Harriet Duchess of St. Albans: A George IV Silver Warwick Vase, Philip Rundell, London, 1820

The monogram is that of Harriet, Duchess of St Albans, wife of William Aubrey de Vere, 9th Duke of St Albans, widow of Thomas Coutts, the banker. She made her first appearance on the stage at Ulverstone, 16 October 1787, in a farce The Spoiled Child. Her debut in London was as Lydia Languish in Sheridan's Rivals, 1975, and her last appearance as Audrey in As You Like It, 1815. She married Thomas Coutts, 18 January 1815 at St Pancras and as this marriage was, it seems illegal, they were married by license at the same church last on 12 April. On his death, 24 February 1822, Coutts left her his universal legatee. The Morning Post recorded that "some time previous to his death he settled upon Mrs C the sum of £600,000 with the house in Stratton Street, all the plate, linen & c.- the service of plate is said to be the most valuable in any of the country- together with the house in Highgate, and all its appurtances...the whole makes her the richest widow in the United Kingdom". The Duchess was renowned for her extravagance and also for her generosity to the poor and needy, though the popular press continually attacked her. When she married the Duke of St Albans on 16 June 1827, he was 26 and she was 50. On her death she left the bulk of her property to Angela, her stepdaughter, 5th and youngest daughter of Sir Francis Burdett Bart, by Sophia, 3rd daughter of Thomas Coutts by his first wife, and afterwards suo jure Baroness Burdett-Coutts (died in 1906). She left, however, £10,000 per year, the house in Piccadilly, and Holly Lodge to her 2nd husband. Much of her 35,000 ozs. of silver was in the Coutts Heirlooms sale, Christie's, London, 14 May 1914.