Katherine Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield (1609–1667) was an English courtier who was the governess and confidante of

Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange Mary, Princess Royal (Mary Henrietta Stuart; 4 November 1631 – 24 December 1660), was an English princess, a member of the House of Stuart, and by marriage Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau. She acted as regent for her minor son from 1 ...

, and the first woman to hold the office of Postmaster General of England.

Origins

She was the elder daughter of

Thomas Wotton, 2nd Baron Wotton Thomas Wotton, 2nd Baron Wotton (1587 – 2 April 1630) was an English peer. Wotton was the eldest son and heir of Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton, and inherited his father's title in 1626. In 1608, he married Mary Throckmorton and they had three ...

, by his wife Mary Throckmorton, a daughter of

Sir Arthur Throckmorton Sir Arthur Throckmorton (ca. 1557 – 21 July 1626) was an English courtier and politician. He was the second son of the diplomat Sir Nicholas Throckmorton of Beddington, Surrey and was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford. His sister Elizabe ...

Paulerspury Paulerspury is a civil parish and small village in West Northamptonshire, England. It is approximately south of Towcester and north of Milton Keynes along the A5 road (which follows the course of the Roman Road of Watling Street). The paris ...

, Northamptonshire.

Career

After the marriage of William and Mary in May 1641, she followed her husband to

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

as the governess to the Princess Royal. As the princess came to age, Lady Stanhope grew to become her confidante and adviser. During the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

, Lady Stanhope sided with Charles I and his heir, King Charles II; she is said to have supplied them both politically and financially, and to have been involved in much of the royalist plots of that decade. After the death of Heenvliet in 1660, Charles II created her Countess of Chesterfield in recognition of both her service and her friendship. She remained in princess Mary's service until the latter's death from illness on 24 December 1660. She then passed into the service of

Anne Hyde, Duchess of York Anne Hyde (12 March 163731 March 1671) was Duchess of York and Albany as the first wife of James, Duke of York, who later became King James II and VII. Anne was the daughter of a member of the English gentry – Edward Hyde (later created ...

, and in 1662 to Queen

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, ...

, wife of Charles II. In 1662 Lady Catherine married her friend Daniel O'Neill (d.1664),

Postmaster General A Postmaster General, in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters. The practice of having a government official responsib ...

, another one of the King's men during the civil war. Upon his death in 1664, she increased her by then already considerable wealth by inheriting O'Neill's office of Postmaster General.

Marriages and progeny

She married three times: *Firstly in 1628 to

Henry Stanhope, Lord Stanhope Henry Stanhope, Lord Stanhope KB (died 29 November 1634), known as Sir Henry Stanhope until 1628, was an English nobleman and politician. He was the second and next surviving son of Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield and his first wife Ca ...

(d.1634), 2nd surviving son of

Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield (1584 – 12 September 1656) was an English nobleman, aristocrat and royalist, who was created the first Earl of Chesterfield by King Charles I in 1628. Biography Stanhope was the only son of Sir John Sta ...

, by whom she had progeny two daughters and a son: **

Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield PC FRS (1634 – 28 January 1714) was a peer in the peerage of England.G. E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. The Comp ...

, who in 1656 inherited the Earldom of Chesterfield from his grandfather. **Mary Stanhope **Catherine Stanhope *Secondly in early 1641, after being courted by several suitors, she married the Dutchman Jehan van der Kerckhove, Lord of Heenvliet (d.1660), one of the diplomats involved in negotiating the marriage between

William II, Prince of Orange William II (27 May 1626 – 6 November 1650) was sovereign Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel and Groningen in the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 14 March 1647 until his death three year ...

and Mary, the Princess Royal, daughter of King Charles I, future parents of King William III of England. *Thirdly in 1662 to Daniel O'Neill (d.1664),

, a Royalist during the civil war.

Death

She died of an

edema Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's Tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels t ...

in 1667, and was buried on her father's estate.

Notes

References

* * * * * ;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chesterfield, Katherine Stanhope, Countess of Daughters of barons Wives of knights United Kingdom Postmasters General 1609 births 1667 deaths English countesses Life peeresses created by Charles II Stanhope Deaths from edema People from Boughton Malherbe

Katherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and Catherina, other variations are feminine Given name, names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria ...

17th-century English nobility Women government ministers in the United Kingdom Governesses to the British Royal Household Ladies of the Bedchamber Court of Charles II of England Household of Catherine of Braganza