After the outbreak of the revolution in Paris, Chopin went to England and Scotland. He was already in very poor health, and the journey aggravated it.

In London, Chopin's last public concert took place in 1848. The concert was organized by his pupil Jane Stirling, a Scotsman who loved Chopin and even proposed to him. Frederic, however, declined, feeling too ill and did not return feelings. Jane Stirling was called "Chopin's widow".