Category Archives: British Royals

Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington served as a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1843 until 1858, and then Mistress of the Robes from 1861 to 1868, and 1874 to 1880. The Mistress of the Robes was always a Duchess and attended Queen Victoria on every State occasion. She had precedence over every lady of the Court and when in residence, presided at the Household table. She looked over and passed on the Queen’s personal bills sent to her from the Robes Office. During Queen Victoria’s reign, the Mistress of the Robes was a political appointment and changed when the political party of the government changed.

Lady Elizabeth Hay was born at Yester House, in East Lothian, Scotland on September 27, 1820, the daughter of George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale and Lady Susan Montagu (a daughter of the 5th Duke of Manchester). She had 13 siblings:

Her sister Susan, Marchioness of Dalhousie also served briefly as a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria in 1842. Her brother William, 10th Marquess of Tweeddale, was appointed by Queen Victoria as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1889 to 1892 and again from 1896 to 1897.

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On April 18, 1839, Elizabeth married Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Douro (later 2nd Duke of Wellington). He was the son of the famed Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and The Honorable Catherine Pakenham. Their families arranged the marriage which was never particularly happy, and they had no children. Elizabeth did have a very close relationship with her father-in-law.

Elizabeth became Duchess of Wellington upon her husband’s accession to the title in 1852. At that time, they inherited Stratfield Saye House in Hampshire, the family seat of the Dukes of Wellington, and Apsley House, the family home in London.

Following the retirement of Harriet Sutherland in April 1861, Elizabeth was appointed Mistress of the Robes. She held the position until 1868, serving in governments led by four different Prime Ministers – Viscount Palmerston (1861-1865), Earl Russell (1865-1866), Earl of Derby (1866-1868), and Benjamin Disraeli (1868). When Disraeli returned to power in 1874, Elizabeth was once again appointed Mistress of the Robes, serving until 1880.

Stratfield Saye House. photo: By Andrew Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14172142

The Dowager Duchess of Wellington died in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on August 13, 1904 – exactly twenty years to the day after her husband. She is buried alongside him at Stratfield Saye House.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Louise Montagu, Duchess of Manchester

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Louise Montagu, Duchess of Manchester. source: Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 2809221

Louise Montagu, Duchess of Manchester served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria briefly from 1858-1859. The Mistress of the Robes was always a Duchess and attended Queen Victoria on every State occasion. She had precedence over every lady of the Court and presided at the Household table when in residence. Louise looked over and passed on Queen Victoria’s personal bills sent to her from the Robes Office. During Queen Victoria’s reign, the Mistress of the Robes was a political appointment and changed when the political party of the government changed.

Because of her second marriage to the Duke of Devonshire years later, she became known as “The Double Duchess”, and is renowned for throwing the famed Devonshire House Ball of 1897.  She was born Luise Friederike Auguste, Countess von Alten on June 15, 1832, in Hanover, the daughter of Karl Franz Viktor, Count von Alten and Hermine de Schminke.  Luise had three siblings:

  • Helene von Alten (1830-1890) – married Count André Bludoff
  • Guidobaldine von Alten (1838-1922) – married (1) Auguste Grote; (2) Hermann von Bülow
  • Julie von Alten (1835-1915) – married Emil von Albedyll

William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester. source: Wikipedia

In Hanover on July 22, 1852, Luisa married William Montagu, Viscount Mandeville (later the 7th Duke of Manchester). He was the son of George Montagu, 6th Duke of Manchester and Millicent Sparrow.

The couple had five children:

She became Louise Montagu, Viscountess Mandeville upon marriage, and then Duchess of Manchester upon her father-in-law’s death in 1855. Her home was Kimbolton Castle in Cambridgeshire, the family seat of the Dukes of Manchester since 1615. The couple also spent time at Tandragee Castle in Northern Ireland, built in the 1830s by Louise’s father-in-law.

In 1858, Louise was appointed Mistress of the Robes in March 1858 and served until June 1859. She was both preceded and succeeded in the position by Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland. In addition to serving Queen Victoria, Louise became friends with The Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal Family. These friendships would last for the rest of her life.

Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire. source: Wikipedia

After separating from her husband, Louise began a relationship with Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, the heir to the Dukedom of Devonshire. He was the son of William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire and Lady Blanche Howard. Following her husband’s death in 1890, the widowed Louise and Spencer, by then the 8th Duke of Devonshire, married at Christ Church in Mayfair, London on August 16, 1892. They had no children.

As Duchess of Devonshire, Louise had numerous residences at her disposal. These included Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire; Devonshire House in Piccadilly – the family’s London residence; Bolton Abbey in North Yorkshire, and Lismore Castle in County Waterford, Ireland.

The Duchess of Devonshire, dressed as Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra. photograph by Walker & Boutall, July 1897. source: National Portrait Gallery NPG Ax41001

At Devonshire House, Louise hosted a lavish costume ball to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Held on July 2, 1897, the Devonshire House Ball saw many royals in attendance, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York, The Duke and Duchess of Fife, Princess Victoria, The Duke Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, The Duke and Duchess of Teck, Prince Charles and Princess Maud of Denmark, The Emperor and Empress of Russia, Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia and The Countess of Torby, the Maharajah Duleep Singh and Prince Victor Duleep Singh. Also in attendance were many members of the British aristocracy and London society. The Duchess of Devonshire dressed as Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra. The ball was the highlight of the 1897 London Season.

Louise was widowed again in March 1908. Three years later, The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire passed away on July 15, 1911, after suffering a seizure while attending the Sandown Races in Esher Park. She is buried in the churchyard at St. Peter’s Church in Edensor, the traditional burial site of the Dukes of Devonshire and their families.

Several members of Louise’s family later served in the Royal Household of Queen Alexandra. Her daughter Louisa, Countess of Gosford, served as a Lady of the Bedchamber from 1901 until Queen Alexandra died in 1925. Louisa’s husband, The Earl of Gosford, also served as Vice-Chamberlain of The Queen’s Household from 1901 until he died in 1922. Another daughter, Alice, Countess of Derby served as a Lady of the Bedchamber from 1901 until 1910, and then as an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber from 1910 until 1925.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl, 1860.  source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2910738

Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria from 1852 to 1853, and then as a Lady of the Bedchamber from 1854 until she died in 1897. She also served as Acting Mistress of the Robes, along with the Duchess of Roxburghe, from August 1892 to July 1895.  Ladies of the Bedchamber were always wives of peers. Only one Lady of the Bedchamber was in waiting at a time.  She was always ready to attend to the Queen. The Lady-in-Waiting attended all State occasions and presided over the Household table when the Mistress of the Robes was not in residence.  A Lady of the Bedchamber had two to three waits a year from twelve to thirty days at a time.

Born Anne Home-Drummond at the family home on Princes Street in Edinburgh, Scotland on June 17, 1814, she was the only daughter of Henry Home-Drummond and Christian Moray of Abercairney.

