Caroline Stanhope | |
|---|---|
| Countess of Harrington | |
 Portrait of Lady Caroline FitzRoy by Richard Cosway | |
| Born | Caroline FitzRoy 8 April 1722 |
| Died | 26 June 1784 |
| Noble family | FitzRoy (by birth) Stanhope (by marriage) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Issue | Isabella Molyneux, Countess of Sefton Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington |
| Father | Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton |
| Mother | Lady Henrietta Somerset |
| Occupation | Socialite, demimondaine |
Caroline Stanhope, Countess of Harrington (née Lady Caroline FitzRoy; 8 April 1722 – 26 June 1784) was a British socialite and demimondaine. Through her father, she was a great-granddaughter of Charles II. After being blackballed by the English social group The Female Coterie, she founded The New Female Coterie, a social club of courtesans and "fallen women" that met in a brothel. Known for her infidelity and bisexuality, she was nicknamed the "Stable Yard Messalina" due to her adulterous lifestyle. Her "colourful" life is often contrasted with that of her daughter-in-law, Jane Stanhope, Countess of Harrington, who was viewed as a respectable member of British high society.