Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife
Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife
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The Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife (Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar) (20 February 1867-4 January 1931), was the third child and the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. She was the younger sister of King George V and the fifth daughter of a British monarch to be styled Princess Royal.
Early life
The princess was born Princess Louise of Wales at Marlborough House, the London residence of her parents, the then Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra). She spent much of her childhood at Sandringham House, her parents' country estate in Norfolk. Like her sisters, Princess Maud and Princess Victoria, she received a limited formal education.
She was baptised at Marlborough House on 10 May 1867 by Charles Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury. Her godparents were: The King of Greece, The Crown Prince of Prussia, The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, The Queen of Denmark (for whom she was named after), The Tsarina of Russia, Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Friedrich Wilhelm, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Princess Alice, Princess Helena and Princess Louise.
Marriage
On 27 June 1889, Princess Louise married Alexander Duff, 6th Earl Fife (11 October 1840-29 December 1912), at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace. He was more than twenty-five years her senior. Two days after the wedding, Queen Victoria created him Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Letters Patent creating this dukedom contained the standard remainder to "male heirs of the body lawfully begotten." However, it eventually became apparent that the Duke and Duchess of Fife would not have a son. Therefore, on 24 April 1900, Queen Victoria signed Letters Patent creating a second Dukedom of Fife, along with the Earldom of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom with a special remainder: in default of a male heir, these peerages would pass to the daughters of the 1st Duke and then to their male descendants.
The Duke of Fife and Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife had three children:
- Alastair Duff, Marquess of Macduff (stillborn 1890).
- Lady Alexandra Duff (17 May 1891-26 February 1959) m. her cousin Prince Arthur of Connaught (13 January 1883-12 September 1938), and had issue.
- Lady Maud Duff (3 April 1893-14 December 1945) m. Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk, and had issue.
Princess Royal
On 9 November 1905, King Edward VII declared Princess Louise the Princess Royal, the highest honor bestowed on a female member of the royal family. Therefafter, she was styled HRH The Princess Royal. At the same time, the King declared that the two daughters of the Princess Royal would have the titular dignity of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and the style of Highness, with precedence immediately after all members of the Royal Family. From that point ownward, the Princess Royal's daughters, styled Her Highness Princess Alexandra of Fife and Her Highness Princess Maud of Fife, no longer took their rank from their father, but rather from the will of the Sovereign.
In December 1911, while sailing to Egypt, the Princess Royal and her family were shipwrecked off the coast of Morocco. Although they escaped unharmed, the Duke of Fife fell ill with pleurisy, probably contracted as a result of the shipwreck. He died at Assuan, Egypt in January 1912, and Princess Alexandra succeeded to his Dukedom, becoming Duchess of Fife in her own right. It should be noted that Princess Alexandra of Fife, later married Prince Arthur of Connaught, a cfirst cousin of Princess Louise. Alexandra, therefore, became known as HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught. She adopted the style of her husband a Royal Highness, since he was son of The Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria.
She is the maternal grandmother of James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife.
Later life
Princess Louise of Wales received the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert in 1885 and the Imperial Order of the Crown of India in 1887. She became a Lady of the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (LJStJ) in 1888 and a Dame Grand Gross (GCStJ) of that order in 1929. She became colonel-in-chief of the 7th Dragoon Guards (the Princess Royal's Own) in 1914. She later served as colonel-in-chief of the 4th and 7th Dragoon Guards when it was formed in 1921.
The Princess Royal died in January 1931, at her home in Portman Square, London and was buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Her remains were later removed to the Private Chapel, Mar Lodge Mausoleum, Braemar, Aberdeenshire.
Titles from birth to death
- Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wales (20 February 1867-27 June 1889)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Louise, Countess Fife (27-29 June 1889)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife (29 June 1889-22 January 1901)
- Her Royal Highness The Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife (22 January 1901-9 November 1905)
- Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal (9 November 1905-4 January 1931)
| Princess Royal dates they were Princess Royal in brackets |
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Mary Stuart (1642-1660) | Anne of Orange (1727-1759) | Charlotte (1766-1828) |