Anne had two brothers:

  • George Stirling Home-Drummond (1813-1876) – married (1) Mary Hay, no issue; (2) Kalitza Hay, no issue
  • Charles Stirling-Home-Drummond-Moray (1816-1900) – married Lady Anne Douglas, had issue

George Murray, 6th Duke of Atholl; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 29, 1839 in Blair Drummond, Anne married George Murray, 2nd Baron Glenlyon, the son of James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon (son of the 4th Duke of Atholl) and Lady Emily Frances Percy (daughter of the 2nd Duke of Northumberland). Her husband would later succeed his uncle as the 6th Duke of Atholl. Anne and George had one son:

Blair Castle. photo: By © Guillaume Piolle /, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7565974

The new Baroness Glenlyon and her husband made their home at Blair Castle in Blair Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland where, in 1839, her husband formed a regiment called the Atholl Highlanders. The regiment escorted Queen Victoria during her tour of Perthshire in 1842, and mounted the guard when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed at Blair Castle for several weeks in 1844. In recognition of their service, Queen Victoria decreed that she would present the regiment with colours, thus giving them official status. Lady Glenlyon presented the colours to them on The Queen’s behalf in 1845.

Anne became Duchess of Atholl in 1846 upon her husband’s accession to the dukedom. They preferred to use the alternative spelling of ‘Athole’. In 1852, she was appointed Mistress of the Robes when the Earl of Derby and the Conservative party came to power. Derby’s government was short-lived, and Anne served for less than a year. She was then appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber, and served in that role for nearly 45 years, becoming a close friend of The Queen. Back at home, she founded the Duchess of Atholl Girls’ School in Dunkeld in 1853.

The Dowager Duchess of Atholl (seated to the left) photographed at Balmoral in May 1868, along with Prince Arthur and Prince Leopold, and several members of The Queen’s Household. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2901892

Anne was in-waiting in December 1861 when Prince Albert died at Windsor Castle. Upon his death, Queen Victoria is reported to have come out of his room and said to Anne, “Oh Duchess, he is dead.” The Duchess was widowed three years later but continued serving as one of the Queen’s Ladies of the Bedchamber for the rest of her life.

The Dowager Duchess of Atholl, 1876. Hand-painting photograph by Alexander Bassano. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2914324 

When Gladstone returned to power in 1892, no one would accept the position of Mistress of the Robes, due to the Prime Minister’s policy of Home Rule for Ireland. While the position remained vacant for several years, Anne and the Duchess of Roxburghe, performed the duties of the role. Several years later, at the age of 83, the Dowager Duchess of Atholl died in Dunkeld, Scotland on May 22, 1897. She is buried alongside her husband in the family’s cemetery beside the ruins of St. Bride’s Church in Old Blair, a village adjacent to Blair Castle.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Charlotte, Duchess of Buccleuch and her daughter Victoria. Painted by Robert Thorburn in 1847. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 420401

Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry

Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria from 1841 until 1846. The Mistress of the Robes was always a Duchess and attended Queen Victoria on every State occasion. She had precedence over every lady of the Court and when in residence, presided at the Household table. She looked over and passed on the Queen’s personal bills sent to her from the Robes Office. During Queen Victoria’s reign, the Mistress of the Robes was a political appointment and changed when the political party of the government changed.

Born Lady Charlotte Anne Thynne on April 10, 1811, at Longleat in Wiltshire, she was the daughter of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath and The Honourable Isabella Elizabeth Byng, and had ten siblings:

  • Lady Elizabeth (1795-1866) – married John Campbell, 1st Earl Cawdor, had issue
  • Thomas, Viscount Weymouth (1796-1837) – married Harriet Robbins, no issue
  • Henry, 3rd Marquess of Bath (1797-1837) – married the Hon. Harriet Baring, had issue
  • Reverend Lord John (1798-1824) – married Anne Beresford, had issue
  • Lady Louisa (1801-1859) – married Henry Lascelles, 3rd Earl of Harewood, had issue
  • Lord William (1803-1890) – married Belinda Brumel, no issue
  • Lord Francis (1805-1821) – unmarried
  • Lord Edward (1807-1884) – married (1) Elizabeth Mellish, no issue; (2) Cecilia Gore, had issue
  • Lord George (1808-1832) – unmarried
  • Reverend Lord Charles (1813-1894) – married Harriet Bagot, had issue

Charlotte’s brother, The Reverend Lord John Thynne, served as Deputy Dean of Westminster for 45 years and assisted in the coronations of King William IV and Queen Adelaide in 1831, and Queen Victoria in 1838.  And her paternal grandmother, Elizabeth, Marchioness of Bath, had previously served as Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte from 1761 until 1793, and then as Mistress of the Robes from 1793 until Queen Charlotte’s death in 1818.

Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry. source: Wikipedia

Charlotte married Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry, at St. George’s Church in Hanover Square, London, on March 13, 1829. He was the son of Charles Montagu Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch and 6th Duke of Queensberry and The Hon. Harriet Townshend. Deemed a love match from the start, the marriage produced seven children:

The Duke of Buccleuch was one of the wealthiest landowners in the United Kingdom, and the couple had several grand homes at their disposal. Dalkeith Palace in Midlothian, Scotland was the seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch and the couple’s primary residence. They also owned Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland; Montagu House in Westminster, London; Boughton House in Northamptonshire, England; Bowhill House in Selkirk, Scotland; and Ditton Park in Slough, Buckinghamshire.

Charlotte was appointed Mistress of the Robes in 1841 when the Conservative party took control of government under Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. Her husband also served as Lord Privy Seal under the Prime Minister from 1842-1846. Quite different from how she is portrayed in the series Victoria, The Duchess of Buccleuch was just six years older than Queen Victoria, and the two were close and lifelong friends. It was Charlotte who helped peak Queen Victoria’s interest in visiting Scotland and helped to teach her about the country before traveling there. When The Queen and Prince Albert made their first visit to Scotland in 1842, the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch hosted them at Dalkeith Palace. So close were the Duchess and The Queen that Charlotte named her eldest daughter Victoria Alexandrine in the Queen’s honor. The child was christened at Buckingham Palace in April 1845, with Queen Victoria serving as godmother.

The Duchess of Buccleuch, c1864. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2907038

Charlotte’s role as Mistress of the Robes ended in 1846 when the Whig party returned to control of the government. She was succeeded by The Duchess of Sutherland (who had also been her predecessor). Charlotte returned to Scotland, once again becoming involved in philanthropic work, and overseeing the restoration of the gardens at Drumlanrig Castle. Raised in the high church, Charlotte had always been a huge supporter of religious organizations and charities. However, it caused much distress when, in 1860, she converted to Catholicism. Many years earlier, she had become friends with the Marchioness of Lothian (her sister Margaret’s mother-in-law) who had converted to Catholicism in the 1840s, and the two had worked together for years in their philanthropic work.

The Duchess of Buccleuch. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2911724

After her husband’s death in 1884, Charlotte lived primarily at Ditton Park, which served as her dower home. Here, she often hosted her children and grandchildren and continued to pursue her charitable work. It was at Ditton Park that the Dowager Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry died on March 18, 1895. Her son Walter had died just a few weeks earlier, and Charlotte was devastated and never recovered from her loss. She is buried alongside her husband in the family crypt at The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, at Dalkeith Palace.

