Mary Caroline Blair | |
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| Born | Mary Caroline Mitchell 1848 Oxford, England |
| Died | 25 May 1912 (aged 63–64) London, England |
| Nationality | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Other names | Mary Caroline Mitchell, Duchess Blair, Duchess of Sutherland, |
| Known for | scandalous marriage |
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Mary Caroline Blair or Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, born Mary Caroline Michell (1848 – 25 May 1912), was a British Duchess best known for her scandalous affair with a Duke and her prison sentence that was bestowed for interfering in the execution of her husband's will. Around the time of the death of her first husband in a shooting accident, Mary became the 3rd Duke of Sutherland's mistress. She traveled with him worldwide under the pseudonym "Lady Clare." When news reached them in 1888 while they were travelling that the Duke's wife Anne had died, they chose to marry in Dunedin, Florida. The marriage caused an immediate scandal in Florida and abroad. His children and Queen Victoria were infuriated, resulting in bitter and strained relations with them for the rest of their lives. Her contemporaries refused to call her the Duchess of Sutherland, opting to nickname her "Duchess Blair."