He died in November 1752, before Frances’s birth, after allegedly being shot while trying to rob a stagecoach. She had one older sister, Mary (born 1751), who died in infancy.

On March 26, 1770, Frances married George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey, who was more than twice her age. Villers had served in the House of Commons from 1756 until 1769 when he inherited the Earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords. He was a Lord of the Admiralty from 1761-1763, became a member of the Privy Council in 1765, and served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household from 1765-1770. After becoming the 4th Earl in 1769, he served as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King George III from 1769-1777, Master of the Buckhounds from 1782-1783, and several other positions at court over the next 30 years. He would later be appointed Master of the Horse to the Prince of Wales in 1795. Frances and Villiers had ten children:

The Prince of Wales, circa 1798. source: Wikipedia

Frances began her affair with the Prince of Wales in 1793, following a string of other discreet affairs she had had with others, including Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, and William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire – the husband of her close friend Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. By that time, George was secretly married to Maria Fitzherbert, but his wandering eye could not be kept in check. By the following year, Frances had convinced the Prince to end his relationship with Mrs. Fitzherbert and encouraged him to marry his future wife, Caroline of Brunswick. George and Caroline married in 1795, and Frances was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to the new Princess of Wales. Frances and George continued their affair and before long, he brought Mrs. Fitzherbert back into his life as well. The two disliked each other greatly, but the Prince continued his affairs with both. Then, a new mistress made her appearance, The Marchioness of Hertford soon replaced Frances as the Prince of Wales’s mistress. By 1807, Frances lost her royal household position and left the court completely.

Having been widowed in 1805 and left with little financial means, Frances struggled to maintain the lifestyle expected of someone of her rank. She benefited only from the generosity of her son who increased her annual income and often paid off her debts.

The Dowager Countess of Jersey died in Cheltenham on July 25, 1821, at the age of 68. She is buried in the Villiers Family vault in Middleton Stoney, Oxfordshire.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Delphine of Belgium

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

HRH Princess Delphine of Belgium – formerly known as Delphine Boël – is the illegitimate daughter of King Albert II of Belgium and his longtime mistress, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps.

Delphine and her daughter in 2008; photo: By Luc Van Braekel – https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucvanbraekel/2407637011/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26839140

Delphine Boël was born in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium on February 22, 1968, the daughter of Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps and the then-Prince of Liège (the future Albert II, King of the Belgians). Sybille and Albert had begun an affair in around 1964 which reportedly continued until 1982.  At the time of Delphine’s birth, Sybille was married to Jacques Boël, who was listed on the birth certificate as the child’s father. Her parents divorced in 1978, and four years later, her mother remarried. At that time, Delphine and her mother moved to London.

Delphine’s mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, in a television interview in 2013. source: VRT News

Delphine attended the Institut le Rosey – an exclusive boarding school in Switzerland – before enrolling at the Chelsea School of Art and Design in London, graduating with a degree in Fine Arts. She has worked as an artist for many years and has had numerous exhibitions of her work in Europe.

In 2003, Delphine married James O’Hare, an American, and the couple had two children, who are now a Prince and Princess of Belgium:

  • Princess Joséphine of Belgium (born 2003)
  • Prince Oscar of Belgium (born 2008)

Having had several exhibitions of her work in Belgium already, Delphine and her family moved to Brussels in 2003. It was then that her public profile began to rise again – both because of her art and her alleged relationship to King Albert.

In 1999, in a biography of Queen Paola, the first public allegation was made of Sybille’s affair with King Albert and the subsequent birth of their daughter. The Belgian royal court quickly dismissed the report as “gossip”, but King Albert seemed to refer to the situation later that year. In his Christmas message, he spoke of a “crisis” in his marriage some thirty years earlier that they had overcome, but of which they had been recently reminded. That would be the last public statement on the matter for many years.

Albert, Prince of Liege, c1964. source: Wikipedia

In May 2005, Delphine stated in an interview that she was King Albert’s daughter, having been told this by her mother when she reached the age of 18. She said that the future King had continued his relationship with her mother until around 1982 when he abruptly ended things and cut off all contact with them. She also alleged that when she and her mother moved to England, Albert thought about divorcing his wife and joining them, but Sybille was against the idea due to the impact it would have on Albert and his future role in the monarchy.