St. Mary’s Church, Dalkeith Palace. photo: by kim traynor, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14160157

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland painted by Winterhalter, 1849. source: Wikipedia

Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland was the first Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria.  Harriet did not have an affair with Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as depicted in the television series Victoria. The real Harriet was twelve years older than Ernst and her husband George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland did not die until 1861. Harriet and her husband had a successful, loving marriage and had eleven children.

The Mistress of the Robes was always a Duchess and attended Queen Victoria on every State occasion. She had precedence over every lady of the Court and when in residence, presided at the Household table. She looked over and passed on the Queen’s personal bills sent to her from the Robes Office. During Queen Victoria’s reign, the Mistress of the Robes was a political appointment and changed when the political party of the government changed.

Harriet was born The Honourable Harriet Elisabeth Georgiana Howard, on May 21, 1806, to George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle and Lady Georgiana Cavendish, a daughter of the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Harriet had eleven siblings:

Harriet’s brother George, the 7th Earl of Carlisle, was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by Queen Victoria in 1850 and served until 1852. He later served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1855 to 1858, and 1859 to 1864. He was also a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the Privy Council of Ireland. Her sister, Caroline, married William Lascelles, who served as Comptroller of the Household from 1847 to 1851, and her sister, Blanche, was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1838 until 1840.

George Leveson-Gower, Earl Gower, c1810. source: Wikipedia

On May 18, 1823, Harriet married George Leveson-Gower, Earl Gower, her father’s first cousin, nearly 20 years her senior. He was the son of George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford (later 1st Duke of Sutherland) and Elizabeth Sutherland, Countess of Sutherland. Harriet and her husband had had eleven children:

Harriet’s eldest daughter Elizabeth, Duchess of Argyll, served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria from 1868 until 1870. She was succeeded by Harriet’s daughter-in-law, Anne, Duchess of Sutherland, who served from 1870 until 1874.

Harriet with her eldest daughter Elizabeth, the future Duchess of Argyll. by: George Henry Phillips, published by Grames & Warmsley, after Sir Thomas Lawrence; mezzotint, published 15 April 1841. source: National Portrait Gallery, NPG D40930

Harriet’s title changed several times over the next ten years. Upon marriage, she became Harriet Leveson-Gower, Countess Gower, and when her father-in-law was created Duke of Sutherland in 1833, she became Marchioness of Stafford. Several months later, she became Duchess of Sutherland when her husband succeeded to the dukedom. In 1839, after his mother’s death, Harriet’s husband inherited her title as Earl of Sutherland and Chief of Clan Sutherland in Scotland. At that time, he added ‘Sutherland’ to the family’s surname.

  • The Honourable Harriet Howard (1806-1823)
  • Harriet Leveson-Gower, Countess Gower (1823-1833)
  • Harriet Leveson-Gower, Marchioness of Stafford (1833)
  • Harriet Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland (1833-1839)
  • Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland (1839-1861)
  • Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Dowager Duchess of Sutherland (1861-1868)

Dunrobin Castle. photo: By Dunrobin_Castle_-Sutherland_-Scotland-26May2008.jpg: jack_spellingbaconderivative work: Snowmanradio (talk) – originally posted to Flickr as Dunrobin castle and uploaded to commons at Dunrobin_Castle_-Sutherland_-Scotland-26May2008.jpg, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8639843

The family had numerous residences in the United Kingdom and spent time at all of them throughout the year. These included Trentham Hall in Staffordshire, Dunrobin Castle in the Scottish Highlands, Cliveden in Buckinghamshire, and the lavish Stafford House (now Lancaster House) in London.

Due to her family’s wealth and her relationship with Queen Victoria, Harriet was one of the leading ladies of British society. She turned the family’s London home, Stafford House, into one of the centers of high society and used her influence to support various philanthropic causes. In 1852, she helped to organize the ‘Stafford House Address’, a petition against slavery that was met with much resistance from the aristocracy. It also led to a rebuttal from former First Lady of the United States, Julia Tyler, who defended slavery.

Harriet was first appointed Mistress of the Robes in August 1837, the first to serve Queen Victoria. Just two years later, Queen Victoria’s refusal to give up her ladies brought about the Bedchamber Crisis. For the next 24 years, Harriet served as Mistress of the Robes whenever the Whig Party controlled  the government:

  • August 1837 – September 1841
  • July 1846 – March 1852
  • January 1853 – February 1858
  • June 1859 – April 1861

Harriet Elizabeth Georgiana Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (née Howard), Duchess of Sutherland by Hills & Saunders, albumen carte-de-visite, 1860s. source: National Portrait Gallery, NPG Ax30376

She retired a few months after her husband died in 1861 but remained a close friend and confidante to Queen Victoria for the rest of her life. When Queen Victoria was widowed in December of that year, Harriet returned to court unofficially and was The Queen’s sole companion for several weeks.

Harriet’s last public appearance was at the March 1863 wedding of the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Later that year, she was taken ill and never fully recovered. The Dowager Duchess of Sutherland died at Stafford House in London on October 27, 1868. She is buried in the Sutherland Mausoleum in Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent.

Engagement photo of Princess Louise and John Cambell, Marquess of Lorne (Harriet’s grandson), 1871. source: Wikipedia

Through her large family, Harriet is a direct ancestor of numerous members of the British aristocracy, including the Dukes of Hamilton, Argyll, Northumberland, Leinster and Westminster; the Marquesses of Hertford and Londonderry; the Earls of Selkirk, Lichfield and Cromartie; and the Countess of Sutherland, Chief of Clan Sutherland. She was also connected to Queen Victoria through marriage. In 1871, Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, the son of Harriet’s elder daughter Elizabeth.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Abdul Karim (The Munshi)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Portrait of Abdul Karim by Rudolf Swoboda, 1888; Credit – Wikipedia

Abdul Karim, known as the Munshi, was Queen Victoria’s Indian attendant 1887 – 1901.

Abdul Karim was born in 1863 in Lalitpur in British India now in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. His family was Muslim and his father was a hospital assistant with the Central India Horse, a cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. Karim had one older brother and four younger sisters.

Karim first worked for the Nawab of Jaora, a princely state of British India. Three years later, Karim moved to Agra where his father was then working as a clerk in the Central Jail and was then also employed as a clerk in the jail. In Agra, Karim made an arranged marriage with the sister of a co-worker.

The prisoners in the Central Jail in Agra were trained as carpet weavers. In 1886, for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London, a contingent of prisoners was sent to be living exhibits, demonstrating their carpet weaving skills. Karim did not accompany the prisoners but he was instrumental in organizing the trip. Queen Victoria, who visited the exhibition, had a deep interest in India and wanted to have two Indian servants for her Golden Jubilee year. She asked John Tyler, the superintendent of the jail who had accompanied the prisoners to London, to recruit two Indian servants. Karim and Mohammed Buksh were selected and were given instruction in the English language and British customs.

Karim and Buksh arrived at Windsor Castle in June 1887 and expected to be serving at the table while learning other tasks. They first served breakfast to Queen Victoria at Frogmore House at Windsor on June 23, 1887. Describing Karim in her diary for that day, Victoria wrote: “The other, much younger, is much lighter [than Buksh], tall, and with a fine serious countenance. His father is a native doctor at Agra.” Victoria took an instant liking to Karim and ordered that he be given additional instruction in English. During the summer of 1887, she asked Karim to teach her Urdu, Karim’s native language, and Hindustani.

