Lady Frances Radclyffe facts for kids
Lady Frances Radclyffe (died 1602) was an English noblewoman. She lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Early in the Queen's reign, Frances became one of her Maids of Honour. This meant she helped the Queen at court.
While at court, Frances met Shane O'Neill. He was an important Irish chieftain visiting England. Shane O'Neill wanted to find an "English wife." He asked Lady Frances to marry him, but she said no. Later, she married Sir Thomas Mildmay. They had two sons together.
Her Family and Early Life
Lady Frances Radclyffe was the youngest daughter of Henry Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex. Her mother was Anne Calthorpe. Anne was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine Parr. Frances had a brother named Egremont. She also had a sister, Maud, who died young. From her father's first marriage, she had two older half-brothers. They were Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex and Henry Radclyffe, 4th Earl of Sussex.
Frances's childhood was not easy. Her parents had many problems. Her mother was once sent to the Tower of London. Later, her mother, who was a Protestant, left England. She wanted to avoid religious difficulties during the reign of Queen Mary I. During this time, Frances's father ended his marriage to her mother. He also tried to say that Frances and her brother Egremont were not his legal children. There were even questions about who Frances's real father was.
Meeting Shane O'Neill
When Queen Elizabeth I became queen, Frances went to court. She served as one of the Queen's Maids of Honour. It was here that she met Shane O'Neill. He was the powerful leader of the O'Neill clan in Ireland. O'Neill came to London in January 1562. He wanted to talk with the Queen about his family's land and titles.
Shane O'Neill was a strong and ambitious man. He had fought many rivals to keep his power. He asked Queen Elizabeth to help him find a "proper English wife." He specifically wanted to marry Lady Frances. However, she refused his offer of marriage.
Later, Frances visited her half-brother Thomas in Ireland. Thomas, the Earl of Sussex, was serving as the lord lieutenant there. Shane O'Neill tried again to convince Frances to marry him. But she still refused. O'Neill's attempts to marry Frances made the Earl of Sussex dislike him even more. The Earl even tried to harm O'Neill. Frances soon returned to England. Shane O'Neill later married another woman.
Marriage and Later Life
In July 1566, Frances married Sir Thomas Mildmay. She passed away in 1602. She and Sir Thomas had two sons:
- Sir Thomas Mildmay, 1st Baronet: He died in 1625 or 1626. He never married and had no children.
- Sir Henry Mildmay: He was born around 1585 and died in 1654. He married Elizabeth Darcy and they had children. His grandson later successfully claimed an old family title, the Baron FitzWalter.
