Emilia Butler, Countess of Ossory

Emilia van Nassau-Beverweerd, Countess of Ossory (bapt. 4 March 1635, The Hague - buried 12 December 1688, London) was a Dutch-Anglo courtier.

Emilia was born in Holland, the daughter of Lodewijk van Nassau, Lord of Beverweerd, the Governor of 's-Hertogenbosch, and his wife Isabella, Countess of Hornes.

Her elder sister Elisabeth van Nassau-Beverweerd (1631 - 1717) became the wife of the prominent Stuart politician, Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington.
Her brother was the famous Dutch Field Marshal Hendrik Van Nassau-Ouwerkerk.

Emilia was married (14 Nov 1659) to Thomas Butler, viscount Thurles (1633 - 1680), the eldest son and heir of the Irish peer James Butler, first Duke of Ormonde (1612 - 1688), and accompanied him to England, where she was naturalized by Act of Parliament(1660). Lord Thurles became earl of Ossory several years later when his father achieved the dukedom (1662).

The countess was presented to Catharine of Braganza, the wife of Charles II, upon her arrival in London, and was appointed lady-in-waiting to the queen at Hampton Court Palace. She attended the queen at Greenwich Palace when she met her mother-in-law, Queen Henrietta Maria, for the first time (Aug, 1662). During the outbreak of the plague (1665) the countess accompanied the queen and her household to the safety of Hampton Court, and later to Oxford. She accompanied the king and queen to Dover to farewell the Duchesse d'Orleans on her final visit (June, 1670). During the plots directed against the Queen and other prominent Catholic figures, the countess and other of the queen's ladies came under the suspicion if being secret papists (1678).

Lady Ossory served Queen Catharine for over twenty years, retiring from service after the death of Charles II (1685). A famous beauty, her portrait was painted by Wissing. She was buried in Westminster Abbey in London (Dec 12, 1688).

Her children included
*James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde (1665 - 1745) who succeeded his grandfather,
*Charles Butler, third Duke of Ormonde (1671 - 1758), who succeeded his brother,
*Lady Elizabeth Butler (1660 - 1717), who married William Richard George Stanley, 9th Earl of Derby. Their daughter Lady Anne Butler (1663 - 1723) became the third wife of John Vaughan, 3rd Earl of Carbery (1640 - 1713).

References

* G.E. Cockayne, The Complete Peerage (1910 - 1959)(Ormonde). A. Strickland, Lives of the Queens of England, London (1888)(under Catharine of Braganza)