Karim and Queen Victoria in 1893; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

By 1888, Victoria decided that Karim was of a much higher class. She knew Karim had been a clerk in India and mistakenly believed his father was an army medical doctor. Therefore, she thought it was unsuitable that he wait on tables. Karim was appointed to the position of Munshi (teacher) with secretarial duties. Mohammed Buksh, who had come to England with Karim, remained in Queen Victoria’s service as a table servant until his death in 1899.

Over the years, other Indian servants came, sometimes along with their families including Karim’s wife. Karim’s position in the royal household was resented by the other Indian servants but it paled in comparison to the disgust felt by the middle-class and upper-class members of the household and members of the royal family. Queen Victoria expected them to welcome Karim but they were not willing to do so and Karim expected to be treated as an equal. In addition, Queen Victoria refused to believe any negative comments about Karim. This tension continued and worsened over the years.

Karim and Queen Victoria in 1897; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901. Knowing that his mother would have wished it, King Edward VII allowed Karim to view the Queen he had served in her coffin. However, Edward VII ordered the correspondence between his mother and Karim burned. He then ordered Karim and the other Indian servants back to India.

In 1890, Queen Victoria, knowing she could not trust her family or the royal household to take care of Karim after her death, had arranged for a grant of land in the Agra suburbs to be given to him. Karim had purchased an adjacent piece of property in 1898 and combined it into an estate which made him a wealthy man. He lived the rest of his life peacefully and was even visited in 1905 by the future King George V, then Prince of Wales. In April 1909, Karim Abdul died at his home Karim Lodge at the age of 46. He was buried in a mausoleum at the Panchkuin Kabaristan Cemetery in Agra beside his father.

Tomb of Abdul Karim; Photo Credit – www.indiatoday

King Edward VII ordered that Karim Lodge be searched for any correspondence between Karim and Queen Victoria or members of her household and that the letters be confiscated and sent to him. Due to a strong disapproval of the seizure of the letters by members of the colonial Indian government, some of the letters were returned to Karim’s heirs, his nephews and great-nephews. Karim’s family had possession of Karim’s diary and made the letters and the diary public in 2010.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  •  “Abdul Karim (The Munshi)”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Karim_(the_Munshi). Accessed 7 June 2018.
  • Baird, Julia. Victoria The Queen. Random House, 2016.
  • Erickson, Carolly. Her Little Majesty: The Life of Queen Victoria.Simon and Schuster, 1997.
  • Hubbard, Kate. Serving Victoria: Life In The Royal Household. Harper Collins Publishers, 2012

Sir James Reid, 1st Baronet, Queen Victoria’s Resident Physician and Physician-in-Ordinary

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Sir James Reid, 1st Baronet; Credit – Wikipedia

Sir James Reid, 1st Baronet served Queen Victoria as Resident Physician 1881 – 1889 and Physician-in-Ordinary 1889 – 1901. He also served King Edward VII and King George V as Physician-in-Ordinary.

Born in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland on October 23, 1849, Sir James Reid, 1st Baronet was the son of James Reid, the local doctor in Ellon, and Beatrice Peter whose father was the steward of the Earl of Kintore. Born and bred at The Chestnuts, which was to be his home for his entire life (although he was rarely there while serving Queen Victoria), young James observed his father at work as a country doctor, going out at all hours to treat people and sometimes animals.

Reid had one younger brother:

  • John Peter Reid (1851 – 1916), married Mary Peter

Reid was first educated at the local school in Ellon and then at the Aberdeen Grammar School where he graduated in 1865 with the Gold Medal for being the best student. Reid wanted to be a doctor like his father but at sixteen he was too young to embark on that career so he enrolled in a liberal arts program at Aberdeen University. Three years later, he graduated, once again with the Gold Medal. Reid then enrolled in the medical school at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He was again at the top of his class and won first prize in Botany, Chemistry, Materia Medica (now termed pharmacology), Anatomy, Zoology, Physiology, Surgery, Midwifery, and Medical Jurisprudence.

After graduating from medical school in 1872, Reid went to London and joined the practice of Dr. William Vacy Lyle in Paddington. He gained much experience there but became restless with his prospects. In 1874, Reid left Dr. Vacy Lyle’s practice for travel and study in continental Europe. He settled in Vienna, Austria where he studied with prestigious professors at the Vienna General Hospital. In 1877, Reid returned to Scotland to work with his father in his practice. He spent four years working with his father before reaching a turning point in 1881.

Queen Victoria was looking for a Resident Medical Attendant for herself and the royal household. The Queen required that the doctor be a Scotsman, preferably from Aberdeenshire where her beloved Balmoral, the home she had built with her late husband Prince Albert, was located. She further required that the doctor be highly qualified and fluent in German. The hiring was to be done via The Queen’s Commissioner at Balmoral and Reid’s maternal uncle the Reverend George Peters was one of the people approached for recommendations. Reid met with The Queen’s Commissioner in Aberdeen and then received notice that he was to meet with Queen Victoria at Balmoral.

On June 8, 1881, Reid went to Balmoral and met with Queen Victoria. After she met with Reid, she wrote in her journal: “8 June: Saw Dr. Reid from Ellon, who has the very highest testimonials, having taken very high honors at Aberdeen and studied for two years at Vienna; he also practiced a short time in London and is now helping his father at Ellon, who has been a doctor there for many years. He is willing to come for a time or permanently in Dr. Marshall’s place.”

However, Reid could not be hired without the approval of Sir William Jenner, Queen Victoria’s Physician-in- Ordinary. Jenner interviewed Reid in London on June 11, 1881, and gave his approval. On July 8, 1881, 31-year-old Dr. James Reid arrived at Windsor Castle to start a career that would only end with his death in 1923.

Over the years, Reid became not only Queen Victoria’s doctor but her adviser and confidant. Except when he was on leave, he was always at court and he always traveled with her in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. On August 28, 1897, Reid was created 1st Baronet Reid of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, a Baronetcy that continues to this day.

As Reid was approaching the age of fifty, he still had not married. While serving Queen Victoria, he realized that if he were to serve The Queen successfully, there was no room for a wife. He had seen how the marriages of other male household staff had suffered. Reid always traveled with The Queen and only left the court to spend a few weeks with his mother in Ellon. After he received his Baronetcy, his social situation improved and his careful savings would enable him to furnish a country house for a wife.

Reid’s future wife is first mentioned in his diary on December 9, 1898: “…went to tea in Miss Bulteel’s rooms to meet Misses Baring, Ponsonby and Biddulph.” The Honorable Susan Baring, born in 1870, was the daughter of Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke, and had been appointed one of Queen Victoria’s Maids of Honor in 1898. At age 29, Susan’s marriage prospects were looking dim.

On July 24, 1899, during a bicycle ride at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, 50-year-old Reid proposed to Susan and she consented. Reid and Susan knew Queen Victoria’s reaction would be problematic, and it was. The Queen regarded Reid as essential to her health and well-being. She had had his attention for nearly twenty years and was outraged that he felt the need to marry.

