Carey Mordaunt, Countess of Peterborough and Monmouth (; 13 May 1709), was an English

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official r ...

. She was a

maid of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen r ...

to Charles II's queen consort,

Catherine of Braganza Catherine of Braganza ( pt, Catarina de Bragança; 25 November 1638 – 31 December 1705) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland during her marriage to Charles II of England, ...

, from 1674 to 1680, and one of the

Hampton Court Beauties The Hampton Court Beauties are a series of eight portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller, commissioned by Queen Mary II of England, depicting the most glamorous ladies from the court of William III. They adorn the state rooms of King William III at ...

painted by Sir

Godfrey Kneller Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (born Gottfried Kniller; 8 August 1646 – 19 October 1723), was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to Kingdom of England, English and Br ...

for

Queen Mary II Mary II (30 April 166228 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, co-reigning with her husband, William III & II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. Mary was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, and his first wife A ...

Life

Her father was Sir Alexander Fraser, 1st

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, of Durris in the

County of Kincardine Kincardineshire, also known as the Mearns (from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "the Stewartry"), is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area on the coast of northeast Scotland. It is bounded by Aberdeenshire on the north and ...

(1607–1681), physician to Charles II, and her mother was Mary Carey, daughter of Sir Ferdinando Carey and Philippa Throckmorton. In 1678 she married Charles Mordaunt, 2nd Viscount Mordaunt (1658–1735), later 3rd

Earl of Peterborough Earl of Peterborough was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for John Mordaunt, 5th Baron Mordaunt (see Baron Mordaunt for earlier history of the family). He was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry, the second Earl. He was a ...

, and created

Earl of Monmouth Earl of Monmouth was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of England. The title was first created for English courtier Robert Carey, 1st Baron Carey in 1626. He had already been created Baron Carey, of Leppington, in 1622, also in the P ...

(in 1689). The marriage was, however, kept secret until May 1680. They had three children: * Lady Henrietta Mordaunt (d. 1760), wife of

Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon General Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon (c. 167828 November 1728), styled Earl of Enzie until 1684 and the Marquess of Huntly from 1684 to 1716, was a Scottish Jacobite peer. Gordon was the son of George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon and L ...

; *

John Mordaunt, Viscount Mordaunt Brigadier John Mordaunt, Viscount Mordaunt (c. 1681 – 5 April 1710) was an English soldier and politician. The eldest son of Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough, he was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, after travelling in Holland ...

(c.1681–1710); * Capt. Hon. Henry Mordaunt, RN (d. 27 February 1710).

References

1650s births 1709 deaths 17th-century Scottish women Year of birth uncertain British maids of honour

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

Daughters of baronets Court of Charles II of England {{UK-noble-stub