by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott was born on December 25, 1901, at Montagu House in Whitehall, London, England. She was the third daughter and the fifth of eight children of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and 9th Duke of Queensberry and Lady Margaret Bridgeman, daughter of George Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford.  Alice’s father was the largest landowner in Scotland, and she was a descendant of King Charles II through an illegitimate line.

Alice had seven siblings:

• Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott (1893 – 1976), married Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hawkins
• Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch (1894 – 1973), married Vreda Lascelles (granddaughter of William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans), had issue
• Lord William Montagu Douglas Scott (1896 – 1958), married Lady Rachel Douglas-Home (daughter of Charles Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home), had issue
• Lady Sybil Montagu Douglas Scott (1899 – 1990), married Charles Phipps, had issue
• Lady Mary Montagu Douglas Scott ( 1904 – 1984), married David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter, had issue
• Lady Angela Montagu Douglas Scott (1906 – 2000), married Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Dawnay, had issue
• Lord George Montagu Douglas Scott (1911 – 1999), married Mary Bishop, had issue

Alice grew up in her family’s country homes Boughton House in Northamptonshire, England,  Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and Bowhill House near Selkirk, Scotland. She attended St. James’ School for Girls, in West Malvern, Worcestershire, England.

In August of 1935, Lady Alice became engaged to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V. Alice’s father died from cancer on October 19, 1935, less than a month before the wedding date, November 6, 1935. The wedding was originally set to be held at Westminster Abbey, but the wedding venue was changed. It was deemed more appropriate to have the wedding at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Among the bridesmaids were the groom’s nieces Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott

Photo Credit – The wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester by and after Vandyk, hand-coloured bromide print, 6 November 1935, NPG x134883 © National Portrait Gallery, London

The couple had two sons and the family lived at the 16th-century Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire, England, and York House, St. James’s Palace in London, England.

• Prince William of Gloucester (1941 – 1972), unmarried, died in a plane crash at an air show
• Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (born 1944), married Birgitte van Deurs, had two daughters and one son

During World War II, Alice worked with the Red Cross and the Order of St John. She became head of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.  The Duke of Gloucester served as Governor-General of Australia from 1945 – 1947 and the family lived in Canberra, Australia. During the early reign of the Duke’s niece Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester carried out royal engagements including some overseas tours.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester leaving for Australia in 1945; Photo Credit – Wikipedia, Commonwealth Department of Information – National Library of Australia

In 1965, while driving back to Barnwell Manor after attending the funeral of Winston Churchill, the Duke suffered a stroke causing a car accident. The Duchess suffered injuries to the face which required 57 stitches. Three years later, the Duke suffered another stroke which left him incapacitated. The Duchess continued to talk and read to her husband hoping he could hear and understand. In 1972, her elder son died in a crash at a plane show. Alice never did tell her husband about the death of their son William, but she thought he understood from watching television.

On June 14, 1973, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester died at Barnwell Manor, his country home at the age of 74. He was buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore near Windsor Castle. After the Duke’s death, his widow received permission from Queen Elizabeth II to style herself Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester to distinguish herself from her son’s wife.

Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester photographed with her dogs; Photo Credit – www.royal.gov.uk

On October 29, 2004, Princess Alice died peacefully in her sleep at Kensington Palace in London at the age of 102, the longest-lived member of the British Royal Family so far. Her funeral was held on November 5, 2004, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and was attended by members of the British Royal Family including Queen Elizabeth II. Alice was buried next to her husband and elder son in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England.

Graves of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. photo: www.findagrave.com

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