Sarah, Duchess of York wives of princes. She remained titled "Sarah, Duchess of York", in keeping with the standard form of address for former wives of peers. Source: Sarah once described her family as "country gentry with a bit of old money". She is descended from both the Stuart and Tudor houses. On her father's side, Sarah is a descendant of King Charles II of England via two of his illegitimate sons, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, and James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. By her paternal great-great-grandfather Henry Brand, 2nd Viscount Hampden and her maternal great-grandfather Mervyn Wingfield, 8th Viscount Powerscourt, Sarah
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough was now his heir apparent. In 1702, King William III died, and Anne became queen. Anne immediately offered John Churchill a dukedom, which Sarah initially refused. Sarah was concerned that a dukedom would strain the family's finances; a ducal family at the time was expected to show off its rank through lavish entertainments. Anne countered by offering the Marlboroughs a pension of £5000 a year, for life, from Parliament, as well as an extra £2000 a year from the Privy Purse, and they accepted the Dukedom. Sarah was promptly created Mistress of the Robes (the highest office in the royal