The Duchess of Bedford | |
|---|---|
 Stipple engraving, 1806 | |
| Born | 18 July 1781 Gordon Castle, Scotland |
| Died | 24 February 1853 (aged 71) |
| Spouse | |
| Children |
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| Parent(s) | Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon Jane Maxwell |
Georgiana Russell, Duchess of Bedford (18 July 1781 – 24 February 1853),[1] formerly Lady Georgiana Gordon, was a British aristocrat, patron of the arts and wife of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.
Georgiana was born at Gordon Castle in Scotland, a younger daughter of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, and his first wife, Jane. In 1802, after the Treaty of Amiens, the Duchess of Gordon took Georgiana to Paris to pursue the option of a marriage with Eugène de Beauharnais, stepson of Napoleon, who was around her own age, but political sensitivities put an end to the plan.[2] As a second option, the Duchess of Gordon then arranged for her to become engaged to Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford; he died, aged 36, before they could marry.[3] The duchess advised Georgiana to wear black when meeting Francis's younger brother, who had inherited the title and had been widowed with several children.
- ^ "Georgiana, Duchess of Bedford (Biographical details)". British Museum. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- ^ Georgiana Blakiston (1973). Lord William Russell and his wife, 1815-1846. Scholarly Resources. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8420-1681-0.
- ^ K. Schutte (15 May 2014). Women, Rank, and Marriage in the British Aristocracy, 1485-2000: An Open Elite?. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-137-32780-2.