Louise, Princess Royal

Louise, Princess Royal (Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar; 20 February 1867 – 4 January 1931) was the third child and eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom; she was a younger sister of King George V. Louise was given the title of Princess Royal in 1905. Known for her shy and quiet personality, Louise remained a low-key member of the royal family throughout her life.

Early life

Louise was born on 20 February 1867 at Marlborough House, the London residence of her parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales. Louise's father was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Her mother was the eldest daughter of Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark. From birth, as a male-line granddaughter of the British monarch, she had the title ''Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wales''. She spent much of her childhood at Sandringham House in Norfolk. She was baptised at Marlborough House on 10 May by Charles Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury. Like her sisters Victoria and Maud, she was educated under the supervision of tutors and studied guitar under Catharina Pratten.Rosie Pentreath
'Ever heard of Catharina Pratten, the star guitarist, and composer who taught Queen Victoria’s daughters?'
biography at ''Classic FM'' She occasionally spent the summer in Denmark, her mother's homeland. In her youth, Louise was described as a very withdrawn girl.

Louise and her sisters, Victoria and Maud, were bridesmaids at the wedding of their paternal aunt Princess Beatrice to Prince Henry of Battenberg in 1885. Louise was an accomplished musician, sometimes playing the organ in services at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham. Louise was known as "Lulu" or "Toots" to her close family.

Marriage and children

As daughter of the Prince of Wales, Louise was considered a very desirable match as a bride. She was tiring of her over-protective mother and longed to escape, yet without making a 'grand marriage' to a European prince, following her aunt the Duchess of Argyll, who married outside royalty. Louise was introduced to Alexander Duff, 6th Earl of Fife at the wedding of her aunt Princess Beatrice of Battenberg in 1885, who was a regular companion of her father and eighteen years her senior. Four years later, she asked for her grandmother, Queen Victoria's permission to marry the Earl, insisting that if she was not allowed to marry him she would surely die an old maid.

Reluctantly, Queen Victoria gave Louise consent, and in June 1889 their engagement was announced. There was criticism at court where it was thought to be wrong for a princess to marry someone not of royal blood. Princess Victoria Mary of Teck expressed to her aunt, Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz that "for a future Princess Royal to marry a subject seems rather strange."

Despite her mother's attempts to keep her daughters unmarried and by her side, on 27 July 1889, Louise married Alexander Duff, 6th Earl Fife, who was eighteen years her senior, at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace with the Archbishop of Canterbury officiating at the service. They were third cousins through an illegitimate line, as Alexander was a great-grandchild of William IV and his mistress, Dorothea Jordan. Her bridesmaids were Princesses Maud and Victoria of Wales, Victoria Mary of Teck, Marie Louise and Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein and the Countesses Feodora, Helena and Valda Gleichen. “O Perfect Love, all human thought transcending", was written by Dorothy Blomfield for her sister's marriage in 1883, and was intended to be sung to Strength and Stay, in Hymns Ancient & Modern, No. 12. Subsequently, it was set as an anthem by J. Barnby for the marriage of the Duke of Fife with the Princess Louise of Wales that day. 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 heirs male of the body lawfully begotten. After the birth of their two daughters, 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 and Duchess of Fife had three children:

* Alastair Duff, Marquess of Macduff (stillborn 16 June 1890)
* Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife (17 May 1891 – 26 February 1959); married her first cousin once removed Prince Arthur of Connaught (13 January 1883 – 12 September 1938), and had issue.
* Princess Maud (3 April 1893 – 14 December 1945); married Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk, and had issue.

Family homes and interests

Before her marriage, Louise's chief artistic interests had been her music and the family hobby of photography. After her marriage, she discovered a hitherto untapped talent for painting and interior design, which she initially put into practice by devising the interior decoration of their Fife House. When a plumber left a lighted candle under the floor and fire destroyed the old Mar Lodge, the newly built Mar Lodge (which had one hundred and twenty rooms) was built from a rough sketch drawn by Louise and elaborated on by their architect.

Louise had a keen interest in theatre, and whenever her brother, King George V and sister-in-law, Queen Mary contemplated a visit to the theatre they would always ask Louise's opinion of the play for her judgement. Louise was an accomplished amateur actress in her younger days and on one occasion was coached by Ellen Terry.