Harriet Phipps, Maid of Honor from 1862 – 1889 and Woman of the Bedchamber from 1889 until The Queen died in 1901, was the go-between for Reid and The Queen. Queen Victoria knew she could not prevent Reid and Susan from marrying but intended to exert as much control of the situation as possible. She insisted that nothing be said about the engagement. Reid and Susan enlisted Princess Helena, Queen Victoria’s daughter to help. A month later, the engagement still had not been announced. Queen Victoria dictated to Harriet Phipps a paper outlining all the conditions to be observed after the marriage.

Queen Victoria demanded that Reid continue to live at court except when he was on leave. He was to come to see her after breakfast, before luncheon, and before he went out in the afternoon. If Reid wanted to dine out, he had to ask The Queen’s permission and needed to return to court by 11 PM. Susan was not allowed in his rooms at Balmoral or Osborne House but could visit him occasionally in his rooms at Windsor Castle. Finally, on August 24, 1899, Queen Victoria consented to the announcement of the engagement.

Sir James Reid and The Honorable Susan Baring were married by Randall Davidson, Bishop of Winchester (later Archbishop of Canterbury) at St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge, London on November 28, 1899. Three of Queen Victoria’s daughters Helena, Louise, and Beatrice attended the wedding as did many of the household staff and servants. Queen Victoria stayed at Windsor Castle. Almost immediately after the honeymoon began, Reid received a letter from Queen Victoria saying she was suffering from flatulence and indigestion, her shoulder hurt, her appetite was poor and the Boer War was causing her anxiety.

Reid and Susan had a happy marriage and had four children. Their eldest child Edward was the godson of King Edward VII. Whenever possible, they spent time at Reid’s birthplace The Chestnuts. Reid arranged for his father’s old house The Chestnuts and the house next door, called Cosy Neuk, to be joined together to make a larger home. The home has since been converted into an apartment hotel.

  • Sir Edward James Reid, 2nd Baronet (1901 – 1972), married Tatiana Fenoult, had one son and one daughter
  • Admiral Sir John Peter Lorne Reid (1903 – 1973), married Jean Dundas, had one son and one daughter
  • Margaret Cecilia Reid (1904 – 1937), unmarried
  • Victoria Susan Beatrice Reid (1908 – 1997), married Leonard St. Clare Ingrams, had four sons

Queen Victoria on her deathbed possibly by Sir Hubert von Herkomer bromide print, 1901 6 5/8 in. x 9 1/8 in. (169 mm x 232 mm) Purchased, 1992 Photographs Collection NPG x38281

The last service Reid did for Queen Victoria was to carry out her written instructions in the event of her death. Victoria had finalized the instructions in December 1897, and sealed them in an envelope marked “For my Dressers to be opened directly after my death and to be always taken and kept by the one who may be traveling with me.” Victoria had chosen Reid to be responsible for her body until her coffin was sealed. He was determined to follow Queen Victoria’s wishes precisely.

Selina Tuck, known as Mrs. Tuck, was Queen Victoria’s head dresser and she privately read to Reid Victoria’s instructions and the list of items she wished to be placed in her coffin. Included in the instructions were the orders that some of the items were not to be seen by family members. With no family members present, Reid, Mrs. Tuck, and the junior dressers prepared the coffin and then arranged the items Queen Victoria wished to be placed in the coffin.

The items included favorite shawls and embroidered handkerchiefs, specified photos of family, friends, and servants, an alabaster cast of Prince Albert’s hand and his dressing gown, a robe that Princess Alice had embroidered, and other mementos, both priceless and mere baubles. A quilted cushion was laid over these items. The family then came into the room and Queen Victoria’s body was placed in the coffin.

Reid asked the family to leave the room and then with the assistance of Mrs. Tuck and the junior dressers, he performed the request that Queen Victoria wanted to keep secret from her family. First, Reid placed Victoria’s wedding veil over her face and upper torso. He then covered with tissue paper a photograph of John Brown, the Scots ghillie who had become her personal attendant, and a lock of Brown’s hair in a case, and then placed them into the Queen’s left hand. He covered the two items with the flowers Queen Alexandra had placed in the coffin. The family then came into the room again for one last look before the coffin was sealed.

Sir James Reid, May 6, 1901; Credit – http://lafayette.org.uk/rei2677.html

King Edward VII did not have a resident physician but he gave Reid an annual pension for life of £1,000 and a sum of £210 per year to remain as Physician-in-Ordinary in a consultative capacity. Reid attended King Edward VII during his final illness in May 1910. He had been appointed Physician-in-Ordinary to King George V when he was Prince of Wales and continued to hold that position when George became King when his father in 1910. As he aged, Reid continued to serve King George V and his family, but more and more infrequently.

The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York (the future King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in April 1923 was the last royal event Reid attended. In May 1923, he had an acute attack of phlebitis from which he never recovered. Sir James Reid, 1st Baronet died on June 29, 1923, in London at the age of 73. He had a simple funeral in his hometown of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and was buried in the Ellon Cemetery. One of the wreaths was inscribed, “For our dear old friend, Sir James Reid, from Alexandra” was from Queen Alexandra, King Edward VII’s widow. Reid’s wife Susan survived her husband by 38 years, dying in 1961 at the age of 90.

Tomb of Sir James Reid and his wife Susan; Credit – https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157701736/james-reid

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

Works Cited

  • Baird, Julia. Victoria The Queen. Random House, 2016.
  • Erickson, Carolly. Her Little Majesty: The Life of Queen Victoria.Simon and Schuster, 1997.
  • Hubbard, Kate. Serving Victoria: Life In The Royal Household. Harper Collins Publishers, 2012.
  • Packard, Jerrold M. Farewell In Splendor: The Passing Of Queen Victoria And Her Age. Dutton, 1995.
  • Reid, Michaela. Ask Sir James. Viking, 1987.
  • “Sir James Reid”. Thepeerage.Com, 2018, http://www.thepeerage.com/p5204.htm#i52035. Accessed 5 June 2018.

Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet, Queen Victoria’s Physician-in-Ordinary

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Sir William Jenner; Credit – Wikipedia

Sir William Jenner served Queen Victoria as Physician-in-Ordinary from 1861 – 1890.

Sir William Jenner was born on January 30, 1815, in Chatham, Kent, England. He was the fourth son of innkeeper John Jenner and his wife Elizabeth Terry.

In 1858, Jenner married Adela Lucy Leman, the daughter of Stephen Adey. Jenner and his wife had one daughter followed by five sons. It is interesting to note several names from Queen Victoria’s family among the names of Jenner’s sons.

  • Lucy Adela Jenner (1859 – 1909), unmarried, participated in the Women’s Suffrage movement
  • Sir Walter Kentish Jenner, 2nd Baronet (1860 – 1948), married Flora Alice Stewart, had children
  • Sir Albert Victor Jenner, 3rd Baronet (1862 – 1954)
  • Arthur Charles William Jenner (1864 – 1900), barrister
  • Louis Leopold Charles Albert Jenner (1865 – 1904)
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Leopold Christian Duncan Jenner (1869 – 1953), married Nora Helen Stewart

Before Jenner began his medical studies at University College London, he spent some time as an apprentice to a surgeon on Baker Street, near Regent’s Park in London. After receiving his medical degree in 1844, he set up his general practice at 12 Albany Street, Regent’s Park in London. With a reputation for a kindly bedside manner and good medical knowledge, his medical practice prospered.

