Elizabeth Monck, Duchess of Albemarle

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Elizabeth Monck, Duchess of Albermarle (and later Elizabeth Montagu, Duchess of Montagu), was born Lady Elizabeth Cavendish (22 February 165411 September 1734) and known for most of her life as the Mad Duchess of Albemarle.

Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle and his wife Frances Pierrepont, daughter of William Pierrepont.

On 30 December 1669, she married Christopher Monck (later the Duke of Albemarle) at Whitehall, London. Monck was appointed Governor of Jamaica in 1687 and Elizabeth went with him to Jamaica where Monck amassed a small fortune, which Elizabeth acquired and brought with her back to the Kingdom of England in 1688 when her husband died.

From this time, Elizabeth had declared that she would only marry into royalty and was convinced that the Kangxi Emperor of Qing Dynasty China wished to marry her; suitably dressed as the Emperor of China, her sister-in-law Elizabeth's step-father, the 1st Duke of Montagu asked for her hand in marriage and they were wed on 8 September 1692 in Newcastle House, London. Elizabeth died in 1734 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

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