Frances Ellen Work
Frances Ellen Work (October 27, 1857 – January 26, 1947) was an American heiress and socialite. She was a great-grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her great-great-grandchildren include William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and the American actor Oliver Platt. Early life Frances was born in New York City on October 27, 1857. She was a daughter of Franklin H. Work (1819–1911), a well-known stockbroker and protégé of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and his wife, Ellen Wood (1831–1877). Her sister Lucy Bond Work (1861–1934) was married to Peter Cooper Hewitt (1861–1921). Society life In 1892, Frances was included in Ward McAllister's "Four Hundred", purported to be an index of New York's best families, published in The New York Times. Conveniently, 400 was the number of people that could fit into Caroline Astor's ballroom. Work was a prominent figure in the New York City and Newport, Rhode Island, social sets, and was friends with Mrs Reginald Vanderbilt. When her father died in 1911, he left an estate, for the benefit of her, her children, and her sister, of $ ($ in ). Her father's will limited her yearly allowance to $ ($ in ). In his will, Mr.