Frances Villiers, Countess Of Jersey

Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey (née Twysden), was born on 25 February 1753 in London. She was the second surviving daughter of The Reverend Dr. Philip Twysden (circa 1714–1752), who served as the Bishop of Raphoe in the Church of Ireland, and his second wife, Frances Carter. Her paternal grandfather was Sir William Twysden, 5th Baronet, of Roydon Hall, East Peckham, Kent. Her father's death was surrounded by controversy, as it was alleged he was shot while attempting to rob a stagecoach near London in November 1752, shortly before her birth.

In March 1770, at the age of nearly 17, Frances Twysden married George Villiers, who was the 4th Earl of Jersey (1735–1805). He had succeeded his father in August 1769 and was appointed a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King George III in 1770. Her husband also held the position of Master of Horse to the Prince of Wales from 1795.

Frances and George Villiers had several children together, including:

- Lady Charlotte Anne Villiers (1771–1808), who married Lord William Russell in 1789.

- Lady Anne Barbara Frances Villiers (1772–1832), who married William Henry Lambton and was the mother of John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham; she later married Hon. Charles Wyndham.

- George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey (1773–1859), married Lady Sarah Sophia Fane, daughter of the 10th Earl of Westmorland.

- Lady Caroline Elizabeth Villiers (1774–1835), who married first Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, and secondly George Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll. Their descendants include Diana, Princess of Wales, and her children.

- Lady Sarah Villiers (born 1779), who married Charles Nathaniel Bayley in 1799.

- Hon. William Augustus Henry Villiers (1780–1813), who died unmarried in America.

- Lady Frances Elizabeth Villiers (1786–1866), married John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby, in 1803.

- Lady Harriet Villiers (1788–1870), married Richard Bagot, Bishop of Oxford, in 1806.

In her social life, Frances Villiers became involved in the court of King George IV when he was Prince of Wales. Beginning her affair with the future king in 1793, she was a prominent figure within aristocratic society. She was also a lady of the Bedchamber to Caroline of Brunswick, the wife of the Prince of Wales. Despite her royal connections and influence, her relationships with members of the aristocracy and the royal family were complex, and her role as a mistress of the Prince contributed to her notoriety. Her influence declined after 1807 when the Prince of Wales curtailed her involvement in court affairs, especially with his infatuation with Isabella Ingram-Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford.

Her residence, described as a hub of society, was noted for gambling activities, which affected her family's reputation. Following her husband's death in 1805—after a narrowly avoided imprisonment in 1802—she faced financial difficulties, although her son increased her annuity and settled her debts.

Frances Villiers died on 23 July 1821 in Cheltenham and was interred in the Villiers family vault at Middleton Stoney.