Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland (''née'' Digby; c. 164626 April 1715) was the wife of

Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, (5 September 164128 September 1702) was an English nobleman and politician of the Spencer family. An able and gifted statesman, his caustic temper and belief in absolute monarchy nevertheless made him n ...

and the daughter of George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol and Lady Anne Russell. Anne married Sunderland on 10 June 1665. The groom had previously broken off their long-standing engagement; according to

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...

he told his friends ''that he had reason enough'' and was ''resolved never to have her''. He soon had second thoughts and their mothers worked together to produce a reconciliation which resulted in an entirely successful marriage. She was a lady-in-waiting to

Mary of Modena Mary of Modena (; ) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James VII and II. A devout Catholic, Roman Catholic, Mary married the widower James, who was t ...

during the reign of James II, and was present at the birth of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

, signalling to the king that his new child was a boy. She became a close friend of Sarah Churchill, later Duchess of Marlborough, and was disliked by Queen Anne, who was jealous of their friendship. Some have alleged that she had an affair with

Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney (March 1641 – 8 April 1704) was an English Army officer, Whigs (British political party), Whig politician and peer who served as Master-General of the Ordnance from 1693 to 1702. He is best known as one of the ...

, her husband's uncle, but this is considered unlikely owing to her husband's obvious approval of their friendship.

John Evelyn John Evelyn (31 October 162027 February 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diary, diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society. John Evelyn's Diary, ...

indeed spoke well of her, and she seems to have been a woman of good character. Her devotion to her husband was never seriously questioned; his biographer considered that it was principally his happy marriage which sustained Sunderland through a long and unhappy life. She had at least five children by Sunderland, only one of whom outlived her: *Lord Robert Spencer (1666–1688) *Lady Anne Spencer (1667–1690), married

James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton Lieutenant-General James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton and 1st Duke of Brandon (11 April 1658 – 15 November 1712), was a Scottish nobleman, soldier and politician. Hamilton was a major investor in the failed Darien scheme, which cost many of ...

in 1687 *Lady Isabella (1668–1684) *Lady Elizabeth Spencer (1671–1704), married Donough MacCarty, 4th Earl of Clancarty in 1684 *

Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, KG, PC (23 April 167519 April 1722), known as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was a British statesman from the Spencer family. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1714–1717), Lord Privy Seal ( ...

(1674–1722), who married Arabella, daughter of

Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, KG, PC (24 June 1630 – 26 July 1691), styled Lord Henry Cavendish until 1659 and Viscount Mansfield from 1659 to 1676, was an English politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1660 unt ...

in 1695, then Anne Churchill, second daughter of

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough General (United Kingdom), General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was a Briti ...

and Sarah Churchill in 1700. From her own letters, it seems that she had two other children, who died young. Like her husband, Lady Sunderland was a supporter of the Whig cause. The 1704 foundation stone of

Sir John Vanbrugh Sir John Vanbrugh (; 24 January 1664 (baptised) – 26 March 1726) was an English architect, dramatist and herald, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restorat ...

's new theatre in Haymarket (later the Queen's Theatre and now replaced by

Her Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated in the Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The building, designed by Charles J. Phipps, was constructed in 1897 for the actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who ...

) was dedicated to her as "the little Whig".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunderland, Anne Spencer, Countess of 1640s births Date of birth unknown 1715 deaths English countesses English ladies-in-waiting Daughters of British earls Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland 17th-century English women 17th-century English people Court of James II of England Wives of knights