Initially interested in gynecology, Jenner soon began to take an interest in pathology, particularly in typhus and typhoid fever. In 1847, he began a detailed study of fever patients at the London Fever Hospital, scrutinizing more than 1,000 patients’ records. At that time, it was believed that typhus and typhoid fever were the same disease. Through his work, Jenner confirmed in 1849 that typhus and typhoid fever were distinct diseases with very different causes. His work on the subject earned him an international reputation and made a huge impact on public health. Public health officials could now concentrate on getting rid of typhus by controlling the human flea population and on eradicating typhoid fever by devising methods to purify the water supply.

With the importance of Jenner’s pathology work, his career quickly progressed. He taught pathological anatomy at the University College of London and became a staff doctor at University College Hospital. In 1853, he was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. After the founding of the Hospital for Sick Children (now the Great Ormond Street Hospital) in 1852, Jenner became a resident doctor, one of only three permanent members of staff. While at the Hospital for Sick Children, Jenner wrote important studies on rickets and diphtheria, then a major cause of childhood deaths. In 1861, his fame reached Queen Victoria who appointed him her Physician-Extraordinary. At that time, Jenner gave up his post at the Hospital for Sick Children.

In December 1861, Jenner was one of the doctors who attended Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband during the attack of typhoid fever that eventually killed him. Although Jenner diagnosed Albert’s final illness as typhoid fever, Albert’s modern biographers have argued that the diagnosis is incorrect. Albert had been complaining of stomach pains for two years and this may indicate that he died of some chronic disease, perhaps Crohn’s disease, kidney failure, or cancer. Despite his failure to save Albert, Jenner made a favorable impression on Queen Victoria, who appointed him her Physician-In-Ordinary in 1862. A year later, he was appointed to the same position for The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). Despite the differences in their backgrounds, Queen Victoria and Jenner became lifelong friends, and in 1868, she created Jenner a Baronet.

A caricature of Sir William Jenner which appeared in Vanity Fair, April 1873; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1871, Jenner attended The Prince of Wales while he was ill with typhoid fever. Despite death seeming imminent on the tenth anniversary of Prince Albert’s death, The Prince of Wales made a miraculous recovery. In December 1878, Jenner went to Darmstadt to attend Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, Queen Victoria’s daughter who had become ill with diphtheria while nursing her family, also ill with the disease. Sadly, Alice died seventeen years to the day of her father’s death.

In 1890, Jenner was forced to retire from his position as Physician-In-Ordinary due to ill health. He went to live at his estate, Greenwood in Durley, Hampshire, England. It was there that he died on December 11, 1898, at the age of 83. He is buried at Holy Cross Churchyard in Durley, Hampshire, England.

Sir William Jenner (1815–1898) (after Frank Holl) by Valentine Cameron Prinsep (1838–1904); Credit – Royal College of Physicians, London; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/sir-william-jenner-18151898-192436

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

Works Cited

  • “A FAMOUS PHYSICIAN; Sir William Jenner And His Practice Among Royalties. CHARACTERISTIC ANECDOTES A Struggling Boyhood, Earnings Of $75,000 A Year, And A Lonely Death After A Life Among Palaces.”. Nytimes.Com, 1898, https://www.nytimes.com/1898/12/27/archives/a-famous-physician-sir-william-jenner-and-his-practice-among.html. Accessed 4 June 2018.
  • “Past Presence – William Jenner”. Marylebonevillage.Com, https://www.marylebonevillage.com/marylebone-journal/past-presence-william-jenner. Accessed 4 June 2018.
  • “Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Jenner,_1st_Baronet. Accessed 4 June 2018.
  • “Sir William Jenner”. Ucl.Ac.Uk, http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ich/support-services/library/library-historical-collection-/publications/jenner. Accessed 4 June 2018.
  • “The Dictionary Of National Biography, Supplement”. Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=7ikJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=sir+william+jenner+1st+baronet&source=bl&ots=ceDpDwA8Q8&sig=GKkhcaDtP8PPCJC7ij3Rncz9hzU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjExbm96qvbAhVhGDQIHa2QB3k4FBDoAQhDMAY#v=onepage&q=sir%20william%20jenner%201st%20baronet&f=false. Accessed 4 June 2018.
  •  “THE QUEEN’s PHYSICIAN DEAD.; Sir William Jenner, The Noted Pathologist And Celebrated Doctor, Has Passed Away.”. Nytimes.Com, 1898, https://www.nytimes.com/1898/12/13/archives/the-queens-physician-dead-sir-william-jenner-the-noted-pathologist.html. Accessed 4 June 2018.

John Brown, personal attendant and favorite of Queen Victoria

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

John Brown, circa 1860s; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

John Brown served Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom as a ghillie at Balmoral (Scottish outdoor servant) from 1849 – 1861 and a personal attendant from 1861 – 1883.

Born on December 8, 1826, in Crathie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, John Brown was the second of eleven children of Scottish tenant farmer John Brown and his wife Margaret Leys. In 1842, Brown started work as a farmhand and eventually became a stable boy at Balmoral. In Scotland, outdoor servants were called ghillies.

At that time Balmoral, owned by the Earl Fife, was leased to Sir Robert Gordon, a younger brother of George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, who made major alterations to the original castle at Balmoral. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert decided they wanted a home in Scotland. When Sir Robert died in 1847, an arrangement was made for Prince Albert to acquire the remaining part of the lease on Balmoral, together with its furniture and staff, sight unseen.

The old Balmoral Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

Renovations were considered but by that time, negotiations were underway for Victoria and Albert to purchase Balmoral. In June 1852, the sale was complete with Prince Albert having purchased Balmoral for £32,000. Soon, Balmoral was too small for Victoria and Albert’s growing family, the staff, visiting friends, and official visitors. Construction on a new castle began during the summer of 1853. During the construction, the original castle could still be used. The new castle was completed in 1856 and the old castle was subsequently demolished.

The new Balmoral Castle; Photo Credit – By Stuart Yeates from Oxford, UK – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=728182

Queen Victoria’s diary first mentions John Brown on September 8, 1849. She described a trip to Dhu Loch with ghillie John Brown, among others, accompanying her. From around 1851, John Brown became a permanent ghillie at Balmoral, often acting on behalf of Prince Albert, being responsible for the safety of Queen Victoria, or performing various outdoor tasks. Prince Albert enjoyed spending time with Brown and allowed him freedoms granted only to a very trusted servant. Three of Brown’s siblings also entered royal service. His brother Archibald Anderson “Archie” Brown, fifteen years younger than John, eventually became the personal valet of Victoria’s youngest son, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany.

Princess Alice, Prince Leopold, Princess Louise, John Brown, and Princess Helena at Balmoral in 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Albert’s untimely death in 1861 was a shock from which Queen Victoria never fully recovered. In 1864, Victoria’s personal physician Sir William Jenner ordered that she ride all winter. Victoria refused to be accompanied by a stranger so John Brown was summoned to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight with Victoria’s Highland pony. His duties soon encompassed more than leading a horse. Brown became known as “the Queen’s Highland Servant” who took his orders exclusively from the Queen. Victoria called him “the perfection of a servant for he thinks of everything.”

