Catherine, Duchess of Queensbury, nee Hyde, wife of Charles Douglas, third Duke of Queensbury and second Duke of Dover was a very celebrated lady for most of her 77 years. She entertained extensively, but not necessarily lavishly, in their out-of-town home of Douglas House here in Ham. Supposedly she was very influential over the prime minister Pitt, a friend of the literati Congreve, Thompson, Pope, Prior and Whitehead and, perhaps especially of John Gay. Prior wrote 'The Female Phaeton' of her first public appearance as a young girl. That ended:

Kitty at hearts desire
Obtained the chariot for a day,
And set the world on fire.

To which Horace Walpole very charmingly added when she was 72: :

To many a Kitty, Love his car
Would for a day engage;
But Prior's Kitty, ever young,
Obtained it for an age.

The Duke and Duchess were particularly supportive of John Gay's efforts to put his opera 'Polly' on stage (intended to build on the popularity of 'The Beggar's Opera'). The Duke argued with George II over this and used the argument as an excuse for leaving the king's party and aligning himself with Frederick, the Prince of Wales.

O/S Co-ords:1786.7315
Source(s):

Rural Walks around Richmond