Diana Cecil, Countess of Oxford (1596–1654) was an English aristocrat. She was a daughter of

William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter (1566 – 6 July 1640), known as the third Lord Burghley from 1605 to 1623, was an English nobleman, politician, and peer. Life Exeter was the son of Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, and Dorothy Neville, d ...

and his second wife Elizabeth Drury, a daughter of

Sir William Drury Sir William Drury (2 October 152713 October 1579) was an English statesman and soldier. Family William Drury, born at Hawstead in Suffolk on 2 October 1527, was the third son of Sir Robert Drury (c. 1503–1577) of Hedgerley, Buckinghamshire, ...

and

Elizabeth Stafford Elizabeth Stafford, also known as Dame Elizabeth Drury and – in the years prior to her death in 1599 – Dame (Lady) Elizabeth Scott, was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I. She and her first husband, Sir William Drury, entertained Q ...

. Her portrait was painted by William Larkin, by the artist known as the "Comet Master" or

Paul van Somer Paul van Somer ( 1577 – 1621), also known as Paulus van Somer, was a Flemish artist who arrived in England from Antwerp during the reign of King James I of England and became one of the leading painters of the royal court. He painted a numbe ...

, by Cornelius Johnson, and by

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (; ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy. The seventh child of ...

. In 1624 she married

Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford Order of the Bath, KB (24 February 1593 – June 1625) was an English aristocrat, courtier and soldier. Life He was born on 24 February 1593 at Stoke Newington, Middlesex, the only son of Edward de Vere, 17th ...

. He died at the siege of

Breda Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...

in 1625. In 1629 she married

Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, 3rd Lord Bruce of Kinloss (2 December 1599 – 21 December 1663), of Houghton House in the parish of Maulden in Bedfordshire, was a Scottish nobleman. Early life Born in Edinburgh in 1599, Thomas Bruce was the ...

. She died on 26 February 1654. Thomas Bruce built the

Ailesbury Mausoleum The Ailesbury Mausoleum situated in the churchyard of St Mary's Church, Maulden, in Bedfordshire, is a Listed building#Emgland and Wales, Grade II listed structure built in 1656 by Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin (1599–1663) (father by his ...

in her memory in the churchyard of St. Mary's Church,

Maulden Maulden is a village and civil parish located in the county of Bedfordshire. The village is located 1.5 miles east of Ampthill and about south of Bedford. It has about 1,250 homes and 3130 residents. Maulden is referred to in the Domesday Bo ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...

. The octagonal building was constructed over an existing crypt. Inside the Mausoleum there is a monument to Diana, and marble busts of Thomas Bruce and of his grandson Edward Bruce.St Mary's Maulden, Mausoleum
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References

External links

Portrait of Diana, Countess of Elgin, with a portcullis, Hardwick Hall, National Trust

Devorah Lauter, "Restorer Removes Kylie Jenner-Style Lip Filler From a 17th-Century Portrait" ArtNet News
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cecil, Diana 1654 deaths Daughters of English earls

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

1596 births

Diana Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), ...