Lady Flora Hastings
| Lady Flora Hastings | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 11 February 1806 |
| Died | 5 July 1839 (aged 33) London, England |
| Cause of death | Liver tumor |
| Resting place | Loudoun Kirk, near Loudoun Castle, Scotland |
| Parent(s) |
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings Flora Mure-Campbell, 6th Countess of Loudoun |
Lady Flora Elizabeth Rawdon-Hastings (11 February 1806 – 5 July 1839) was a British aristocrat and lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent. Her death in 1839 was the subject of a court scandal that gave the Queen a negative image.
Lady Flora was one of the daughters of Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings (1754–1826) and his wife Flora Mure-Campbell (1780–1840). Her siblings were George, Sophia, Selina, and Adelaide.
The unmarried Lady Flora was alleged to have had an affair with John Conroy, the "favourite" and also suspected lover of the Duchess of Kent.
The Duchess's daughter, Alexandrina Victoria (later Queen Victoria), detested Conroy, while Flora disliked the queen's adored friend and mentor, Lady Lehzen, as well as the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne.
As the Duchess of Kent's lady-in-waiting, Hastings was party to Conroy's infamous Kensington System by which he colluded with the Duchess to keep Victoria isolated from her Hanoverian uncles. For these reasons, the young Victoria hated and suspected Hastings, and was open to any accusation that could be laid at the feet of Conroy or his aides. Once she ascended the throne in June 1837, Victoria made every attempt to keep her mother's household, including Hastings and Conroy, away from her in distant parts of Buckingham Palace. Her mother unsuccessfully insisted that Conroy and his family be allowed at court; Victoria disagreed, saying: "I thought you would not expect me to invite Sir John Conroy after his conduct towards me for some years past."
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