In June 2013, Delphine filed a lawsuit to prove, through DNA testing, that she was King Albert’s biological child. The King was named in the suit, however, he had complete immunity from prosecution at the time, so she also named two of his legitimate children – Philippe and Astrid. When the King abdicated in September of that year, she withdrew the suit against Philippe and Astrid, now being able to file against the former King. In 2017, her claim was initially rejected, but that was overturned in October 2018 by the Court of Appeal. Based on DNA testing, it was proven that Jacques Boël was not her father, thus furthering her claims. The former King was instructed to provide a DNA sample, but he appealed that ruling. Again, the Court of Appeal upheld the order in May 2019 and imposed a fine of €5,000 per day until King Albert complied. Within weeks, a DNA sample was provided for testing, and in January 2020, the former King finally acknowledged that he was Delphine’s biological father, as proven by the DNA testing.

On October 1, 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine and her children are entitled to the style and title of HRH Prince/Princess of Belgium, and can use the former King’s surname of Saxe-Coburg. In addition, she is legally entitled to inherit one-quarter of the former King’s estate – a share equal to that of his three legitimate children. She is still considered illegitimate (born out of wedlock) and as such, Delphine and her descendants are not in the line of succession to the Belgian throne.

Princess Delphine and Philippe, King of the Belgians meet for the first time; Credit – Belgian Monarchy Facebook

On October 9, 2020, Princess Delphine met her half-brother Philippe, King of the Belgians for the first time at Laeken Castle, the king’s residence. A common message from King Philippe and Princess Delphine was posted on Facebook: “This Friday, October 9th, we met for the first time at Laeken Castle. Our meeting was warm. We had the opportunity to get to know each other during a long and rich exchange that allowed us to talk about each other’s lives and shared interests. This bond will now develop in a family setting.”

A photo made available by the Belgian Royal Palace of Queen Paola, King Albert, and Princess Delphine; Credit – Belgium Royal Palace

On October 25, 2020, King Albert and his wife Queen Paola met with Princess Delphine for the first time since she was recognized as a royal at Belvédère Castle in Brussels. A joint statement by all three was released: “On Sunday, October 25, a new chapter began, filled with emotions, appeasement, understanding and also of hope. Our meeting took place at Belvédère Castle, a meeting during which each of us was able to express our feelings and experiences serenely and with empathy. After the turmoil, suffering, and hurt, it is time for forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation. Together we decided to take this new path. This will take patience and effort, but we are determined.”

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Maria FItzherbert, Mistress of King George IV of The United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Maria Fitzherbert was the mistress of The Prince of Wales (later King George IV of the United Kingdom) from 1784 until 1794 and again from 1798 until 1807. The couple married secretly in 1785, however the marriage was not considered legal as it had not received the approval of the Sovereign as required under the Royal Marriages Act.

Maria FItzherbert. source: Wikipedia

Maria Anne Smythe was born on July 26, 1756, at Tong Castle in Shropshire, England, the eldest child of Walter Smythe, a younger son of Sir John Smythe 3rd Baronet, and Mary Ann Errington. Her siblings included:

  • John Smythe (1758) – married, had issue
  • Frances Smythe (c1760) – married Sir Carnaby Haggerston, 5th Baronet, had issue

Maria’s husband Edward Weld. source: Wikipedia

In 1774, Maria married Edward Weld, a wealthy widower, twice her age. He was the son of Edward Weld and Mary Theresa Vaughan. Following his father’s death in 1761, Edward became one of the wealthiest men in England, having inherited Lulworth Castle in Dorset along with many other properties and villages. Maria became a very wealthy woman upon her marriage, but it was not to last. Just three months after their marriage, Edward died of injuries he sustained after falling from his horse. He had not yet signed a new will to provide for his wife, and his entire estate passed to his younger brother.

Left without any financial resources, Maria soon sought a new husband as soon as it was acceptable. In 1777, she married Thomas Fitzherbert, the son of Thomas Fitzherbert and Mary Theresa Throckmorton. The couple had one son who died in infancy, and Maria was once again widowed when her husband died on May 7, 1781. However, this time she was provided for, as Fitzherbert left her an annuity of £1,000 per year and a home in Mayfair, London.

