Emma, Lady Hamilton was the wife of the British ambassador to Naples. In this role she met Admiral Horatio Nelson, and oversaw the evacuation of the British out of Naples following a revolution there. Whilst in Naples, she became a central figure on the social scene and a good friend to Queen Maria Carolina.
It was on Sicily that she began her affair with the legendary English war hero Admiral Horatio Nelson, a relationship that continued when they were back in London. For many years she entertained Princes and the leaders of British society, however she eventually burnt through all of her money and was reduced to poverty again.
Sources/Further Reading
Williams, Kate: Englands Mistress, the Infamous Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton
Hardwicke, Mollie: Emma, Lady Hamilton
The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton Volume 1 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15469/pg15469-images.html
The letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton Volume II https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15437/pg15437-images.html
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma,_Lady_Hamilton
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hamilton_(diplomat)
Art UK: From poverty to painter's muse: the remarkable life of Emma Hamilton Posted 17 Oct 2024, by Kate Williams
Portraits of Emma in National Portrait Gallery London https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp01999/emma-nee-lyon-lady-hamilton
Cavendish, Richard: Emma, Lady Hamilton Dies in Calais https://www.historytoday.com/archive/emma-lady-hamilton-dies-calais
Johnson, Ben: Emma Lady Hamiltonhttps://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Emma-Lady-Hamilton/
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