Priscilla Cooper Tyler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acting First Lady of the United States | |
| In role September 10, 1842 – June 26, 1844 | |
| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Letitia Tyler |
| Succeeded by | Julia Tyler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elizabeth Priscilla Cooper June 14, 1816 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 29, 1889 (aged 73) Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 9 |
Elizabeth Priscilla Cooper Tyler (June 14, 1816 – December 29, 1889) was the official White House hostess and first lady of the United States from 1841 to 1844. She was a daughter-in-law of then-president John Tyler through her marriage to his son Robert Tyler. She assumed the first lady's responsibilities at the beginning of the Tyler administration, working in the stead of her mother-in-law, first lady Letitia Christian Tyler, who was too ill to do so herself. After Letitia Tyler's death in September 1842, Priscilla Tyler was effectively the first lady, overseeing social affairs in the White House.
Tyler was previously an unsuccessful actress. Her marriage inserted her into the political life of the Tyler family. Balancing the national spotlight with new motherhood, Tyler was widely celebrated as a hostess and recognized as a highlight of what was otherwise a controversial presidency. She managed several receptions, dinners, and other events each week, sometimes bringing her to the point of exhaustion. Tyler left the White House as the president prepared for remarriage, and she settled in Philadelphia. Siding with the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, Tyler and her husband moved to the Southern United States. Tyler lived in relative obscurity in Montgomery, Alabama, until her death in 1889.