Emily Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne

Who was Emily Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne?

Emily Jane Mercer Elphinstone Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne and 8th Lady Nairne was a British peeress.

Born Emily Jane de Flahaut in Edinburgh, she was the eldest daughter of the French statesman, Charles Joseph, comte de Flahaut and his wife, Margaret Keith, 2nd Baroness Keith. On 1 November 1843, she married Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, Earl of Shelburne and they had three children:

⁕Hon. Henry Charles Keith, later Earl of Shelburne, later still 5th Marquess of Lansdowne

⁕Hon. Edmond George, later Lord Edmond George, later still Baron Fitzmaurice

⁕Lady Emily Louisa Anne, married Hon. Everard Digby and had issue.

In 1863, her husband inherited his father's marquessate and she became Marchioness of Lansdowne. She was unable to inherit her mother's title "Baroness Keith" as succession was restricted to male heirs of her mother. However, the House of Lords recognised her as Lady Nairne in 1874, her mother having inherited the title from the latter's cousin in 1837. On her death at Meiklour House in 1895, the title passed to her eldest son.