Elizabeth Monck, Duchess of Albemarle

Who was Elizabeth Monck, Duchess of Albemarle?

Elizabeth Monck, Duchess of Albermarle, later Elizabeth Montagu, Duchess of Montagu, was the eldest daughter of Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle, and his wife, Frances Pierrepont. She was known for most of her life as "the Mad Duchess of Albemarle".

Lady Elizabeth Cavendish married Christopher Monck on 30 December 1669 at Whitehall, London. She went with her husband to Jamaica when he was appointed Lieutenant Governor in 1687; there Monck amassed a small fortune, which Elizabeth acquired and brought with her back to England upon his death in the following year.

From this time, the widowed Elizabeth declared that she would only marry into royalty and was convinced that the Kangxi Emperor of Qing Dynasty China wished to marry her; suitably dressed as the Emperor of China, her sister-in-law Elizabeth's stepfather, the Duke of Montagu, asked for her hand in marriage and they were wed on 8 September 1692 in Newcastle House, London.

Elizabeth died in 1734 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.