The Duke and the Duchess made their main home at Mar Lodge, a sporting lodge built for them by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie. They owned Fife House in Brighton, sometimes residing there and East Sheen Lodge in Richmond from 1889 until they sold the Lodge in 1908.Kemp Town history
/ref> The couple also maintained a property in London at 15 Portman Square. Their London property was demolished in 1935, shortly after Louise's death there in 1931.

Princess Royal

On 9 November 1905, Edward VII created Louise the Princess Royal, the highest honour bestowed on a female member of the royal family, succeeding her aunt, Victoria, German Empress, who died in 1901. At the same time, the King declared that the two daughters of the Princess Royal would be styled as princesses, with the style and attribute of "Highness" and with precedence immediately after all members of the royal family bearing the style of "Royal Highness".

In August 1910, Princess Louise's daughter, Alexandra, secretly became engaged to Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark. Upon hearing the news, Princess Louise and the Duke of Fife disapproved of the match and forbade the union. On 15 October 1913, Alexandra married Louise's first cousin, Prince Arthur of Connaught.

The Princess Royal, although always known for her shy and reserved personality, had rendered public service in support of many charities. She had taken a special interest in the work of the Church Army and had been a patron of the Alexandra Girls' Club. In 1911, Louise sponsored the ship HMS ''Princess Royal'', and on 29 April 1911 she launched the ship.

On 12 December 1911, she attended the coronation of her brother, King George V, where she wore the Fife Tiara. Later that month, while sailing aboard the P&O's SS ''Delhi'', to Egypt, the Princess Royal and her family were shipwrecked off the coast of Morocco. Heavy waves crashed upon the ship, and the Princess Royal and her daughter, Alexandra were swept overboard, however the Princess Royal was saved by Admiral Christopher Cradock and the Duke of Fife, and Alexandra had been rescued by another passenger who swam ashore with her. Although they were otherwise 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.

Later life and death

After the death of her husband, the Princess Royal led a reclusive life. She spent most of her time in Braemar, Scotland, at the Mar Lodge, but frequently made visits to London. She made occasional public appearances, such as accompanying her mother to charity events such as Alexandra Rose Day, and laying the foundational stone at the new Marylebone Town Hall in 1914. On 1 July
1929, the Princess Royal made her last public appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside other members of the royal family, as her health declined. She suffered multiple episodes of gastric haemorrhaging, including attacks in April 1925 and October 1929 at Mar Lodge, and was brought back to London to receive nursing care.

On 4 January 1931, Louise died in her sleep at her home at 15 Portman Square London, with her two daughters, Alexandra and Maud, at her bedside. She was 63 years old. Per her death certificate, her cause of death was attributed to valvular heart disease. She was tenth in line to the throne at the time of her death. Her sister Queen Maud saw her passing as a release, and wrote; "Louise suffered so terribly these last few months that one can but thank God. She is at peace with her dear ones. But it's sad for us, and the loss of a sister comes very near one's heart." She was buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Her remains were later removed to the Private Chapel, Mar Lodge, Braemar, Aberdeenshire. Her will was sealed and her estate was valued at £46,383 (or £2.2 million in 2022 when adjusted for inflation).

Honours and arms

* 1885: Royal Order of Victoria and Albert
* 6 August 1887: Imperial Order of the Crown of India
* 1929: Dame Grand Cross of the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (GCStJ)
** 1888–1929: Lady of the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (LJStJ)

Honorary military appointments

* 1911: Lady Sponsor of HMS ''Princess Royal''
* 1914: Colonel-in-chief of the 7th Dragoon Guards
* 1922: Colonel-in-chief of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards

Arms

Upon her marriage, Louise was granted a coat of arms, being the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom with an inescutcheon for Saxony, all differenced with a label argent of five points, the outer pair and centre bearing crosses gules, and the inner pair bearing thistles proper.Heraldica – British Royal Cadency
/ref> The inescutcheon was dropped by royal warrant in 1917.

Ancestors

Notes

References

Bibliography

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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Louise, Princess Royal
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1931 deaths
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