Bess inherited her father's love of antiquities and art. She was beautiful and portraits of her are numerous at both Ickworth and Chatsworth After her death, medals were struck in her honor. Ickworth Manor's Elizabeth Grove, located to the right after entering through Horringer Gate, was named for her.
Her second marriage was to William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her relationship with the Duke caused much gossip as Lady Georgiana Spencer was a heavyset, matronly woman. She encouraged the Duke to move his mistress into their home in an attempt to prevent divorce. Bess and Georgiana soon became close friends. Like her descendant Princess Diana, Georgiana was married to a man who loved his mistress. When Georgiana became pregnant by another man, the Duke divorced her and married Bess.
The Duke and Lady Elizabeth had two children, a daughter and, also in 1790 a son. After the Duke’s death, Bess lived in Piccadilly before moving to Rome in 1816. Here, Bess found a new vocation as a devoted patron of the arts, in particular, archaeology. For eleven years, she funded the excavation of the Forum, enabling the recovery of the Column of Phocas and the stones of the Via Sacra. In Rome, she also found the last love of her life - Cardinal Hercule Consalvi, secretary of state to the Vatican.
Bess inherited her father's love of antiquities and art. She was beautiful and portraits of her are numerous at both Ickworth and Chatsworth After her death, medals were struck in her honor. Ickworth Manor's Elizabeth Grove, located to the right after entering through Horringer Gate, was named for her.
Her second marriage was to William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her relationship with the Duke caused much gossip as Lady Georgiana Spencer was a heavyset, matronly woman. She encouraged the Duke to move his mistress into their home in an attempt to prevent divorce. Bess and Georgiana soon became close friends. Like her descendant Princess Diana, Georgiana was married to a man who loved his mistress. When Georgiana became pregnant by another man, the Duke divorced her and married Bess.
The Duke and Lady Elizabeth had two children, a daughter and, also in 1790 a son. After the Duke’s death, Bess lived in Piccadilly before moving to Rome in 1816. Here, Bess found a new vocation as a devoted patron of the arts, in particular, archaeology. For eleven years, she funded the excavation of the Forum, enabling the recovery of the Column of Phocas and the stones of the Via Sacra. In Rome, she also found the last love of her life - Cardinal Hercule Consalvi, secretary of state to the Vatican.
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