The Prince of Wales, c1781. source: Wikipedia

After spending several years traveling throughout Europe, she returned to England in early 1784. One evening in March, she attended the opera with her uncle and was briefly introduced to the Prince of Wales, the future King George IV. Quickly enamored, the Prince pursued Maria relentlessly. Soon she was accepting invitations to visit him at Carlton House, his home in London, next to St. James’s Palace but made it clear that she had no interest in merely becoming his mistress. The Prince countered with an offer of marriage. Maria argued against it. There was no chance King George III would consent to his son’s marriage to Maria. Even if he did, Maria was Catholic which would make the Prince ineligible to inherit the throne. But the Prince continued his pursuit, even threatening to kill himself if Maria would not marry him.

In July 1784, the Prince of Wales stabbed himself just enough to make it look like a serious suicide attempt. Maria, accompanied by the couple’s mutual friend, Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, was quickly taken to Carlton House where they found the Prince again threatening to kill himself if she did not agree to marry him. Maria signed a document agreeing to marry him knowing that the document would not be considered legal. She left England for France the next day, hoping the situation would cool off. But the Prince continued to pursue her, and Maria eventually agreed to return to England and marry him. When she returned to England in November 1785, the Prince of Wales searched for someone to conduct the marriage ceremony. He found a young curate, Reverand John Burt, who was in debtors’ prison at the time. Burt agreed to perform the ceremony in exchange for £500 to pay off his debts, and a position as one of the Prince’s chaplains. Quickly settled, Maria and George married in her Mayfair home on December 15, 1785, with just her uncle and brother present as witnesses.

Maria and the Prince of Wales soon faced rumors and questions were raised in Parliament, all of which were denied by friends of the prince. For the next several years, the two maintained their relationship very discreetly and seemed to be immensely happy. But by 1793, the marriage was beginning to break down. While Maria was perfectly content with quiet nights at home, the Prince of Wales preferred to be out on the town and continued his philandering ways. Soon, he found a permanent replacement for Maria, after beginning an affair with Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey. Lady Jersey convinced the Prince that he was so unpopular because of his relationship with the Catholic Mrs. Fitzherbert. Convinced that marrying an acceptable Protestant princess would be in his best interest, George informed Maria on June 23, 1794, that their relationship was over. Soon he found a bride, his cousin Caroline of Brunswick who he married in April 1795. However, it seems Maria was still close to his heart, as the following year, he wrote his will, leaving everything “…to my Maria Fitzherbert, my wife, the wife of my heart.”

Steine House, Brighton. photo: By C.Suthorn / cc-by-sa-4.0 / commons.wikimedia.org, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70710474

Within two years, the Prince of Wales began to pursue Maria once again, and by 1799, the two were again in a relationship. In 1804, she built Steine House, a home in Brighton which would become her residence for the rest of her life. By 1807, the Prince’s wandering eye once again turned its attention to someone else. The Marchioness of Hertford soon became his preferred companion, and Maria found herself pushed to the side again by 1809.

The Prince became King George IV in 1820, and during his 10-year reign, the two only saw each other occasionally in social settings, but both remained in each other’s thoughts. When King George IV died in June 1830, he was succeeded by his brother. The new King William IV was always very gracious and welcoming toward Maria and continued to provide her annual pension of £10,000 per year. King William IV reportedly offered her a dukedom, but she declined. She did, however, ask his permission to dress in widow’s weeds and to allow her servants to dress in royal livery, both of which the King quickly agreed to.

Maria outlived George IV by nearly seven years, passing away at Steine House in Brighton on March 27, 1837. She is buried at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Brighton.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mary Robinson, Mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Mary Robinson was a noted English poet and actress who became the first mistress of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom while he was Prince of Wales. Their relationship lasted just two years.

Mary Robinson, – source: Wikipedia

Mary Darby was born in Bristol on November 27, 1757, to Naval Captain Nicholas Darby and Hester Vanacott. When Mary was very young, her father left the family, leaving her mother to support herself and five children. She did this by opening a school for young girls, where Mary also taught before she was even 14 years old. After the school closed, she attended a school in London run by Hanna More, and there she caught the attention of famed actor David Garrick, who encouraged her to get involved in the theater.

However, Mary’s mother encouraged her instead to accept a proposal from Thomas Robinson,  a clerk who claimed to have a large inheritance. Initially against the idea, Mary relented after Robinson had helped care for her and her younger brother while both were quite ill. The couple married in April 1774 and Mary soon discovered that her husband did not have any inheritance, nor was he a devoted husband. The couple had one child, a daughter named Mary Elizabeth Robinson, born in November 1774.

