8. Mary Anne Clarke (April 3, 1776-June 21,1852)
Mary Anne Clarke knew that she was destined for greatness. Born the daughter of a modest tradesman, she married young to a stonemason who went bankrupt soon after their marriage. Mary Anne left her husband and became a courtesan to help support her family. By 1803, she became well-established enough to attract the attention of Frederick, Duke of York, eventually becoming his mistress.
Frederick was quite the catch: he was the second son of King George III and the commander-in-chief of the British Army. While he lavished attention and material goods on her, he eventually ended the affair in 1806. Clarke proved the adage, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” She was so devastated that she decided to get even. She claimed that while she was Frederick’s mistress, men would approach and bribe her for military appointments, and she kept the money. What was worse, Frederick knew about it! The accusation led to an investigation in the House of Commons in 1809. At the time, England was at war with France, so the inquiry resulted in a national scandal, and Frederick had to resign his post.
Frederick eventually regained his post, and he paid Mary Anne off so that she wouldn’t publish any of the letters he wrote to her during their relationship. The resulting scandal ruined Mary Anne’s reputation, and she had to leave London. She was prosecuted for libel in 1813 and spent nine months in prison. When she was released from prison, she left England for France, where she spent the rest of her life.
The scandal involving Frederick, Duke of York made Mary Anne infamous. She wrote memoirs about her life as a courtesan, but it did nothing to help her financial situation. When she died in France in 1852, she was broke and alone. Still, Mary Anne’s fame continued into the 20th century. Her great-great-granddaughter, the famous British novelist Daphne DuMaurier, wrote a novel about her, Mary Anne, in addition to her best-seller, Rebecca.