Anne Villiers, Countess of Morton
Encyclopedia
Anne Villiers was an English noblewoman and Countess of Morton
. She was famed for her beauty, bravery and loyalty to the throne. The first half of the 17th century closet drama Cicilia and Clorinda
was dedicated to her.
(c. 1574 – 7 September 1626) and his wife Barbara St. John, a daughter of Sir John St. John. She was the niece of the Duke of Buckingham, who was her father's half-brother. Anne Villiers' nieces were Elizabeth Villiers, mistress to William III
, and Barbara Villiers
, who was the mistress of Charles II of England
and would be made Duchess of Cleveland in her own right.
In April of 1627, she married Robert Douglas, Lord Dalkeith, later the Earl of Morton
.
The Earl and Countess of Morton had at least three children that lived to adulthood:
. She disguised herself and the princess as peasants and fled to Dover and then France. Apparently, during the journey, the princess nearly revealed their identity by innocently informing the townspeople that she was not accustomed to dressing in such a shabby fashion. Nevertheless, they arrived safely. Lady Dalkeith's actions were well-received and highly praised upon her arrival. Shortly after, her father-in-law died, making her Countess of Morton.
Despite efforts of conversion to Catholicism by the princess' mother and the child herself, Lady Morton remained a staunch Protestant throughout her time as Princess Henrietta's governess. Lady Morton lived in France as the princess' governess until 1651, when her husband, the Earl, died. She herself died in Scotland on 15 December 1654, of a sudden bout of fever.
Earl of Morton
The title Earl of Morton was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1458 for James Douglas of Dalkeith. Along with it, the title Lord Aberdour was granted. This latter title is the courtesy title for the eldest son and heir to the Earl of Morton....
. She was famed for her beauty, bravery and loyalty to the throne. The first half of the 17th century closet drama Cicilia and Clorinda
Cicilia and Clorinda
Cicilia and Clorinda, or Love in Arms is a 17th-century closet drama, a two-part, ten-Act tragicomedy by Thomas Killigrew. The work was composed in Italy c...
was dedicated to her.
Early Life, Marriage and Children
Anne Villiers was the daughter of Sir Edward VilliersSir Edward Villiers
Sir Edward Villiers was an English politician, diplomat and office-holder.-Life:He was the eldest son of Sir George Villiers, by his first wife Audrey Saunders, making him half-brother to the court favourite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey and...
(c. 1574 – 7 September 1626) and his wife Barbara St. John, a daughter of Sir John St. John. She was the niece of the Duke of Buckingham, who was her father's half-brother. Anne Villiers' nieces were Elizabeth Villiers, mistress to William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, and Barbara Villiers
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland was an English courtesan and perhaps the most notorious of the many mistresses of King Charles II of England, by whom she had five children, all of which were acknowledged and subsequently ennobled...
, who was the mistress of Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and would be made Duchess of Cleveland in her own right.
In April of 1627, she married Robert Douglas, Lord Dalkeith, later the Earl of Morton
Robert Douglas, 8th Earl of Morton
Robert Douglas, Earl of Morton was a Scottish nobleman and Earl of Morton. He was the son of William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton and Lady Anne Keith, daughter of George Keith, 4th Earl Marischal...
.
The Earl and Countess of Morton had at least three children that lived to adulthood:
- William Douglas, 9th Earl of Morton (d. 1681) married Lady Grizel Middleton, daughter of the 1st Earl of MiddletonJohn Middleton, 1st Earl of MiddletonJohn Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton was a Scottish army officer, who belonged to a Kincardineshire family which had held lands at Middleton since the 12th century....
and had issue - Lady Anne Douglas, married in 1654 to William Keith, 6th Earl MarischalWilliam Keith, 6th Earl MarischalWilliam Keith, 6th Earl Marischal was a Scottish lord, Earl Marischal and naval official.-Life:He was the eldest son of George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal and his wife, Margaret , daughter of Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home. He left for the continent in 1601, travelling for his education to Paris,...
and had issue - Lady Mary Douglas, married July 24, 1662, to Sir Donald Macdonald, 10th of Sleat, 3rd Baronet and had issue
Royalist Heroine
Lady Dalkeith, as she was styled at the time, was the godmother of Princess Henrietta. During the civil war, the infant princess, less than one month old, was left in Lady Dalkeith's care. After being besieged in Exeter by Parliamentary forces in April 1646, she was forced to expend her own funds to care for the princess. She refused to take the child to St. James Palace, endeavoring instead to convey her to France to be united with her mother, Queen Henrietta MariaHenrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
. She disguised herself and the princess as peasants and fled to Dover and then France. Apparently, during the journey, the princess nearly revealed their identity by innocently informing the townspeople that she was not accustomed to dressing in such a shabby fashion. Nevertheless, they arrived safely. Lady Dalkeith's actions were well-received and highly praised upon her arrival. Shortly after, her father-in-law died, making her Countess of Morton.
Despite efforts of conversion to Catholicism by the princess' mother and the child herself, Lady Morton remained a staunch Protestant throughout her time as Princess Henrietta's governess. Lady Morton lived in France as the princess' governess until 1651, when her husband, the Earl, died. She herself died in Scotland on 15 December 1654, of a sudden bout of fever.
Further reading
- Historical Portraits
- Beatty, Michael A. The English Royal Family of America, from Jamestown to the American Revolution. ISBN 0786415584