Glencora MacCluskie, the charming and irrepressible heiress of the Lord of the Isles, became the wife of Plantagenet Palliser, although she loved the worthless Burgo Fitzgerald. Unhappy in her marriage because of her husband's cold and austere nature, and his preoccupation ion with political affairs, she did her best, by lavish entertaining at Gatherum Castle and Matching Priory, and formal dinners in town, to aid him in his political career, frequently to his great embarrassment. When the Coalition government fell, she and the Duke, with their three children, Lord Silverbridge, Lord Gerald and Lady Mary Palliser, travelled for a year on the Continent, where she became ill, and died soon after their return.

"She was a fair girl, with bright blue eyes and short wavy flaxen hair, very soft to the eye. Lady Glencora was short in stature, and her happy round face lacked, perhaps, the highest grace of female beauty. But there was ever a smile upon it which it was very pleasant to look at; and the intense interest with which she would dance, and talk, and follow up every amusement that was offered her, was very charming" - The Small House at Allington

Character criticism:

"Lady Glencora is the essence of all that Trollope found adorable in woman. She is small of stature ... she is beautiful, she is gay, a lively 'rattle' but no fool, a lady with plenty of dignity when she wishes, much spirit and fire and fun, a heart, and not too heavily weighted down with principles." - Walpole