Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne
Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne was one of the most influential of the political hostesses of the extended Regency period, and the wife of Whig politician Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne. She was the mother of William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and several other influential children. Lady Melbourne was known for her political influence and her friendships and romantic relationships with other members of the English aristocracy, including Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford, and George, Prince of Wales. Because of her numerous love affairs, the paternity of several of her children is a matter of dispute.
Portrait by George Romney
Lady Melbourne with the Duchess of Devonshire and Anne Damer in Witches Round the Cauldron by Daniel Gardner (1775)
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne was a Whig politician who served as the Home Secretary and twice as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Some sources indicate that his full name was Henry William Lamb.
Portrait by John Partridge c. 1840
Portrait by John Hoppner, 1796
Lord Melbourne by Thomas Lawrence, c. 1820s
Cartoon about the affair by John Doyle. Credit: Wellcome Collection