Maria (Walpole), Countess Waldegrave and Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1736-1807), was an illegitimate daughter of Sir Edward Walpole and Dorothy Clement, and a granddaughter of Sir Robert Walpole. In 1759, she married James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, with whom she had three children. He died in 1763; and in 1766 she married Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester. The Duke was the third son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and a brother of King George III. The marriage was conducted in secret, and helped lead to the passing of the Royal Marriages Act in 1772, which required all the descendants of George II to ask the king's approval before marriage.
From the description of Epitaph book, [ca. 1798]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702188064