When Mary’s husband was put into Debtor’s Prison in 1775, Mary went with him, living there with their six-month-old daughter for nearly 15 months until he was released. While there, Mary discovered she could publish some of her poetry to make a living. Her first book of poetry Poems By Mrs. Robinson was published in 1775. She soon caught the attention of Georgina Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire who became somewhat of a patron to Mary, sponsoring the publication of Mary’s second book of poetry — Captivity.

Mary Robinson as Perdita, 1782, portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds. source: Wikipedia

In 1776, following her husband’s release, Mary returned to the theater, appearing in several roles at the Drury Lane Theater. While performing as Perdita in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Winter Tale in 1779, Mary caught the attention of The Prince of Wales, the future King George IV, who attended a performance and was instantly smitten. The Prince pursued her relentlessly, but Mary refused his advances for some time. She was a married woman, although mostly estranged from her husband, and she was an actress. A relationship with the Prince would mean giving up what was becoming a financially successful career. The Prince promised her £20,000 in writing to compensate for giving up her livelihood to become his mistress. Maria eventually relented, and following her final performance in May 1780, she gave in to the Prince’s advances.

The Prince of Wales, c1781, portrait by Richard Cosway. source: Wikipedia

The relationship was relatively short-lived. In December 1780, Mary received a message from the Prince, telling her they must end their relationship.  Unbeknownst to Mary, the Prince had moved on to a new mistress, something he continued to do for the rest of his life.  Despite a brief meeting a few days later, the relationship abruptly ended.  Mary now found herself without any means of support, emotionally or financially.  She decided publishing her correspondence with the Prince would provide her with a significant income. When the Prince’s father King George III became aware of this, he quickly dispatched the Prince’s treasurer to arrange a settlement. Eventually, Mary received a payment of £5,000 in exchange for the letters. But Mary had another ace up her sleeve. Finding that the settlement barely covered her debts, she decided to pursue the Prince’s promise of £20,000. The King’s representative argued that the document from the Prince was invalid as he was underage, but Mary was unwilling to accept that as final. She asked for an annual annuity in exchange for the document, and eventually, she was successful. The matter was settled in August 1781, when it was agreed that she would receive £500 annually and that upon her death, her daughter would continue to receive half that amount.

Banastre Tarleton, portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds. source: Wikipedia

Mary Robinson, by now living separately from her husband, had several more affairs, including a long-term liaison with Banastre Tarleton, a distinguished soldier. She became mysteriously ill in 1783, and although she recovered, she was left partially paralyzed and frail. She turned her attention back to her writing, publishing several books of poetry, eight novels, three plays, and her memoirs. She became a champion of women’s rights and an outspoken supporter of the French Revolution.

Despite her financial settlements with the Crown, Mary Robinson died in relative poverty in Englefield Green, Surrey, England on December 26, 1800, at just 44 years old. She was buried at St. Peter and St. Andrew Churchyard in Windsor, Berkshire, England. Her estranged husband was granted administration of her estate, and Mary had instructed her daughter to publish the rest of her works after her death.  Although her brief affair with the Prince of Wales was long in the past, she left a request upon her death that a lock of her hair be cut off and sent to the Prince.  It is said that upon the future King George IV’s death in 1830, he requested that a lock of hair be buried with him.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, Mistress of King George II of Great Britain

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth was the mistress of King George II of Great Britain from 1735 until the King died in 1760. She was the last British royal mistress to be granted a peerage title.

Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth.source: Wikipedia

Amalie Sophie Marianne von Wendt was born in Hanover on April 1, 1704 to General Johann Franz von Wendt and Friederike Charlotte von dem Bussche-Ippenburg. Her maternal grandmother Catherine had been the first mistress of the future King George I, and her grandmother’s older sister Clara had been the mistress of George I’s father, Duke Ernst August von Braunschweig-Lüneburg.

