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Mary Anne Clarke (née Thompson)

(1776-1852), Mistress of the Duke of York

Regency Portraits Catalogue Entry

Sitter in 8 portraits
From 1803 to 1806, Mary Anne Clarke was mistress of Frederick, Duke of York. Their affair turned into a political scandal when the Duke was charged with corruption for promoting officers from whom Clarke had taken bribes. Renounced by the Duke, Clarke proved to be an adept political operator, writing her own revealing memoirs and extracting huge pensions from the government to keep them suppressed.

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Mary Anne Clarke (née Thompson), by Lawrence Gahagan - NPG 4436

Mary Anne Clarke (née Thompson)

by Lawrence Gahagan
marble bust, 1811
On display in Room 15 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 4436

Mary Anne Clarke (née Thompson), by Charles Williams, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D43325

Mary Anne Clarke (née Thompson)

by Charles Williams, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 25 February 1809
NPG D43325

'Pandora opening her box', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12917

'Pandora opening her box'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 22 February 1809
NPG D12917

'Overthrow of the Republican-Babel', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12921

'Overthrow of the Republican-Babel'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 May 1809
NPG D12921

Mary Anne Clarke (née Thompson), by William Hopwood, published by  Thomas Gillett, after  Thomas Rowlandson - NPG D20228

Mary Anne Clarke (née Thompson)

by William Hopwood, published by Thomas Gillett, after Thomas Rowlandson
stipple engraving, published 4 July 1809
NPG D20228

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Christopher Markwick

08 February 2019, 20:03

Great-great-grandmother of Daphne du Maurier and subject of her novel, Mary Anne.