Person    | Female  Born 1734  Died 1808

Lady Diana Beauclerk

Categories: Art, Other

Lady Diana Spencer was born in 1735, the eldest child of the third Duke of Marlborough. She was expected to follow a traditional path through life: educated in the fashion considered suitable for a girl, and married to a man of the appropriate rank for a duke's daughter. However, Lady Di overturned convention. She left her husband, pursued a secret relationship with Topham Beauclerk, hid the birth of an illegitimate child, was divorced, remarried and eventually had to earn her living by painting.

This text came from the same web site as the picture.

Her designs were used by Wedgwood.

The Museum of London holds a 1797 large sculptural frieze, known as the Pelican figures, that used to be high up on the facade of an insurance building in Lombard Street. This was designed by Lady Diana.

There is a book about this lady : Improper Pursuits: The Scandalous Life of Lady Di Beauclerk, Author: Carola Hicks.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Lady Diana Beauclerk

Commemorated ati

The Adelphi

The Adelphi This building stands on the site of Adelphi Terrace built by the...

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Topham & Lady Diana Beauclerk

Here lived Topham Beauclerk. Born 1739. Died 1780. Lady Diana Beauclerk. ...

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Frederic George Stephens

Frederic George Stephens

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Person, Art, History, Journalism / Publishing

1 memorial
William Blake

William Blake

Poet and artist. Except for 3 years spent on the coast near Bognor, Blake lived his whole life in London, making his living as an engraver. Born at 28 Broad Street, now Broadwick Street (the memori...

Person, Art, Poetry, Seriously Famous

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John Tallis

John Tallis

Cartographic publisher. He set up as a publisher with Frederick Tallis in Cripplegate in 1842, moving to Smithfield in 1846. The company published views of London and world atlases. He started 'The...

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1 memorial
Peter Vanderbank

Peter Vanderbank

Engraver. Probably born Paris. Came to London in 1674. Died at his brother's in Hertfordshire.

Person, Art, Craft / Design, France

1 memorial
National Gallery of Ireland

National Gallery of Ireland

Located in Merrion Square West, Dublin. The engineer William Dargan, wanting to emulate the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851, set up an art exhibition in a series of pavilions. Such was its succes...

Building, Art, Ireland

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

The fourth theatre on the site since restoration times, this is the oldest theatre in use in London. In 1745 the National Anthem had its first public performance here, in an earlier building.

Building, Theatre

2 memorials
Mary Elizabeth Sumner

Mary Elizabeth Sumner

Founded the Mothers’ Union in 1876.  Born as Mary Elizabeth Heywood in Lancashire. 1848 she married George Henry Sumner, son of C. R. Sumner, Bishop of Winchester, and a second cousin of William Wi...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Ellen Terry

Ellen Terry

Born in Coventry. From an acting family her stage career started at age 8. When 17 she retired from the stage to marry artist G.F. Watts, 30 years her senior. Her desire for the stage was greater t...

Person, Theatre

4 memorials
Society of British Artists

Society of British Artists

The following text was copied from the picture source website: The Royal Society of British Artists was established in 1823 by a small group of artists who wished to form an alternative to the Roy...

Group, Art

2 memorials
Lady Jean Medawar

Lady Jean Medawar

Wife of Sir Peter Medawar, the man in our picture, and thus known as Lady Medawar. Worked passionately in the promotion of family planning, especially for young girls. Chair of the Family Plannin...

Person, Education, Medicine

1 memorial