Blanche was born on 11 January 1812 as the eighth child of the 6th Earl of Carlisle and his wife Georgiana. Georgiana – known as Little G – was herself the eldest child of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, making Blanche niece to the 6th Duke.
A shy young girl, she was described by her aunt Harriet as 'too great a darling; she is shy in general, and I suppose it is from some likeness in voice and manner that she forgets with me that I am not you, calls me Mama, and is full of jokes and animation. How pretty she is!'
The 6th Duke doted on Blanche, and favoured a marriage between her and his heir, William Cavendish (the future 7th Duke). It has been suggested that in part it was the 6th Duke’s affection for Blanche that led him to maintain his bachelor status, ensuring the Devonshire estate would pass to her husband and to her.
Blanche and William were married in 1829, and despite having been essentially set up by the 6th Duke, proved to have a very happy, affectionate marriage; they shared much in common, in particular their strong commitment to religion. The couple had five children: William (known as Can, who sadly died in infancy), Spencer Compton (future 8th Duke), Louisa, Frederick, Edward.
The couple were known as Lord and Lady Burlington from 1834, when William inherited the title from his grandfather. Blanche served as Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1838 until her death.
Sadly she died young, aged only 29 in 1840. She was heavily mourned by both her husband and by the 6th Duke, who had great hopes of Blanche becoming chatelaine of Chatsworth.
During his remodelling of Chatsworth, the 6th Duke included tributes to Blanche, including a memorial inscription above the fireplace in the Painted Hall, and an ‘Urn to Blanche’ at the top of the Broad Walk in the gardens (seen below).
Her husband never remarried, and today the pair are buried together in Edensor Church.
