Jean Ker, Countess of Roxburghe

Jean Kerr, Countess of Roxburghe (c.1585–1643) was a Scottish courtier.

Born Jean Drummond, she was the daughter of Patrick Drummond, 3rd Lord Drummond and his first wife, Elizabeth. In 1603, she accompanied Queen Anne to Stirling Castle to take custody of the latter's son, the Duke of Rothesay on the accession of his father, James VI, to the throne of England and then to London shortly after were she served as Mistress of the Robes.

In 1607/08, a marriage between her and Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll was arranged but amounted to nothing. On 3 February 1614, she became the second wife of Robert Ker, 1st Lord Roxburghe (later created Earl of Roxburghe) and the wedding was celebrated at Somerset House and attended by the king and queen.

In 1617, the queen forced the countess to retire after it was discovered that her husband sought to be appointed Lord Chamberlain to Prince Charles (later Charles I), without either of them informing the queen. Her dismissal particularly alarmed the ambassadors of Spain and Venice, who had relied on the Catholic countess as a confidante to the queen.

In 1630, the by-now Charles I had wished to appoint the countess as governess to his son, the Prince of Wales (later Charles II) but this was objected to on the grounds of her religion and the Countess of Dorset was appointed instead. A year later however, Lady Roxburghe was appointed governess to Princess Mary and later to Prince Henry and Princess Elizabeth in 1641. In 1642, the countess accompanied Princess Mary to The Hague after the latter's marriage to Prince William of Orange but was soon replaced by Lady Stanhope. On her return to England, she resumed her governess-ship to Henry and Elizabeth and died the following year.

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* [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/70617 Payne, Helen - "Ker/Kerr; née Drummond, Jane/Jean, countess of Roxburghe (b. in or before 1585, d. 1643), courtier"] - "ODNB"