In 1727, Amalie married Count Adam Gottlieb von Wallmoden, the son of Count Ludwig von Wallmoden and Anna Elisabeth von Helmberg. The couple had two children:

  • Franz Ernst von Wallmoden (1728 – 1776)
  • Friederike von Wallmoden (1729 – 1800)

King George II of Great Britain. source: Wikipedia

Amalie met King George II in 1735 while he was visiting Hanover, and they quickly began an affair that would last for the next twenty-five years. Her husband was quickly paid off by the King to turn a blind eye to the affair, receiving a payment of 1,000 ducats. In 1736, Amalie gave birth to a son with the King, although the child was registered as being her husband’s child:

  • Johann Ludwig von Wallmoden (1736-1811) – married (1) Charlotte von Wangenheim, had issue, widowed; (2) Baroness Luise Christiane von Liechtenstein, had issue

Thoroughly smitten with Amalie, King George II continued to visit Hanover specifically to see her. Correspondence shows that he discussed the relationship extensively with his wife, Queen Caroline, and his chief minister, Robert Walpole. Meanwhile, his constant absence from London was causing him to lose the support of many in Britain. Sensing this, Walpole encouraged Queen Caroline to suggest to her husband that he return to England and bring Amalie with him. The King, however, felt that it would be inappropriate and chose to continue his journeys back and forth to Hanover.

After the Queen died in 1737, George finally called for Amalie to join him in England. Upon her arrival in early 1738, Amalie was given apartments in St. James’s Palace – the King’s primary residence – as well as Kensington Palace. The following year, she was divorced from her husband, who received an annual pension of £4,000 from the King.

In 1740, Amalie became a naturalized citizen of Britain, and on March 24, 1740, she was granted a life peerage as Countess of Yarmouth and Baroness Yarmouth in the County of Norfolk in her own right. This would be the last time that a royal mistress in Britain would be given a peerage title.

Over the next 20 years, Amalie played a very prominent role in the King’s life and his court. Immensely discreet, she supported him unconditionally and as he aged and became frailer, she became a mediator between the King and his ministers. On the morning of October 25, 1760, King George II died at Kensington Palace of a thoracic aortic dissection. Amalie received an annuity of £10,000 and retained her apartments in the palace, but soon returned to her native Hanover. Nearly five years later, on October 19, 1765, Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, died of breast cancer at the age of 61.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, Mistress of King George II of Great Britain

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, became the mistress of the future King George II of Great Britain in 1714 and maintained a relationship with him until 1734.

Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk – source: Wikipedia

Henrietta Hobart was born in 1689 at Blickling Hall in Norfolk, the family home of her parents, Sir Henry Hobart, 4th Baronet of Intwood, and Elizabeth Maynard. Sir Henry had been in the household of King William III of England, serving as Gentleman of the Horse, and served under the King during the Battle of the Boyne. He was later appointed Vice-Admiral of Norfolk, and served in the House of Commons, representing several constituencies.

Henrietta had two siblings:

In 1698, Henrietta’s father died from injuries sustained during a duel, and her mother died of illness three years later. Orphaned at just 12 years old, Henrietta became the ward of Henry Howard, the 5th Earl of Suffolk. Five years later, she married the Earl’s younger son, Charles Howard, on March 2, 1706. Charles would eventually become the 9th Earl of Suffolk in 1731. From all reports, the marriage was an unhappy one. Charles was a compulsive gambler and drinker and was often physically abusive to Henrietta. However, the couple did have one son together:

In 1714, Henrietta and her husband traveled to Hanover, with the hope of getting into the circle of the future King George I and securing themselves a better financial future. Their venture was successful, and following George’s accession to the British throne, the couple returned to England and both received positions within the Royal Household. Charles was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber to the new King, and Henrietta was appointed a Woman of the Bedchamber to the new Princess of Wales, Caroline of Ansbach. Through this role, Henrietta met and became the mistress of the Prince of Wales – the future King George II.

The Prince of Wales, c1716. source: Wikipedia

Over the next several years, Henrietta and George’s relationship continued to strengthen. However, Henrietta’s husband was not pleased with the situation. His wife was benefiting greatly from the Prince of Wales’ generosity but he was not. Threatening to cause a scandal, he was quickly compensated in exchange for looking the other way. The Prince of Wales arranged for Charles to be given a large annual pension, an appointment as Deputy Lieutenant of Essex, and a high-ranking commission in the Coldstream Guards. The couple maintained their marriage publicly, but for the most part, lived separate lives. They would later officially separate in 1727.

