Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Princess Alexandra | |
|---|---|
| Duchess of Fife | |
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| Predecessor | Alexander, Duke of Fife |
| Successor | James, Duke of Fife |
| Spouse | Prince Arthur of Connaught |
| Issue | |
| Alastair, Duke of Connaught | |
| Full name | |
| Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise Wettin | |
| Titles | |
| HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught HH Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife HH Princess Alexandra of Fife Lady Alexandra Duff |
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| Royal House | House of Windsor House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha |
| Father | Alexander, Duke of Fife |
| Mother | Louise, Princess Royal |
| Born | 17 May 1891 East Sheen Lodge, Richmond |
| Died | 26 February 1959 |
| Burial | Mar Lodge, Braemar |
Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife (Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise Wettin; née Duff; later Princess Arthur of Connaught; 17 May 1891 - 26 February 1959) was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of King Edward VII. Alexandra, and her younger sister, Maud, had the distinction of being the only female-line granddaughters of a British Sovereign to receive the title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and the style Highness.
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[edit] Early life
Alexandra was born at East Sheen Lodge, Richmond upon Thames on May 17, 1891. Her father was the 1st Duke of Fife (1840 - 1912), the son of the 5th Earl Fife and his wife, the former Lady Agnes Hay. He was created Duke of Fife following marriage to Alexandra's mother, Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife (née Princess Louise of Wales), the eldest daughter of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Alexandra of Denmark.
As a female line great-granddaughter of the British monarch, (Queen Victoria), Alexandra was not entitled to the title of a Princess of Great Britain or the style Royal Highness. Instead she was styled Lady Alexandra Duff, as the daughter of a Duke. She was fourth in the line of succession at the time of her birth.
[edit] Princess Alexandra
Lady Alexandra's father had been created Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom two days after his marriage to Princess Louise of Wales in 1889. When it became apparent that the couple were unlikely to have a son, Queen Victoria created him Duke of Fife and Earl of Macduff in the peerage of the United Kingdom in 1900. The second dukedom of Fife had a special remainder in default of male issue to the Duke's daughters and their male descendants.
On 5 November 1905, King Edward VII declared her mother Princess Royal. He further ordered Garter King of Arms to gazette Lady Alexandra Duff and her sister Lady Maud Duff as Princesses of Great Britain and Ireland with the style and attribute of Highness and precedence immediately after all members of the British Royal Family bearing the style of Royal Highness. From that point, Her Highness Princess Alexandra of Fife held her title and rank, not from her father (a Duke), but rather from the will of the Sovereign (her grandfather).
[edit] Duchess of Fife
In December 1911, the Fife family were shipwrecked off the coast of Morocco. Although they escaped unharmed, Alexandra's father fell ill with pleurisy, probably contracted as a result of the shipwreck. He died at Assuan, Egypt on 22 January 1912, and Princess Alexandra succeeded to his Dukedom, becoming the Duchess of Fife and Countess of Macduff in her own right.
Alexandra began a relationship with Prince Christopher of Greece around 1910. He was a son of Olga Konstantinovna of Russia and George I of Greece, and thus, as the son of a younger brother of her maternal grandmother, Alexandra's first cousin once removed. Although Alexandra and Christopher hoped to be married, the engagement was terminated when disapproving parents learned of the liaison.
[edit] Marriage
| British Royalty |
|---|
| House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha |
 |
| Edward VII |
| Albert, Duke of Clarence |
| George V |
| Louise, Princess Royal |
| Princess Victoria |
| Maud, Queen of Norway |
| Prince Alexander John |
| Maternal grandchildren |
| Alexandra, Duchess of Fife |
| Maud of Fife |
On 15 October 1913, Princess Alexandra married Prince Arthur of Connaught at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, London. Prince Arthur of Connaught was the only son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, the third eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. As such, Arthur and Alexandra were first cousins once removed. This was only the second marriage to occur between a Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom (the first being Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh and the Princess Mary.)
After their marriage, Alexandra was generally referred to as HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught, or in some documents HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught (Duchess of Fife). This followed the tradition of a wife taking the style and title of her husband, even although Alexandra was a peeress in her own right.
With her husband, Alexandra also carried out royal engagements on behalf of her uncle, King George V and later her cousin, King George VI. She also served as a Counsellor of State between 1937 and 1944.
[edit] Career
During World War I, Princess Arthur of Connaught served as nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington. When Prince Arthur was appointed governor general of the Union of South Africa in 1920, she accompanied him to Pretoria and worked on behalf of local hospitals. Upon the couple's return to Britain, she continued to carry out royal duties. She died at her home near Primrose Hill, London in 1959 and was buried at Mar Lodge chapel.
Her only son and the heir apparent to the dukedom of Fife, Alastair Arthur, died in Ottawa in 1943, a year after succeeding his paternal grandfather as 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. When Princess Arthur of Connaught died, the dukedom of Fife passed to her nephew, James George Alexander Bannerman Carnegie, Lord Carnegie, the only son of her late sister Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk.
[edit] Titles, styles, honours and arms
[edit] Titles
- 1891-1905: The Lady Alexandra Duff
- 1905-1912: Her Highness Princess Alexandra of Fife
- 1912-1913: Her Highness The Duchess of Fife
- 1913-1959: Her Royal Highness Princess Arthur of Connaught (Duchess of Fife)
[edit] Honours
- Royal Red Cross, 1st Class
- Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (elevated from Dame of Justice)
- King George V Royal Family Order, 4th Class
[edit] Honorary military appointments
- Colonel-in-chief, Royal Army Pay Corps
[edit] Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Alastair of Connaught | 9 August 1914 | 26 April 1943 | later styled Earl of Macduff and 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Alexander Duff |
Duchess of Fife 1912–1959 |
Succeeded by: James Carnegie |
[edit] References
- Ronald Allison and Sarah Riddell, eds., The Royal Encyclopedia (London: Macmillan, 1991), ISBN 0-333-53810-2
- Marlene A. Eilers, Queen Victoria's Descendants (New York: Atlantic International Publishing, 1987), ISBN 91-630-5964-9
- Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Families: the Complete Genealogy, rev. ed. (London: Pimlico, 1996), ISBN 0-7126-4286-2
