Blanche Cavendish, Countess of Burlington (née Howard; 11 January 1812 – 27 April 1840), was the wife of William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Burlington, who would later become the 7th Duke of Devonshire.
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Early life and family
Born on 11 January 1812, she was the eighth child of George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle, and his wife Georgiana, sister of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. The latter, known as the "Bachelor Duke", favoured Blanche and it has been suggested that his decision not to marry and have children of his own may have been coloured by his affection for her and her husband.
In February 1816, Blanche's maternal aunt Harriet described the young girl in a letter to her sister, writing that Blanche is "too great a darling; she is shy in general, and I suppose it is from some likeness in voice and manner that she forgets with me that I am not you, calls me Mama, and is full of jokes and animation. How pretty she is!"
Marriage and issue
Blanche's unmarried maternal uncle, the Duke of Devonshire, favoured a marriage between his heir, William Cavendish, and his niece. The Duke felt Blanche had humility and lacked self-consciousness, while William was intelligent but overly serious. Before the couple were even introduced, the Duke made preparations; he held a ball for Blanche, then seventeen years old and, weeks later, William proposed to her and was quickly accepted.