Frances was the youngest daughter of
Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, and his wife, the former Lady Elizabeth Home (daughter of
George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar). In 1646 she married
Edward Villiers, the son of the late Sir
Edward Villiers, Master of the Mint. Their children were: • Anne (1651-1688), who married
Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, and had children • Katherine (1652-1709), who married, first, Louis-Jacques, Marquis du Puissar (died 1701) and second, William Villiers, a son of
George Villiers, 4th Viscount Grandison, and thus her cousin • Barbara (1654-1708), Viscountess Fitzharding, Frances became governess to the two young princesses, the daughters of the Duke of York (the future King
James II of England) in 1669, after the death of their mother,
Anne Hyde, whose father,
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, was a friend of the Villiers family. She was one of many relatives of
Barbara Villiers to be benefitted from the position of her niece. She was described as "gentle and kind hearted", and her daughters became the playmates of the princesses. When Princess Mary left for Holland in 1677, as the wife of
William of Orange, Frances's eldest son, Edward, went with the couple as Mary's Master of Horse. She was buried at
Westminster Abbey. She was succeeded as royal governess by
Henrietta Hyde. ==References==