To be rid of Emma, Greville persuaded his uncle, Sir william Hamilton, British Envoy to Naples, to take her off his hands. Greville's marriage would be useful to Sir william, as it relieved him of having Greville as a poor relation. To promote his plan, Greville suggested to Sir william that Emma would make a very pleasing mistress, assuring him that, once married to Henrietta Middleton, he would come and fetch Emma back. Emma's famous beauty was by then well-known to Sir william, so much so that he even agreed to pay the expenses for her journey to ensure her speedy arrival. A great collector of antiquities and beautiful objects, he took interest in her as another acquisition. He had long been happily married until the death of his wife in 1782, and he liked female companionship. His home in Naples was well known all over the world for hospitality and refinement. He needed a hostess for his salon, and from what he knew about Emma, he thought she would be the perfect choice.