KILLED BY MAKE-UP - TRAGIC 18th CENTURY CELEB'S MIRROR AUCTIONED
She was the 18th century celebrity who made men faint in awe of her beauty by her very presence. But her beauty - and her vanity - led to her demise as the lead-based make-up she insisted on plastering on daily resulted first in the loss of her looks, then deadly blood poisoning. Now the grand 7ft mirror in which Maria Gunning, the former Countess of Coventry, admired her stunning reflection has been auctioned off for more than £300,000. Labelled the first victim of vanity, Maria died aged 27 in 1760 after her love of make-up resulted in her untimely death. The 253-year-old mirror sold well above its estimate even though her condition meant she the society hostess used it for a matter of just months. A glorious George II giltwood overmantel design, it was bought for her by her husband The Sixth Earl of Coventry in 1759, who is said to have been so frustrated by his wife's love of make up that he would chase her around the dinner table with a handkerchief, trying wipe it from her face.
Other great stories
MYSTERY OF THE CROOKED COTTAGE
THIS is the fascinating abandoned house, complete with mystery portraits and homely items, that has been dubbed - crooked cottage .
FLORESCENT PLANKTON LIGHT UP AUSTRALIAN SEA
An Australian beach is illuminated by an enticing neon blue glow as a rare phenomenon lights up the water .
WOMAN LOSES 8ST AFTER DITCHING CURRY ADDICTION
A woman who was addicted to eating curries has shed an impressive 8st after giving up her favourite food .
GARY BARLOW SUPERFAN LOSES 11ST AFTER ‘HORRIFYING’ SELFIE
A Gary Barlow superfan has lost an incredible 11st after a selfie with the pop star left her horrified by her 22st 9lb figure .
SPECTACULAR AURORA BOREALIS
A SPECTRUM of colours fills the sky during this spectacular and natural display of light .
CLIMBERS TACKLE 200FT TOTEM POLE
TOWERING 65 metres into the sky, this terrifying accent is a dream for climbers .
ADORABLE HARVEST MOUSE CLIMBS DANDELION
Surveying its surroundings, a tiny harvest mouse climbs the stem of a dandelion .
FIRE BREATHING FIAT 500
AN ITALIAN mechanic has created the world’s most ferocious mini-car .
TEEN DANCER ROBBED OF TALENTS AFTER SCOLIOSIS SURGERY
A scoliosis sufferer was heartbroken to learn surgery would stop her dancing - but she battled through the pain to complete her GCSE dance exams and earn A* .
EXERCISING OTTERS
A group of otters put on a show of aqua aerobics, as they raise their flippers perfectly in sync .
COUPLE RECREATE ICONIC SCENES FROM THE NOTEBOOK
A Canadian couple celebrated their engagement by recreating iconic moments from the film The Notebook .
CHERNOBYL - 28 YEARS ON
TOMORROW (Saturday) marks the 28th anniversary of the nuclear disaster that left the city of Chernobyl devastated .