Elizabeth, Duchess of Bedford (23 September 1818 – 22 April 1897) was born as Elizabeth Sackville-West, daughter of the 5th Earl De La Warr and the Countess De La Warr

Elizabeth Sackville-West, Countess De La Warr

Elizabeth Sackville-West, Countess De La Warr and 1st Baroness Buckhurst was a British peeress.-Biography:...

.

She was a bridesmaid

Bridesmaid

The bridesmaids are members of the bride's wedding party in a wedding. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman, and often a close friend or sister. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony...

 at the marriage of Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on 10 February 1840. On 18 June 1844 she was married to Francis Russell, a grandson of the late 6th Duke of Bedford

John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford

John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, LLD, FSA , known as Lord John Russell until 1802, was a British Whig politician and notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Ministry of All the Talents...

 and nephew of Lord John Russell

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....

, the Whig

British Whig Party

The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...

 politician and future Prime Minister

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

. Francis Russell succeeded his cousin

William Russell, 8th Duke of Bedford

William Russell, 8th Duke of Bedford was a British Whig politician. He was the son of Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford and his wife Anna Maria Stanhope....

 as 9th Duke of Bedford

Duke of Bedford

thumb|right|240px|William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordDuke of Bedford is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time...

 in 1872.

Elizabeth was appointed Mistress of the Robes to the Queen by Mr Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...

 in 1880, and served in that capacity until 1883. In 1886, Gladstone's policy of Home Rule

Home rule

Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....

 had alienated many of the aristocrats in the Liberal Party

Liberal Party (UK)

The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

, and no lady of suitable (i.e., ducal

Duke

A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...

) rank could be found who was willing to serve as Mistress of the Robes. The Duchess of Bedford performed the duties of the office for the duration of the ministry, but was not appointed to the post by Gladstone.