Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans
Lady Diana de Vere, better known as Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans (c. 1679; † January 15, 1742 in Burford House, near Windsor Castle) was Grand Mistress ( Mistress of the Robes ) and close friend of the German -born Princess Caroline of Brandenburg- Ansbach, Princess of Wales and later Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and Electress of Hanover.
Life
Lady Diana de Vere was the only child of the politician and aristocrat Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford ( 1627-1703 ) and his second wife Lady Diana Kirke. It was considered a precocious and highly intelligent - later the heiress of larger estates belonged in Ireland and England 's most beautiful women of her time.
On April 17, 1694 Lady Diana was with the politician and Chief Ranger of Enfield Chace Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans ( 1670-1726 ), the illegitimate son of King Charles II and Nell Gwyn to his mistress, married. From the marriage, which by all accounts was harmoniously, were ten children were born:
- Charles (1696-1751), 2nd Duke of St Albans ∞ 1722 Lady Lucy Will
- Diana (1697-1717), unmarried
- William (1698-1732) ∞ 1722 Lady Charlotte Are
- Vere (1699-1781), 1st Baron Vere of Hanwort and Admiral ∞ 1736 Mary Chambers
- Henry (1701-1761) Colonel
- Sydney (1703-1744) ∞ 1736 Mary Norris
- George (1704-1768)
- Seymour (1708-1710)
- James (1709-1787) later Bishop of Hereford (1746-1787)
- Aubrey (1711-1740) Captain and later Admiral of the Royal Navy