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ORKNEY, ELIZABETH HAMILTON, COUNTESS OF

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 279 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ORKNEY, See also:ELIZABETH See also:HAMILTON, COUNTESS OF (c. 1657 1733), See also:mistress of the See also:English See also:King See also:William III., daughter of See also:Colonel See also:Sir See also:Edward See also:Villiers of See also:Richmond, was See also:born about 1657. Her See also:mother, Frances See also:Howard, daughter of the 2nd See also:earl of See also:Suffolk, was governess to the princesses See also:Mary and See also:Anne, and secured See also:place and See also:influence for her See also:children in Mary's See also:household. Edward Villiers, afterwards created 1st earl of See also:Jersey (1656–1711), became See also:master of the See also:horse, while his sisters Anne and Elizabeth were among the maids of See also:honour who accompanied Mary to the See also:Hague on her See also:marriage. Elizabeth Villiers became William's acknowledged mistress in 1680. After his See also:accession to the English See also:crown he settled on her a large See also:share of the confiscated Irish estates of See also:James II. This See also:grant was revoked by See also:parliament, however, in 1699. Mary's distrust of See also:Marlborough was fomented by Edward Villiers, and the See also:bitter hostility between Elizabeth Villiers and the duchess of Marlborough perhaps helped to secure the See also:duke's disgrace with William. Shortly after Mary's See also:death, William, actuated, it is said, by his wife's expressed wishes, See also:broke with Elizabeth Villiers, who was married to her See also:cousin, See also:Lord See also:George Hamilton, fifth son of the 3rd duke of Hamilton, in See also:November 1695. The See also:husband was gratified See also:early in the next See also:year with the titles of earl of Orkney, See also:viscount of See also:Kirkwall and See also:Baron Dechmont. The countess of Orkney served her husband's interests with See also:great skill, and the marriage proved a happy' one. She died in See also:London on the 19th of See also:April 1733.

End of Article: ORKNEY, ELIZABETH HAMILTON, COUNTESS OF

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