Margaret Mercer Elphinstone, comtesse de Flahaut, Baroness Keith and Nairne (12 June 1788 – 11 November 1867), was a Scottish

society hostess A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having traditio ...

Biography

Margaret, was born in Mayfair on 12 June 1788, the only child of

George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith (7 January 1746 – 10 March 1823), was a British naval officer active throughout the Napoleonic Wars. Career Early service George Elphinstone was the fourth son of Charles Elphinstone, 10th L ...

, admiral, and his first wife, Jane, only child and heiress of William Mercer of Aldie,

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

. Upon her mother's death in 1789 she became heiress to the barony of Nairne (then in attainder) and later succeeded to the title. Margaret was introduced at a young age to the circle of the

Princess Charlotte of Wales Princess Charlotte of Wales may refer to: * Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817), the only child of George, Prince of Wales, later King George IV of the United Kingdom ** Princess Charlotte of Wales (1812 EIC ship), a ship named after the pri ...

, to whom she became attached and a close confidante; and this position raised a rumour against her (which, however, she was able entirely to refute) that she betrayed the princess's secrets to the

Prince Regent A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness ...

. On 20 June 1817, at Edinburgh, Margaret married

Charles Joseph, comte de Flahaut Auguste-Charles-Joseph de Flahaut de La Billarderie, comte de Flahaut (21 April 17851 September 1870) was a French general during the Napoleonic Wars, a statesman, and late in life French ambassador to the Court of St James's. Biography He was ...

, aide-de-camp to

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, who had been educated in Britain, where he took refuge during the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * ...

. The countess held a prominent place in society since her husband held office under

Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate List of French monarchs#House of Orléans, July Monarchy (1830–1848), monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, h ...

and later under

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

, and was ambassador at Vienna, and (1860) to the

Court of St. James's The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...

(London), and finally resided at Paris as Grand Chancellor of the Légion d'honneur. The countess, who was one of the lady patronesses of

Almack's Almack's was the name of a number of establishments and social clubs in London between the 18th and 20th centuries. Two of the social clubs would go on to fame as Brooks's and Boodle's. Almack's most famous establishment was based in assembly roo ...

and who was a prominent member of polite society, took part in all his social and political work. She was a prolific and perspicacious letter writer, and much of her correspondence is held in the Archives nationales, Paris.Se
Archives du général Charles de Flahaut et de sa famille : 565 AP : inventaire (online version at the Hathi Trust).
/ref> The comtesse died at the

Palais de la Légion d'honneur The Palais de la Légion d'honneur ( French for "Palace of the Legion of Honour") is a historic building on the Left Bank of the River Seine in Paris, France. It houses the Musée de la Légion d'honneur ("Museum of the Legion of Honour") and is ...

in Paris, on 11 November 1867. Her eldest daughter Emily, Dowager Marchioness of Lansdowne, succeeded as '' Lady Nairne'' and to her other English, Scots, and Irish titles.

Notes

References

* * **Allardyce's ''Memoirs of G. K. Elphinstone'', 58, 418–19; **''Gent. Mag.'' lxxxvii. ii. 81; ** ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'', 15 Nov. 1867, p. 7, col. 2; **Russell's ''Moore'', iii. 98, 99, 104, 111, 112, &c., vii. 186, &c.; **see also Miss Ellis Cornelia Knight's Autobiography.

External links

Burke's Peerage Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher founded in 1826, when the Irish genealogist John Burke began releasing books devoted to the ancestry and heraldry of the peerage, baronetage, knightage and landed gentry of Great Br ...

www.lyon-court.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Flahault De La Billardrie, Margaret De Flahault Keith, Margaret de Flahault, 2nd Baroness 1788 births 1867 deaths Scottish political hostesses Scottish socialites Anglo-Scots 19th-century Scottish people Scottish expatriates in France Keith, Margaret de Flahault, 2nd Baroness Keith, Margaret de Flahault, 2nd Baroness Daughters of viscounts Nairne, Margaret Mercer Elphinstone, 7th Lady

Biography

Further reading

Notes

References

External links