Marble Hill House. photo: By Jim Linwood from London – North Face Of Marble Hill House, Twickenham – London., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50570204

In 1723, the Prince of Wales gave Henrietta a very large gift of about 11,500 pounds worth of stocks, jewelry, furniture, and other furnishings. Careful to be sure that this would benefit Henrietta alone, George made sure that it was stipulated that Henrietta’s husband would have no claim to any of this gift. The following year, through a trustee, Henrietta purchased over 25 acres of land along the River Thames in Twickenham on which she built Marble Hill House. There, Henrietta hosted some of the most influential artists, intellectuals, and politicians of the day, establishing a court that rivaled that of Kensington Palace.

In 1727, several major changes happened in Henrietta’s life. King George I died, and the Prince of Wales succeeded as King George II. Continuing with her service to the royal court, she was appointed Mistress of the Robes to the new Queen Caroline. Around the same time, she and her estranged husband Charles officially separated but did not divorce due to the scandal it would have caused. In 1731, Charles succeeded to the Earldom of Suffolk, and Henrietta became the Countess of Suffolk.

Widowed in 1733, the now Dowager Countess of Suffolk left the royal court in 1734 after her relationship with  King George II ended. She made Marble Hill House her primary residence and married again in 1735. Her second husband was The Honourable George Berkeley, a younger son of the 2nd Earl of Berkeley, and a Member of Parliament. Henrietta and her second husband raised her widowed brother’s children and enjoyed a very quiet and happy family life. Henrietta and her husband, from all accounts, were tremendously happy together and spent their time traveling in Europe, and enlarging and renovating Marble Hill House and the surrounding park. George Berkeley died in 1746, and Henrietta spent her remaining years at Marble Hill House with her extended family. She died there on July 26, 1767.

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Sybille de Selys Longchamps, Mistress of King Albert II of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps was the mistress of the future King Albert II of the Belgians from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s. Their child, Delphine Boël, now Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Belgium, is well-known to many for having pursued legal acknowledgment of her parentage. This was finally received in early 2020.

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps in a television interview in 2013. source: VRT News

Sybille was born on August 28, 1941, in Uccle, Belgium, the second child of Count Michel François de Selys Longchamps and Countess Pauline Cornet de Ways-Ruart. Her father had valiantly served in the Belgian military and was active in the resistance during World War II. He later served as Belgian Ambassador to numerous countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, and the United States. She had five siblings:

  • Michel (1938) – married Florence van den Perre
  • Anne-Michèle (1942) – married Barn Henry van der Straeten Waillet
  • Jean-Patrick (1944) – married Margaret de Brouwer
  • Daniel (1946) – unmarried
  • Nathalie (1951) – married Guy Verhaeghe de Naeyer

In 1962, Sybille married Jonkheer Jacques Boël, a wealthy industrialist. About four years later, Sybille first met the future King Albert (then Prince of Liège) in Athens, Greece, where her father was serving as Ambassador, and Albert and his wife were on holiday. Several months later, she was invited to a dinner and seated right next to him. Soon, the two began an affair that reportedly lasted until around 1982. In 1968, Sybille gave birth to a daughter – Delphine – who was registered as the daughter of Jacques Boël.

Albert of Belgium, c1964. source: Wikipedia

Despite their marriages, Sybille and Albert maintained their relationship for many years, and according to Delphine years later, Albert even considered divorcing his wife but Sybille talked him out of it. For reasons unknown, Albert ended their affair somewhat abruptly in 1982, ending all contact with Sybille and their daughter. By then, Sybille had divorced her first husband (in 1978), and in 1982 she remarried to the Honourable Michael-Anthony Rathbone Cayzer, a younger son of Herbert Cayzer, 1st Baron Rocherwick. Sybille and her daughter then lived in England until Cayzer’s death in 1990. Since then, she has split her time between Belgium and Provence.

In 1999, in a biography of Queen Paola, the first public allegation was made of Sybille’s affair with Albert and the subsequent birth of their daughter. The Belgian royal court quickly dismissed the report as “gossip”, but later that year, the King seemed to make reference to the situation. In his Christmas message, he spoke of a “crisis” in his marriage some 30 years earlier that they had overcome, but of which they had been recently reminded. That would be the last public statement on the matter for many years.

