Elizabeth McCullough, Countess Urquhart (née McCullough) is a British businesswoman and the wife of Francis Urquhart, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1992 to 2003; in turn, she became the longest serving spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom in modern history, surpassing Dennis Thatcher.
History[]
Elizabeth McCullough was the daughter of whiskey magnate William McCullough, and she married Francis Urquhart in 1960. The two of them lived in an estate in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, and McCullough was a "Lady Macbeth" figure behind her husband, having a great deal of power over him.
After Prime Minister Henry Collingridge overlooked Urquhart for a Cabinet position in 1990, she persuaded him to remove Collingridge and take office himself. She also suggested that he have an affair with journalist Mattie Storin in order to manipulate her into helping him seize power, and she gave him the idea to kill press consultant Roger O'Neill. She remained his closest advisor until 2003, when McCullough, who was having an affair with her husband's bodyguard, decided to have her husband assassinated to spare him the shame of exposure, resignation, trial, life imprisonment, and historical damnation (his opponents were close to uncovering his shady past). Urquhart died in her arms, and she assured her husband that he was safe now that he was dying. She was created Countess Urquhart following her husband's death.
Personality[]
Elizabeth appears to have a great deal of power over her husband, and often identifies his powers and abilities, or persuades him to use a given situation to his advantage. When Prime Minister Henry Collingridge overlooks Francis for a Cabinet promotion, it is Elizabeth who encourages Francis to plot to remove Collingridge and take office himself. She also suggests Francis begin an affair with Mattie Storin so that he may further secure her trust and loyalty, and thus better use his position to feed information to her, thereby influencing her articles.
It is implied that it is her idea, not Francis', to murder Roger O'Neill, a colleague whom Francis had been using to his advantage. Unlike her husband, who clearly feels remorse after killing, she is cold and callous, and does not seem to have a problem with arranging murders to suit their purposes. However, she appears to truly love her husband and plans his assasination to spare him the disgrace of exposure, resignation, trial, life imprisonment, and eternal historical damnation.
Trivia[]
- Claire Underwood is Elizabeth's counterpart in the US series of House of Cards.
- In the first book, she is called Miranda.
| |||||||||||||
