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Mary Anne Disraeli

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Celebrity's Relative

The Resume

    (November 11, 1792-December 15, 1872)
    Born in Tongwynlais, Cardiff, United Kingdom
    Birth name was Marianne Evans
    Married Wyndham Lewis, Member of Parliament (MP), the marriage lasting from 1816 to 1838
    Married Wyndham's associate, Benjamin Disraeli, in 1839, remaining so for forty-one years until her death in 1872
    Accepted the title of Viscountess of Beaconsfield in the County of Buckingham, in her husband's place after he declined the title offered by Queen Victoria
    Frequently referred to her husband by her pet nickname for him; 'Dizzy'
    Interred with her husband in a vault in the Church of St Michael and All Angels Church in Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, close to the Disraeli family home, Hughenden Manor

Why she might be annoying:

    She shared a maiden name with a woman writer with a male pseudonym.
    She talked incessantly and proposed to hate politics.
    She was a shameless flirt who maintained several gentleman callers during her first marriage.
    Many dispute the story that she was first spotted by Wyndham Lewis walking as a factory girl in Bristol walking barefoot to work.
    Her second husband described her as 'more like a mistress than a wife' (which she took as a compliment and repeated often).
    She married Benjamin Disraeli less than a year after her husband's death, despite being 12 years his senior.
    She became engaged to Benjamin Disraeli after a heated argument, during which time he proposed to her in an angry, bizarre, letter.
    Queen Victoria referred to her as 'very vulgar - not so much in appearance, as in her way of speaking.'
    She was known for making irreverent, inappropriate remarks during unwelcome situations.
    For example, in the presence of Queen Victoria a noble commented on the paleness of a lady. Mary Anne reportedly said 'I wish you could see my Dizzy in his bath!'

Why she might not be annoying:

    Her father died when she was two years old.
    When asked what word most aptly described his feelings toward his wife, Disraeli answered, 'gratitude.'
    Her ditzy mannerisms actually masked a shrewd interest in policy and knowledge of world affairs.
    The unlikely success of their marriage defied virtually every convention of Victorian society.
    She frequently assisted her husband with his writings (he dedicated his 1845 'Sybil' novel to her).
    She and her various eccentricities eventually grew on the Queen, who described her as 'wonderful.'
    She aged well; to the point where many had difficulty pinpointing her accurate age.
    It was frequently joked that Benjamin had married her for her estate, but in reality she had no great fortune.
    Disraeli even admitted in his 'letter' that his motives had initially been financial, but on further investigation he found she was not as rich as he had hoped. Despite this, he still wanted to marry her over the many other women who had more money than she did.
    It is believed that Disraeli was drawn towards the maternal qualities she exhibited (his own mother was described as cold and unfeeling).
    Her devotion to her husband was legendary. Once, while accompanying him to a major speech she slammed her hand on the carriage door, but concealed her pain until the speech was over, to keep from worrying him.
    The usually cool and reserved Minister Disraeli wept openly when William Gladstone rose in Parliament to praise Mary Anne during her final illness.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 32 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 36 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 58 Votes: 53.45% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 94 Votes: 53.19% Annoying