Diana Cecil, Countess of Oxford (1596-1654) was an English aristocrat. She was a daughter of

William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter, (1566 – 6 July 1640), known as the third Lord Burghley from 1605 to 1623, was an English nobleman, politician, and peer. Life Exeter was the son of Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, and Dorothy Neville, dau ...

and his second wife Elizabeth Drury, a daughter of

Sir William Drury Sir William Drury (2 October 152713 October 1579) was an English statesman and soldier. Family William Drury, born at Hawstead in Suffolk on 2 October 1527, was the third son of Sir Robert Drury (c. 1503–1577) of Hedgerley, Buckinghamshi ...

and

Elizabeth Stafford Elizabeth Stafford, also known as Dame Elizabeth Drury and – in the years prior to her death in 1599 – Dame (Lady) Elizabeth Scott, was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I. She and her first husband, Sir William Drury, entertained ...

. Her portrait was painted by William Larkin, the artist known as the "Comet Master", by Cornelius Johnson, and

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh c ...

. In 1624 she married

Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal ...

. He died at the siege of

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

in 1625. In 1629 she married

Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, 3rd Lord Bruce of Kinloss (2 December 1599 – 21 December 1663), of Houghton House in the parish of Maulden in Bedfordshire, was a Scottish nobleman. Early life Born in Edinburgh in 1599, Thomas Bruce was the s ...

. She died on 26 February 1654. Thomas Bruce built the

Ailesbury Mausoleum The Ailesbury Mausoleum situated in the churchyard of St Mary's Church, Maulden, in Bedfordshire, is a Listed building#Emgland and Wales, Grade II listed structure built in 1656 by Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin (1599–1663) (father by his 1 ...

in her memory in the churchyard of St. Mary's Church,

Maulden Maulden is a village and civil parish located in the county of Bedfordshire. The village is located 1.5 miles east of Ampthill and about south of Bedford. It has about 1,250 homes and 3130 residents. Maulden is referred to in the Domesday Book ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

. The octagonal building was constructed over an existing crypt. Inside the Mausoleum there is a monument to Diana, and marble busts of Thomas Bruce and of his grandson Edward Bruce.St Mary's Maulden, Mausoleum
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References

External links

Portrait of Diana, Countess of Elgin, with a portcullis, Hardwick Hall, National Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cecil, Diana 1654 deaths Daughters of British earls

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Elgin 1596 births