Emily Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne

Emily Jane Mercer Elphinstone Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne and 8th Lady Nairne (16 May 1819 – 26 June 1895) was a British peeress.

Emily Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne
Born	Emily Jane de Flahaut 16 May 1819 Edinburgh
Died	26 June 1895 (aged 76) Meikleour, Scotland
Nationality	British
Other names	Marchioness of Lansdowne, 8th Lady Nairne
Spouse(s)	Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne (m. 1 November 1843)
Children	Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, Edmond Fitzmaurice, 1st Baron Fitzmaurice, Emily Louisa Anne

De Flahaut family arms

Born in Edinburgh, Emily Jane de Flahaut was the eldest daughter of the French Army general and statesman, Count Charles de Flahaut by his wife, Countess Margaret, Baroness Keith (in her own right).

On 1 November 1843, at the British embassy in Vienna, she married Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, Earl of Shelburne (becoming styled Countess of Shelburne).[1] They had three children:

• Hon. Henry Charles Keith (1845–1927) later Earl of Shelburne, before succeeding as 5th Marquess of Lansdowne
• Hon. Edmond George (1846–1935), styled Lord Edmond Petty-Fitzmaurice, until being created Baron Fitzmaurice
• Lady Emily Louisa Anne (1855–1939), married The Hon. Everard Charles Digby (a son of Edward, 9th Baron Digby), leaving issue.

In 1863, her husband inherited his father's marquessate, whereby she became Marchioness of Lansdowne. Although she was unable to inherit her mother's title "Baroness Keith" as remainder was restricted to male heirs of her mother (of which there were none), she was, however, recognised by the House of Lords as the 8th Lady Nairne in 1874, her mother having inherited the title from the latter's cousin in 1837 (although Margaret, Baroness Keith did not attempt to claim this title during her lifetime).[2]

On her death at Meikleour House in 1895, her family title of Nairne devolved upon her eldest son.[3]

In 1834, when she was aged only 15, Frédéric Chopin published his Boléro, Op. 19, with a dedication to her.[4]

Further reading

• Scarisbrick, Diana, Margaret de Flahaut (1788–1867): A Scotswoman at the French Court, John Adamson, Cambridge (2019) ISBN 978-1-898565-16-1 OCLC 1076395537

References

1. Scarisbrick, p. 236. At the time her father was French ambassador, living at the Palais Starhemberg.
2. Chisholm 1911, p. 155.
3. www.burkespeerage.com
4. Scarisbrick, p. 127.

Notes

• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Nairne, Carolina, Baroness" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 154–155.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)