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Lady Elizabeth Howard was the daughter and co-heir of James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk and 3rd Baron Howard de Walden (1619–1688/1689) by his second wife, Lady Barbara Wentworth. Both her father and mother played prominent roles at court and Lady Elizabeth was expected to follow a similar path. In July 1675, 19-year-old Elizabeth eloped with Thomas Felton, the King's Groom of the Bedchamber. This unconventional marriage didn't detrimentally affect either Lady Elizabeth or her husband; while he rose to become Comptroller of the Queen’s Household, Lady Elizabeth became Groom of the Stool to Queen Catherine of Braganza. Lady Elizabeth was known to have had a series of affairs with several leading Restoration courtiers, including the poet Earl of Rochester, who referred to her in a number of his poems.
The prime version of this portrait by Sir Peter Lely, dated c.1676, is in the National Trust collection at Ickworth House in Suffolk. Elizabeth is shown wearing fashionable ‘undress’ – a loosely fastened gown called a ‘nightgown’, worn over a voluminous white chemise, often finished with silk or satin draperies, as in this portrait. Lely painted countless women in ‘undress’ and the style has become synonymous with the Restoration court, although this clothing would not actually have been worn on the street or at court.
Title
Lady Elizabeth Howard (1656–1681), later Lady Felton
Date
c.1675–c.1680
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 127.4 x W 102.9 cm
Accession number
88019191
Acquisition method
gift from Mrs Greville Howard, 1974
Work type
Painting
