Lady Cunard | |
|---|---|
 Cunard in 1895 | |
| Born | Maud Alice Burke 3 August 1872 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Died | 10 July 1948 (aged 75) London, England |
| Spouse(s) |
Sir Bache Cunard, Bt
(m. 1895; died 1925) |
| Children | Nancy Cunard |
Maud Alice Burke (3 August 1872 – 10 July 1948), later Lady Cunard, known as Emerald, was an American-born, London-based society hostess. She had long relationships with the novelist George Moore and the conductor Thomas Beecham, and was the muse of the former and a champion of and fund-raiser for the latter. She was a supporter of Wallis Simpson during the British abdication crisis of 1936, vainly hoping for a court appointment. The Second World War ended her era of private patronage and lavish hospitality.