Charlotte FitzRoy, Countess of Euston

Charlotte Fitzroy, Countess of Euston (11 October 1761 – 1 February 1808), formerly Lady Charlotte Maria Waldegrave, was the wife of George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton. Although she is sometimes referred to as "Duchess of Grafton",[1] her husband did not inherit the dukedom until 1811, after his wife's death.

Charlotte FitzRoy
Countess of Euston
Charlotte Fitzroy, Countess of Euston (c. 1800) by Charles Wilkin.
BornLady Charlotte Maria Waldegrave
(1761-10-11)11 October 1761
Died1 February 1808(1808-02-01) (aged 46)
London, England
Spouse(s)
Issue
  • Lady Maria Oglander
  • Lady Elizabeth Smith
  • Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton
  • Lord Charles FitzRoy
  • Lady Isabella FitzRoy
  • Lord William FitzRoy
  • Lord Hugh FitzRoy
  • Lord Richard FitzRoy
  • Lord Richard FitzRoy
  • Lord James FitzRoy
ParentsJames Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave
Maria Walpole

Biography

She was a daughter of James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, and his wife, the former Maria Walpole, the granddaughter of Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. Maria later became Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh through her marriage to Prince William Henry, a grandson of King George II of Great Britain.[2] William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, became stepfather to Charlotte and her sisters in 1766, when he secretly married Maria at his house in Pall Mall. Charlotte's elder sister was Elizabeth Waldegrave, Countess Waldegrave, whose children inherited the earldom of Waldegrave. Charlotte's younger sister, Horatia, married Lord Hugh Seymour.

She married the future Duke of Grafton on 16 November 1784 at Navestock, Essex, when he was styled Earl of Euston.[3] She was therefore known by the courtesy title Countess of Euston.

Their children were:

  • Lady Maria Anne Fitzroy (1785-1855), who married Sir William Oglander, 6th Baronet, and had children
  • Lady Elizabeth Anne (1788–1867), who married her first cousin John Henry Smyth (Smyth's mother was Lady Georgiana Fitzroy, the duke's sister), and had children
  • Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton (1790-1863)
  • Rt. Hon. Lt.-Col. Lord Charles Fitzroy (1791-1865), who married Lady Anne Cavendish (daughter of George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington) and had children
  • Lady Isabella Frances FitzRoy (1792-1875)
  • Lord James FitzRoy (1804–1834)

Several other children died in infancy or childhood:

  • Lord William FitzRoy (1794–1804)
  • Lord Hugh FitzRoy (1795–1797)
  • Lord Richard FitzRoy (1798–1798)
  • Lord Richard FitzRoy (1800–1801)

The countess's portrait was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds and John Hoppner, among others.[4]

The countess died at her home in Lower Brook Street, London, aged 45,[5] of "a liver complaint and bilious fever", and was buried in the family vault. Her obituary described her as "an example of every thing amicable in woman".[6]

Titles and styles
  • 11 October 1761 — 16 November 1784: Lady Charlotte Waldegrave
  • 16 November 1784 — 1 February 1808: Countess of Euston
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References
  1. "Charlotte Maria FitzRoy (née Waldegrave), Duchess of Grafton". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  2. Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 279.
  3. Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. Page 1618
  4. "Lady Charlotte Maria Waldegrave, Countess of Euston (1761-1808) (after John Hoppner)". National Trust Collections. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  5. The Edinburgh Annual Register, for 1808-26. J. Ballantyne and Company. 1810. pp. 246–.
  6. The Gentleman's Magazine: 1808. E. Cave. 1808. pp. 177–.
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