Having spoken publicly about the matter for several years, in June 2013, Delphine filed a lawsuit asking King Albert and two of his legitimate children to provide DNA samples to prove her lineage. In September of that year, Sybille appeared on a television program entitled “Our Daughter is Called Delphine”, in which she detailed her relationship with the King and the birth of their child together.

Delphine Boël. photo: By Luc Van Braekel – https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucvanbraekel/2407637011/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26839140

By March 2017, the courts had dismissed Delphine’s lawsuit. But she continued to pursue the matter, and after Jacques Boël was proven to not be her father, a Belgian court instructed the now-former King Albert to provide a DNA sample. Albert appealed the ruling, unsuccessfully, and was assessed with a fine of €5,000 per day until he cooperated. Soon, he did provide a sample, and in January 2020, it was made public that the test had proven that he was, in fact, Delphine’s biological father.  In October 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine is entitled to the title of Princess of Belgium and the style of Royal Highness.  This also applies to her children.  She is also entitled to inherit one-quarter of the former King’s estate, a share equal to those of his legitimate children.

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Caroline Lacroix, Mistress of King Leopold II of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Caroline Lacroix was the royal mistress of King Leopold II of the Belgians from 1900 until his death in 1909. She was just sixteen years old when their relationship began, while the King was nearly fifty years her senior.

Caroline Lacroix – source: Wikipedia

Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix – later known as Caroline Lacroix – was born in Bucharest, Romania on May 13, 1883, the 13th child of Jules Delacroix and Catherine Josephine Sebille. By the time she was in her mid-teens, she was the mistress of a former French army officer, Antoine-Emmanuel Durrieux, who often arranged for Caroline to provide ‘company’ to other wealthy men to support themselves. Through these encounters, Caroline caught the attention of King Leopold II of the Belgians.

King Leopold II. source: Wikipedia

King Leopold II sent a messenger to arrange a meeting with Caroline which went well enough that the King asked Caroline to accompany him on a trip to Austria. Just sixteen years old at the time, Caroline was far from discreet about her new relationship with the King. It quickly became public knowledge and was discussed widely in the Belgian media. She frequently accompanied Leopold on his travels, including accompanying him to London in 1901 for the funeral of Queen Victoria. Following the death of his wife, Queen Marie Henriette in 1902, Leopold arranged for Caroline to move into Villa Van der Borght, just outside the grounds of the Royal Palace of Laeken. He even had a footbridge built so he could easily visit her regularly.

The couple had two sons together:

  • Lucien Philippe Marie Antoine ( 1906 –1984), Duke of Tervuren
  • Philippe Henri Marie François (1907 – 1914), Count of Ravenstein

At the time of Lucien’s birth, Leopold granted Caroline the title Baroness de Vaughan, and both sons were given courtesy titles. However, the titles were never formally granted by royal decree, making them strictly honorary titles. Both sons’ births were registered in France with only Caroline’s name.

Caroline with her two sons, c1908. source: Wikipedia

During their relationship, King Leopold II lavished Caroline with gifts – including several residences. In addition to Villa Van der Borght in Laeken, he also purchased the Villa Les Cédres in Cap Ferrat 1904 for Caroline to use, and in 1908 he bought and gifted her the Château de Balincourt in northern France. In addition to these, she also had use of Villa Leopolda, a sprawling villa that Leopold had built on the French Riviera in 1902.

In addition to these various homes, Caroline received gifts of clothes and jewels and amassed a significant fortune. Caroline was known to boast about her newfound wealth, often claiming that her sons would be more wealthy than the richest men in England.

Sensing his impending death, on December 12, 1909, King Leopold II and Caroline were married in a religious ceremony at the Palace of Laeken. However, no civil ceremony was held – a requirement under Belgian law – and the marriage was not deemed legal. Five days later, King Leopold died, with Caroline and their two sons by his side.

Château de Balincourt. photo: by Chatsam – personal work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38501219

Knowing she would no longer be welcome within the Belgian royal family, Caroline quickly moved on with her life. Just seven months after Leopold’s death, she married her former lover, Antoine-Emmanuel Durrieux, who helped her negotiate through the financial arrangements left for her by King Leopold II. Durrieux adopted her two sons, but the marriage soon ended.

She then lived a quieter life, often in the company of her elder son, and spending time at her various homes around Europe. In 1937, she published her memoirs, and on February 12, 1948, she died in Cambo-les-Bains, France. She is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.

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