Queen Victoria on ‘Fyvie’ with John Brown at Balmoral, 1863;  Credit – Wikipedia

From then on, until his death nearly twenty years later, Brown was never far from Victoria’s side. There were rumors of a romance and a secret marriage, and Victoria was called Mrs. Brown. Brown treated the queen in a rough and familiar but kind manner, which she relished. In return, Brown was allowed many privileges which infuriated Victoria’s family. Victoria gave him gifts and created two medals for him:

  • Victoria Devoted Service Medal, a gold medal inscribed “To John Brown, Esq., in recognition of his presence of mind and devotion at Buckingham Palace, February 29, 1872.”
  • Faithful Servant Medal, a silver medal with bars denoting ten additional years of service.

John Brown took it upon himself the task of bringing bad news to the queen. It was Brown who brought Victoria the news that her daughter Alice had died on the same date as Albert’s death, seventeen years later. Victoria also sent him to inquire about the sick and dying. His presence was always a sign of the special and personal sympathy of Queen Victoria.

John Brown at Frogmore House, Home Park, Windsor by Carl Rudolph Sohn, 1883; Credit – Wikipedia

In March 1883, John Brown worked seven-day weeks despite fever and chills. On March 27, 1883, at Windsor Castle, 56-year-old John Brown fell into a coma and died. The cause of death was erysipelas, a streptococcal infection. Queen Victoria wrote in her diary that she was “terribly moved by the loss that robs me of a person who has served me with so much devotion and loyalty and has done so much for my personal well-being. With him, I lose not only one Servant, but a real friend. ”

John Brown was buried in the cemetery at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, next to his parents and some of his siblings. The inscription on his gravestone shows the affection between him and Queen Victoria:

“This stone is erected in affectionate and grateful remembrance of John Brown the devoted and faithful personal attendant and beloved friend of Queen Victoria in whose service he had been for 34 years.

Born at Crathienaird 8th Decr. 1826 died at Windsor Castle 27th March 1883.

That Friend on whose fidelity you count/that Friend given to you by circumstances/over which you have no control/was God’s own gift.

Well done good and faithful servant/Thou hast been faithful over a few things,/I will make thee ruler over many things/Enter through into the joy of the Lord.”

John Brown’s grave; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Queen Victoria ordered that Brown’s room in Windsor Castle where he had died, be left as it was during his lifetime, much like she had done with the room where Prince Albert had died.  The Queen also commissioned a statue of John Brown from Sir Joseph Boehm to be set up at Balmoral. The Times published an obituary of Brown which Queen Victoria had written herself. Victoria requested that upon her death a lock of John Brown’s hair, a photo of him, and his mother’s wedding ring were to be placed in her coffin. Her physician Sir James Reid did as she requested without the knowledge of her family.

Statue of John Brown, sculpted by Sir Joseph Boehm at Balmoral; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

Works Cited

  • Baird, Julia. Victoria The Queen. Random House, 2016.
  • “Balmoral Castle”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balmoral_Castle. Accessed 29 May 2018.
  • Erickson, Carolly. Her Little Majesty: The Life of Queen Victoria.Simon and Schuster, 1997.
  • Hubbard, Kate. Serving Victoria: Life In The Royal Household. Harper Collins Publishers, 2012.
  • “John Brown (Diener)”. De.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(Diener). Accessed 29 May 2018.
  •  “John Brown (Servant)”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(servant). Accessed 29 May 2018.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. Cassell, 1998.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

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On Friday, October 12, 2018, HRH Princess Eugenie of York married Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

 

The Bride – HRH Princess Eugenie of York
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Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena is the younger daughter of HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York and the former Sarah Ferguson. She was born at Portland Hospital in London on March 23, 1990. Eugenie has an elder sister, Princess Beatrice. Her christening was held at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, the first public christening of a member of the royal family.

She was educated at the Winkfield Montessori School, the Upton House School, Coworth Park School, St. George’s School and Marlborough College. Following a gap year, she attended Newcastle University, graduating in 2012 with a degree in English Literature and History of Art. The Princess interned with Christie’s and The Royal Collection Trust before taking a job as a Benefit Auctions Manager at Paddle8, an online auction firm located in New York City. Since July 2015, she has worked as an associate director at the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in London. She shared an apartment at St. James’s Palace in London with her sister, until moving to Ivy Cottage, on the grounds of Kensington Palace, in April 2018.

Unofficial Royalty: HRH Princess Eugenie

The Groom – Mr. Jack Brooksbank
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John (Jack) Christopher Stamp Brooksbank was born May 3, 1986 to George and Nicola (née Newton) Brooksbank. He has one younger brother, Thomas. He and Eugenie are third cousins, 2 times removed, through their mutual descent from Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester. Jack’s great-grandfather, Sir Jack Coke, served as Gentleman Usher to King George VI and Extra Gentleman Usher to Queen Elizabeth II. He also served as an Equerry to Queen Mary.

Jack attended the Stowe School and then embarked on a career in the hospitality industry. He worked at several pubs and restaurants, including the Admiral Codrington and the Markham Inn in Chelsea, and then worked as manager of the nightclub Mahiki, in Mayfair. He is currently the brand ambassador for Casamigos Tequila, and in 2017 established Jack Brooksbank Limited, a wholesale company for the sale of wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages.

Unofficial Royalty: Mr. Jack Brooksbank

The Engagement
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Eugenie and Jack were introduced by mutual friends in Verbier, Switzerland. The Princess was on holiday and Jack was working there at the time. After seven years together, Jack proposed to Eugenie while on holiday in Nicaragua at the end of 2017.

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The groom had already purchased a large Padparadscha sapphire, and after returning home, the couple worked together to design the engagement ring. It features the oval-cut pink-orange sapphire surrounded by diamonds, on a gold band. Their engagement was formally announced on January 22, 2018, after which the couple met with the media and photographers in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace.

Wedding Guests

850 guests filled St. George’s Chapel for Eugenie and Jack’s wedding. This included a large number of the extended royal family and countless friends and colleagues. Here is a partial list of those in attendance:

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The Groom’s Family and Friends
Mr. and Mrs. George and Nicola Brooksbank
Mr. Thomas Brooksbank
Mr. and Mrs. David and Vanessa Brooksbank
Mr. Charles Brooksbank
Mrs. Amy Brooksbank Rodgers
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Newton
Mr. John Newton
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Farr
Mr. and Mrs. William Gayner
Mr. and Mrs. Rory Chichester

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The Royal Family
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh
The Prince of Wales
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Prince George of Cambridge (page boy)
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (bridesmaid)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York
Princess Beatrice of York
The Earl and Countess of Wessex
Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (special attendant)
Viscount Severn (special attendant)
The Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence
Peter and Autumn Phillips
Zara and Mike Tindall
The Earl and Countess of Snowdon
Viscount Linley
Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones
Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
The Duke of Kent
Lady Helen and Timothy Taylor
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor
Miss Maud Windsor (bridesmaid)
Lady Gabriella Windsor and Mr. Thomas Kingston
James Ogilvy
Zenouska Mowatt

