Maria Fitzherbert

Maria Anne Fitzherbert (née Smythe, previously Weld; 26 July 1756 – 27 March 1837) was a longtime companion of George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV of the United Kingdom). In 1785, they secretly contracted a marriage that was invalid under English civil law because his father, King George III, had not consented to it. Fitzherbert was a Catholic and the law at the time forbade Catholics or spouses of Catholics to become monarch, so had the marriage been approved and valid, the Prince of Wales would have lost his place in the line of succession. Before marrying George, Fitzherbert had been twice widowed. Her nephew from her first marriage, Cardinal Weld, persuaded Pope Pius VII to declare the marriage sacramentally valid.

Appearance: Fitzherbert was described as having an aquiline nose and loose teeth. She had hazel eyes, silky blonde hair, and a flawless complexion.

Maria Anne Fitzherbert was a longtime companion of George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV). In 1785, they secretly married but the marriage was invalid under English law. She had been widowed twice before and her nephew persuaded Pope Pius VII to declare their marriage sacramentally valid. The couple's relationship lasted for many years until it ended in 1794 when the prince married his cousin Duchess Caroline of Brunswick. Despite this, he left all his "worldly property" to Maria Fitzherbert in his will written in 1796. After the king's death in 1830, it was discovered that he had kept all of Fitzherbert's letters and steps were taken to destroy them.