Benjamin Disraeli became one of Britain's most famous Prime Ministers. His marriage to Mary Anne Lewis began with a distinctly unromantic attraction: money. It became one of the great partnerships of his life.
Mary Anne was the wealthy widow of Wyndham Lewis, a politician and Disraeli's parliamentary colleague. After Lewis died in 1838, Disraeli and Mary Anne grew close.
They married in 1839. Disraeli was heavily in debt and later made no secret that Mary Anne's fortune had been part of her attraction.
Yet something far warmer developed. Their marriage lasted more than thirty years and Mary Anne became his fiercely loyal companion, supporter and confidante.
Disraeli's political career was demanding and often bruising. Mary Anne provided emotional security and a home life he treasured.
The couple bought Hughenden Manor in Buckinghamshire in 1848, a country home closely associated with Disraeli for the rest of his life.
Mary Anne was created Viscountess Beaconsfield in her own right in 1868. She died in 1872. Disraeli was devastated by her loss.
A marriage that may have begun partly as a financial calculation had become a genuine love story - a wonderful reminder that history's relationships rarely fit neatly into their opening chapter.
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