Frederica Susanna Mildmay, Countess FitzWalter, 3rd Countess of Mértola (''née'' Schomberg, previously Frederica Darcy, Countess of Holderness; 1687 – 7 August 1751) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

peeress.

Life

Frederica was the eldest surviving daughter, and co-heir, of Meinhardt Schomberg, 3rd Duke of Schomberg, and his second wife, Raugravine Caroline Elisabeth, a daughter of

Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine Charles I Louis (; 22 December 1617 – 28 August 1680) was Elector Palatine from 1648 until his death. He was the second son of Frederick V of the Palatinate, the "Winter King" of Bohemia, and the British princess Elizabeth Stuart. Aft ...

. On 26 May 1715, she married Robert Darcy, 3rd Earl of Holderness, and they had two surviving children: * Hon. Robert Darcy (1718–1778); later 4th Earl of Holderness. * Lady Caroline Darcy (d. 1778); who married William Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian. On the death of the countess' father in 1719, she inherited his Portuguese countship of Mértola as his eldest surviving child. Her husband died in 1721 and on 18 June 1724, she married Hon. Benjamin Mildmay, who was later created Earl FitzWalter in 1730. They had one child, who died in infancy. Via

cognatic primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit all or most of their parent's estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relat ...

, she was the most senior descendant of

James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 unti ...

to be

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, but she was passed over for

Sophia of Hanover Sophia (born Princess Sophia of the Palatinate; – ) was Electress of Hanover from 19 December 1692 until 23 January 1698 as the consort of Prince-Elector Ernest Augustus. She was later the heiress presumptive to the thrones of England and ...

, due to her descent from her grandfather Charles I Louis's

morganatic marriage Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spou ...

to Marie Luise von Degenfeld. Her cognatic heir is Anthea Theresa Lycett (born Marcia Anne Miller), Countess of Mértola, eldest daughter of Diana, Baroness Conyers and Fauconberg and Countess of Mértola. The countess was survived by her elderly second husband; on her death, at the age of 63, she was buried in the Mildmay family vault at St Mary's Church, Chelmsford, where he was also later buried.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mildmay, Frederica, Countess of Mertola FitzWalter, Frederica Mildmay, Countess FitzWalter, Frederica Mildmay, Countess

Holderness Holderness is an area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, on the north-east coast of England. An area of rich agricultural land, Holderness was marshland until it was drained in the Middle Ages. Topographically, Holderness has more in common wit ...

Fitzwalter Counts of Mértola Daughters of English dukes Year of birth uncertain British people of German descent British Protestants