Emily Temple, Viscountess Palmerston (née Lamb, later Clavering-Cowper; 1787–1869), styled The Honourable Emily Lamb from 1787 to 1805 and Countess Cowper from 1805 to 1839, was a leading figure of the Almack's social set, sister of Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, wife of the 5th Earl Cowper, and subsequently wife of another Prime Minister Lord Palmerston.

Lord Cowper had a reputation for dullness and slowness of speech which were in marked contrast to his wife's social gifts;[3] a more favourable opinion was that he was a quiet, pleasant man who was far less stupid than he appeared to be, but preferred to avoid society and politics.

[6] Like many of the society ladies of the age, she had love affairs, including one with the Corsican diplomat Carlo Andrea Pozzo di Borgo, later Russian Ambassador to Great Britain.

[7] Emily was noted not only for beauty but for her extraordinary charm: she was described as "grace put in action, whose softness was as seductive as her joyousness".

Emily's mother on her deathbed in 1818 urged her to remain constant to Palmerston, possibly looking forward to a future time when they would be free to marry.

The sentiment was reciprocal; and I have frequently seen them go out on a morning to plant some trees, almost believing that they would live to eat the fruit, or sit together under the shade.

[10] She could not cure his notorious lack of punctuality since this was a fault she shared to the full; Queen Victoria, while staying with them at Broadlands, complained that Emily had kept her waiting for an hour for a carriage ride.