Lady Frances Radclyffe (died 1602) was an English noblewoman, who early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England became one of her Maids of Honour.
It was at the royal court when Frances attracted the attention of visiting Irish chieftain Shane O'Neill, who was searching for a "proper English wife"[1] and made her a proposal of matrimony, which she refused to consider.
Lady Frances was born on an unknown date, the youngest daughter of Henry Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex by his second wife, Anne Calthorpe, a lady-in-waiting to Queen consort Katherine Parr.
[2] In September 1552, her mother was sent to the Tower of London for practising sorcery, and upon the accession of Queen Mary I, Anne, who was a Protestant fled to the Continent to avoid the Marian persecutions.
Shortly afterwards, when Frances visited her half-brother Thomas, 3rd Earl of Sussex in Ireland, where he served as lord lieutenant, O'Neill unsuccessfully renewed his courtship of her.