Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham

Elizabeth Conyngham (née Denison), Marchioness Conyngham (31 July 1769 – 11 October 1861), was an English courtier and noblewoman. She was the last mistress of George IV of the United Kingdom.

She was born in 1769. Her father was Joseph Denison, owner of the Denbies estate in Surrey, who had made a fortune in banking. Her mother was Elizabeth Butler. On 5 July 1794, Elizabeth married Henry Conyngham, Viscount Conyngham, an Irish peer. Despite her beauty, she was considered vulgar, shrewd, greedy, and unsuited to aristocratic society, on account of her common background; however, she attracted lovers and admirers, including the Tsarevitch of Russia, the future Nicholas I.

The Conynghams were not well-connected, and according to the Duke of Wellington, Elizabeth decided as early as 1806 to become a mistress of the Prince of Wales, the future King George IV. She probably became his lover in 1819, when the Prince was Prince Regent, but finally supplanted her predecessor, Isabella Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford after he became king in 1820. He became besotted with her, constantly "kissing her hand with a look of most devoted submission", and while his wife, Caroline of Brunswick, was on her divorce "trial", the king could not be seen with Lady Conyngham, and was consequently "bored and lonely". During the Coronation, George was constantly seen "nodding and winking" at her.

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