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Lady Elizabeth FitzGerald, Countess of Lincoln (1527 – March 1590), also known as The Fair Geraldine, was an Irish noblewoman and a member of the celebrated FitzGerald dynasty. She became the second wife of Sir Anthony Browne and later the third wife of English admiral Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln. She was the inspiration for ''The Geraldine'', a sonnet written by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Queen Elizabeth I of England, whom Lady Elizabeth served as a lady-in-waiting, was her close friend. == Family and early years == Lady Elizabeth was born in Maynooth, County Kildare, Leinster, Ireland, a daughter of Gerald "Gearóid Óg" FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare, Lord Deputy of Ireland, and his second wife, Lady Elizabeth Grey. Her half-brother was Thomas "Silken Thomas" FitzGerald. Her paternal grandparents were Gerald Garret Mor FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare and Alison FitzEustace, and her maternal grandparents were Thomas Grey, 1st Marquis of Dorset and Cecily Bonville.〔Tudorplace.com.Kildare〕 Her maternal great-grandmother was Queen Elizabeth Woodville. Lady Elizabeth was brought up at the Court of King Henry VIII as a companion to the infant Princess Elizabeth. She first arrived with her mother and one of her sisters in October 1533. In 1534, her father, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London on corruption charges, died on 12 December. In 1537, at the age of ten, she became immortalised by the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey as "The Fair Geraldine" in his sonnet ''The Geraldine''.〔Biographical Dictionary of English Literature〕 The poet was said to have been captivated by her childish beauty, and composed it while he was briefly imprisoned for striking a courtier. There is no truth to the rumour that they were lovers as she was only ten years old at the time. Surrey's biographer, Jessie Childs suggests that Surrey's purpose in writing the sonnet was to improve her opportunities of making a good marriage by praising not only her noble ancestry, but also her beauty and virtues.〔Kathy Lynn Emerson, ''A Who's Who of Tudor Women'', retrieved 20 April 2010〕 Her younger brothers were raised alongside Prince Edward, who later became King Edward VI. She was sent to the household of Princess Mary at Hunsdon following the execution of her half-brother "Silken Thomas" and her five uncles for treason. Her eldest brother Gerald, the 11th Earl of Kildare, had gone on the run in Ireland. In Donegal, Gerald, along with other powerful Irish clans, who were related to the FitzGeralds by marriage, formed the Geraldine League. When that federation was defeated in Monaghan, he sought refuge on the Continent. He returned to England in the reign of Edward VI, where he was welcomed at Court and his confiscated lands returned to him. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Elizabeth Clinton, Countess of Lincoln」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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