Royal News and Views

Royal News and Views
[ Royal News and Views ]

On This Day

Posted by Karen on October 29, 2024, 10:00 am

2004 - Princess Alice, Duchess of Glouceste died at the age of 102. She was the first woman appointed as Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1975. In 1981, she first published her memoirs under the title The Memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. In 1991, she released a revised edition as Memories of Ninety Years. Princess Alice officially retired from public duties at the age of 98. In December 2001, the Royal Family held a ceremony to acknowledge Princess Alice's 100th birthday. It was the Princess's last public appearance.

Lady Alice with her sister. She is sat on the chair. I can see her son Prince William in her looks.

The Weddin in 1935. 5 year old Princess Margaret and 9 year old Princess Elizabeth were flower girls. (Yes another photo with no one smiling

)

The Duchess of Gloucester in her coronation robes for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937.

One of the photos taken on her 100th birthday.

Re: On This Day

Posted by Hollie24 on October 29, 2024, 11:20 am, in reply to "On This Day"

William did look a lot like his mother. He had her beautiful bone structure and her beautiful eyes. The current Duke also looks like his mother. I think her granddaughter, Lady Davina, looks a lot like Alice as well.

I think the sister with Alice in this lovely photo is Lady Sybil. Alice, Sybil, and their older sister Mida (Margaret Ida) were all lifelong friends with QEQM. Alice was very quiet, but she had a sharp sense of humor and a very dry wit. She was also stoic and endured some truly terrible tragedies. I like her very much.

Re: On This Day

Posted by Karen on October 29, 2024, 12:13 pm, in reply to "Re: On This Day"

I admire and like her as well. I think the most tragic thing she ever had to endure was the death of William on her own. In her memoirs she says that she didn't tell her husband of their Son's death due the fact he was in such poor health.

Re: On This Day

Posted by Hollie24 on October 29, 2024, 1:24 pm, in reply to "Re: On This Day"

Yes, she bore William's death basically by herself. I did read that the Duke was aware of William's death on some level. I think it was Hugo Vickers (?) who wrote that the Duke was in tears in the days following William's death. Or maybe it was Alice herself in her autobiography?In any event, it seems he knew something had happened and was deeply distressed.

Alice's family adored her.Lady Davina and her new husband spent time with her on their wedding day because she was too unwell to go to the church. She objected to moving from Barnwell Manor to KP (only natural), but she was well looked-after there and saw her son and her grandchildren frequently. The Queen was genuinely moved at Alice's funeral.

I'll stop now.

Re: On This Day

Posted by Nellie on October 29, 2024, 5:08 pm, in reply to "On This Day"

Re: On This Day

Posted by karenl on October 29, 2024, 6:52 pm, in reply to "Re: On This Day"

I really liked Princess Alice. I had several Royal Family yearbooks from the early to mid-80's, Princess Alice was always a hit with the public.
The late Prince William really inherited his mother's features. HRH went through many tragedies and they made her a strong woman.
Thanks for the photos Karen and Nellie.

Re: On This Day-Related Article

Posted by karenl on October 29, 2024, 7:17 pm, in reply to "Re: On This Day"

The article focuses on Alice's fabulous jewelry collection, but there are some nice photos and short videos of HRH.
Princess Alice broke tradition by wearing a stunning pink bridal gown and veil for her wedding to Henry. Her father tragically died shortly before the wedding and she remained in mourning. The ceremony itself was pared down to a small gathering.

https://royalwatcherblog.com/2024/10/29/gloucester-diamond-bandeau-tiara/#more-145079

Re: On This Day

Posted by Nellie on October 29, 2024, 9:16 pm, in reply to "Re: On This Day"

Just testing to see if I can post a bigger version of my pic.
Photobucket have made changes!

And another pic from Alice's memoir (which is not full size!)

Re: On This Day

Posted by Hollie24 on October 29, 2024, 9:52 pm, in reply to "On This Day"

Alice was given some spectacular jewels upon her marriage to Henry. In addition to the items given by her family, Alice received a beautiful parure assembled by Queen Mary from the Queen's personal collection. Alice got more jewelry when Queen Mary died.Mary seems to have designated diamonds for QEQM, sapphires for Marina, and emeralds for Alice. Alice gave her daughter-in-law full access to most of her jewels when Birgitte became the Duchess of Gloucester. I include here an article and videos of Alice in action, accompanies by her emeralds.

https://royalwatcherblog.com/2022/06/20/duchess-of-gloucesters-emerald-necklace/

One more thing

Posted by Hollie24 on October 29, 2024, 10:00 pm, in reply to "Re: On This Day"

It was Alice who brought Norman Hartnell to the attention of the-then Duchess of York. Alice had been a long-time client of his and he designed the flower girl dresses and wedding gown for Alice's wedding. He also designed her trousseau. Hartnell designed almost all of Elizabeth and her daughters' clothes from shortly after the 1937 Coronation onwards.

Re: One more thing

Posted by karenl on October 30, 2024, 12:37 am, in reply to "One more thing"

The article relates Alice's travels before marrying Henry. She lived for a time in Kenya, traveled to India and then to Afghanistan which was illegal in those days and a problem for a woman. Alice had to dress as an Afghan man in order to enter the country. I read an article about Alice and her travels especially to Afghanistan, it was really daring at the time. I think it was in RDQ. I'll have to look, but I don't think I have the magazine any more since I had to downsize.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1475420/A-Royal-servant-and-adventurer.html

Re: One more thing

Posted by Hollie24 on October 30, 2024, 1:56 am, in reply to "Re: One more thing"

Alice wrote about her travels in her memoir. She really did engage in a number of adventures and I think she'd have been a fun dinner guest.

She and her husband appeared to be very staid and quiet, but they were anything but! IIRC, Alice and Henry met while they were both in Africa and both involved with other people. I can't recall who Alice was involved with, but Henry had an affair with Beryl Markham, who was married. Alice was very sporty and so was Henry, so they bonded over that. In her memoirs Alice wrote that Henry's proposal wasn't romantic They were both single again and Henry sort of mumbled about marriage one time and that was it.

I don't believe it was a love match at first. I think it was a like-match. They were both in their 30s and Henry was getting pressured to marry and settle down by his parents, while Alice thought it was time to move into a new chapter in her life. I think they grew to love each other after they got married.

Sorry, I just like Alice so much!

« Back to index

204

[ Royal News and Views ]