Lady Caroline Lamb was born Caroline Ponsonby on November 13, 1785, in London. She was the daughter of Frederick Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon, and his wife, Henrietta Elizabeth, whose sister was Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. When Lord Duncannon inherited his father’s title and became Earl Bessborough, Caroline received the honorific title of “Lady,” which she kept until she died. She was a member of the very highest of the immensely privileged aristocratic class. She knew the Prince of Wales. She was presented to the queens of France and Italy, and as a child told Edward Gibbon (the author of
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) that his face was so ugly it had frightened her puppy. Thus began the reputation for outrageous behaviour which followed Caroline the rest of her…
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Citation: Douglass, Malcolm Paul. "Lady Caroline Lamb". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 October 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2597, accessed 23 November 2024.]
