Mary Anne Clarke

Mary Anne Clarke was the mistress of Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. Their relationship began in 1803, while he was CommanderinChief of the army. Later in 1809, she wrote her memoirs which were published. She was the subject of a portrait by Adam Buck, and a caricature by Isaac Cruikshank ten days after the latters publication, the Duke resigned from his post as Commander of the British Army. In 1811, she commissioned Irish sculptor Lawrence Gahagan to sculpt a marble bust of her this is now housed in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Mary Anne Thompson was born onApril 1776 in London, the daughter of a humble tradesman. Attractive and intelligent, she was married before the age of 18, to a man named Clarke, who worked as a stonemason. However, shortly after the marriage, her husband went bankrupt, and Mary Anne Clarke left him because of this. By 1803, after several liaisons with prominent men, Clarke had been established long enough in the world of courtesans to receive the attention of Frederick, Duke of York, then the Commander in Chief of the army.

Source: Wikipedia