Noticeably absent were The Duchess of Cornwall (previously scheduled engagements), The Duchess of Kent (mostly retired from royal life), and Princess Alexandra (recovering from a broken arm and recent surgery)

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Royal Guests
Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie Chantal of Greece
Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece
Hereditary Prince Ernst-August and Hereditary Princess Ekaterina of Hanover
Prince Christian and Princess Alessandra of Hanover
Ms. Chantal Hochuli (formerly Princess Chantal of Hanover)

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Some Notable Guests
James Blunt and Sofia Wellesley
Cressida Bonas
Naomi Campbell
Chelsy Davy
Olivier and Zoe de Givenchy
Cara Delevingne
Poppy Delevingne
Julian Fellowes and Emma Kitchener-Fellowes
Stephen Fry and Elliott Spencer
Pixie Geldof
Ellie Goulding
Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef
James and Pippa (Middleton) Matthews
James Middleton
Demi Moore
Kate Moss
Guy Pelly
Zac Posen
Jamie Redknapp
Liv Tyler
Jack Whitehall
Robbie Williams and Ayda Field Williams

Eugenie and Jack also invited representatives from several of the charities they support, and members of the public, to be on the grounds of the chapel for the festivities.

The Wedding Attendants
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Maid of Honour

  • HRH Princess Beatrice of York (the bride’s sister)

Best Man

  • Mr. Thomas Brooksbank (the groom’s brother)

Bridesmaids

  • HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (daughter of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge)
  • Miss Savannah Phillips (daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips)
  • Miss Isla Phillips (daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips)
  • Miss Mia Tindall (daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall)
  • Miss Maud Windsor (daughter of Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor, and Eugenie’s goddaughter)
  • Miss Theodora Williams (daughter of Robbie Williams and Ayda Field)

Page Boys

  • HRH Prince George of Cambridge (son of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge)
  • Mr. Louis de Givenchy (son of Olivier and Zoe de Givenchy, friends of the couple)

In addition, Eugenie’s two younger cousins, the children of The Earl and Countess of Wessex, were Special Attendants. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor accompanied the bridesmaids and pageboys, while Viscount Severn escorted Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice down the aisle to their seats in the Quire.

The Wedding Attire
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Princess Eugenie wore a dress designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos of the British label Peter Pilotto. Consisting of several layers, each carefully designed to provide the desired silhouette, the dress featured a fitted bodice and a full pleated skirt. The neckline folded around the shoulders and down into a low back which continued into a full-length train. Princess Eugenie specifically requested a low back to show the scars from her corrective surgery for scoliosis as a child. For this reason, she also chose not to wear a veil. The fabric, a jacquard of silk, cotton, and viscose blend, incorporated several symbols with special meaning to the couple:

  • Thistle – representing the couple’s fondness for Balmoral
  • Shamrock – representing the bride’s maternal family’s Irish heritage
  • York Rose – representing her father’s Dukedom
  • Ivy – representing the couple’s home, Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace

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The wedding was the first time Princess Eugenie has been seen publicly in a tiara. While many expected she would wear her mother’s wedding tiara, she wore a tiara loaned to her by her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara was made by Boucheron in 1919 for The Hon. Mrs. Ronald Greville, a prominent member of British society and a noted philanthropist. Upon her death in 1942, Mrs. Greville left a large bequest of all of her jewelry to Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother). This tiara was part of that bequest. In addition to Eugenie’s first tiara appearance, this is also the first time the tiara has been worn publicly since arriving in the vaults of Buckingham Palace 76 years ago. It is made of brilliant and rose-cut diamond pavé set in platinum, with six emeralds on either side of a large cabochon emerald in the center. Princess Eugenie also wore diamond and emerald drop earrings, a wedding gift from the groom.

The bride’s bouquet included lily of the valley, stephanotis pips, baby blue thistle, white spray roses, and trailing ivy. It also included sprigs of myrtle from Osborne House, in a tradition dating back 160 years. While visiting her husband’s grandmother in Germany, Queen Victoria was given a nosegay that contained some myrtle. A sprig from this was planted along the terrace walls at Osborne House and continues to flourish to this day. In 1858, Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter married and carried a sprig of this myrtle in her bouquet. Since then, nearly all royal brides in the British Royal Family have incorporated a sprig of this myrtle into their wedding bouquet.  In keeping with a tradition started by The Queen Mother following her wedding in 1923, Princess Eugenie’s flowers were later taken to Westminster Abbey and placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

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The groom and his best man wore traditional morning suits. Both wore tie pins featuring the white rose of york and the padparadscha sapphire, gifts from the bride’s mother.

The Ceremony
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The bride arrived at St. George’s Chapel, accompanied by her father The Duke of York in a 1977 Rolls Royce Phantom VI, given to The Queen in 1978 for her Silver Jubilee. This was the same car used by Catherine Middleton for her wedding to Prince William in 2011. She entered the chapel on her father’s arm and was met at the Quire Screen by the groom and the Dean of Windsor. Following the introduction, all processed through the Quire to the altar. The wedding ceremony was conducted by the Dean of Windsor, David Connor, and the prayers were led by the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. The ceremony itself was very traditional, with the couple exchanging their vows, and the groom placing the wedding ring – made from a piece of Welsh gold given to them by The Queen – on the bride’s finger. Readings were given by Charles Brooksbank, the groom’s cousin, and Princess Beatrice of York, the bride’s sister. The music was provided by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry. Andrea Bocelli performed two solos during the service, and additional signing was provided by the Choir of St. George’s Chapel.

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After the ceremony, the couple along with their parents and siblings went to the North Quire Aisle to sign the Registers. Upon returning, the National Anthem was played after which the bride and groom paid homage to The Queen before processing out of the chapel through the West Door. There, the steps were lined with members of the Nijmegen Company of the Grenadier Guards, of which the Duke of York is Colonel.

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The couple greeted the crowds gathered outside the chapel with waves and a kiss before getting into the Scottish State Coach, pulled by four Windsor Greys, for a carriage procession through Windsor. As the procession departed, pipers from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, performed from the Garter Tower.

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Following the wedding and carriage procession, Eugenie and Jack returned to Windsor Castle where The Queen hosted a reception.

The Wedding Banquet and Receptions
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Following the wedding and carriage procession, Eugenie and Jack returned to Windsor Castle where The Queen hosted a reception in St. George’s Hall. After greeting their guests, the couple posed for formal photographs with the bridal party and their families. The centerpiece of the reception was the five-tiered wedding cake. Made by Sophie Cabot, the cake features 3 tiers of red velvet cake and 2 tiers of chocolate sponge cake, all covered with butter cream and white icing. The bottom tier features the couple’s initials in gold, surrounded by hand-painted blackberry bramble. Keeping with the autumnal theme, the cake is adorned with ivy, fall leaves, and berries, which cascade down from the top tier. These are all made of sugar and hand-painted.

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The couple departed the castle in an Aston Martin DB10 – a one-of-a-kind model made specifically for the James Bond movie ‘Spectre’ – for Royal Lodge, where the bride’s parents hosted a black-tie reception that evening. The following day, the festivities continued with a carnival-themed party at Royal Lodge.

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