Lady Mary Montagu (Duchess of Hamilton)
Également connu sous : Lady Mary Montagu (Duchess of Hamilton), Duchess of Hamilton, Lady Mary Montagu, Montagu
## Basic Information
Lady Mary Louise Elizabeth Montagu (1854--1934) was the daughter of William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester, and Countess Luise von Alten. On 10 December 1873, she married William Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton, at Kimbolton Castle, becoming the Duchess of Hamilton.
## Significance in Marie's Diary
Lady Mary Montagu's marriage to the Duke of Hamilton in December 1873 is of profound significance to Marie's diary. Throughout early 1873, Marie nursed an obsessive romantic fantasy about the Duke, observing him from afar in Nice and constructing elaborate plans to attract his attention. The Duke's engagement and marriage to Lady Mary -- a genuine aristocrat from one of England's premier noble families -- represented the reality that Marie could never compete for the Duke's affections.
In the Ostende entries of August 1874, Marie hears reports that the Duke's wife "is not at all pretty, but she is very wild" and "as mad as he is" -- descriptions that may reflect either reality or Marie's need to diminish her rival.
## Family Background
- *Father: William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester (1823-1890) - Mother: Countess Luise von Alten (1832-1911), of German nobility - Husband: William Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton (1845-1895) - Daughter*: Lady Mary Louise Douglas-Hamilton (1884-1957), who married the 6th Duke of Montrose
## After the Duke's Death
After the Duke of Hamilton's death in 1895 (from alcoholism-related illness), Lady Mary remarried, becoming Lady Forster. She lived until 1934.