Mary Anne Clarke

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Mary Anne Clarke (1776–1852) was the mistress of Frederick, Duke of York.

Born Mary Anne Thompson, she became the Duke's mistress in 1803, while he was Commander-in-Chief of the army. In 1809, a national scandal arose when it was discovered that she had been selling army commissions. York was forced to resign from his position, though he was later exonerated and reinstated. Mrs Clarke was prosecuted for libel in 1813 and imprisoned. On her release, she went to live in France.

Her daughter married Louis-Mathurin Busson du Maurier and was the mother of the caricaturist George du Maurier (1834-96) and the great-grandmother of the novelist Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989), who wrote a book about her ("Mary Anne").