General William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington (18 December 1719 – 1 April 1779) was a British politician and soldier.

The son of William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, he took up a military career and joined the Foot Guards in 1741, and was also returned for Aylesbury.

They had seven children: In 1747, he became MP for Bury St Edmunds, and in 1755, was promoted major-general.

He was known to society as "the goat of quality" for the dissipation of his personal life: he visited the brothel of Sarah Prendergast in King's Place, St James's, London, four times a week.

[5][6] His wife Lady Harrington formed "The New Female Coterie", a group of demimondaines which met in the same house.