Social Victorians/People/Fife

Also Known As

Louise, Princess Royal

• Louise, Duchess of Fife
• Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar

Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife

• Family name: Duff
• Duke of Fife (U.K. peerage, created 1st 29 July 1889, 2 days after the wedding, remainder to "heirs male of his body"; created 2nd 24 April 1900, remainder to daughters of Louise and their male heirs)
• Viscount Macduff (1857–1879)
• The 6th Earl Fife (1879–1889)
• Marquess of Macduff (27 July 1889 – 29 January 1912)

Organizations

• The Royal Mob

Timeline

1889 July 27, Saturday, Alexander Duff and Princess Louise of Wales married.

1897 July 2, Friday, the 1st Duke and Duchess of Fife attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. (She is # 177 in the list of attendees; he is #15.)

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

Alexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife in costume of the period of Henri II. © National Portrait Gallery, London.

The portrait by Lafayette of Alexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife in costume of the period of Henri II is photogram #10 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "The Duke of Fife / H.R.H. The Duchess of Fife, in costume of period of Henri II," with a Long S in Duchess.

Louise, Duchess of Fife

Princess Louise of Wales, Duchess of Fife sat at Table 7 in the first seating for supper. The newspapers disagree about her costume: the Pall Mall Gazette and the Graphic say she was in white with silver, and the others say white and gold.

• She accompanied the Princess of Wales as one of the ladies of her Court, along with the Duchess of York, Princess Victoria of Wales, Princess Charles of Denmark, and Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein.
• Her "ivory satin dress was ornamented with thickly massed flowers and conventional foliage, raised from the surface in gold bullion. This appeared both on the skirt and bodice, and there was a high gold lace collar, and the long sleeves were finished with cuffs of similar lace. The Duchess of Fife also wore a beautiful diamaond parure."
• "The Princess of Wales [was attended by] the Duchess of Fife, in ivory satin, embroidered in gold ….. All the Princesses wore a profusion of diamonds."
• "The Duchess of Fife looked very sweet in white and gold."

• "Very effective also was the costume worn by the Duchess of Fife, and carried out in white satin, embroidered in diamonds and silver."
• According to Lady Violet Greville's article in The Graphic, "The Duchess of Fife was in a white satin, wrought with silver and diamonds, and she wore a diadem of diamonds in her hair."

Alexander Duff, Duke of Fife

At the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 fancy-dress ball, Alexander Duff, Duke of Fife sat at Table 1 at the first supper seating and was dressed as "a gentleman of the Court of Henri II."

Alexander Duff, Duke of Fife

• He was dressed "in a Henry II. costume of royal blue velvet, embroidered in gold, and slashed with black satin, a white ruff, and a blue velvet toque, with gold chain and white feathers."
• He was dressed in "royal blue, was a gentleman of the Court of Henri II."
• He was dressed "as a courtier, late Elizabethan period."
• He was dressed in "Royal [illegible] (temp. Henry II.). Royal blue velvet, the doublet and tunic slashed with black satin, edged with gold cut beads; blue velvet cloak embroidered in gold and turned back with black satin, with which the sleeves were puffed lengthwise; blue velvet toque hat with gold chain round it and a white feather, and white ruff."
• The "Duke of Fife [was one of the] courtiers of the same Elizabethan period."
• The Duke of Fife, "in the character of a stately courtier of Elizabeth, with black velvet cap, wore an indigo silk doublet, bordered with broad gold braiding, and slashed with black satin embroidered at the edges in fine gold. The trunks, also of indigo blue silk with a double row of slashes, were similarly ornamented; and the sleeves of the doublet were slashed from wrist to shoulder, and relieved with gold; in the manner of the pourpoint. The mantle was of royal blue velvet, turned back and lined with black satin, and its short wide sleeves were, like the folds of the cloak, edged with gold. The hose were of black silk, and the shoes were enriched with gold ornamentation. A chain and jewel hung from beneath the starched ruff, and the Royal blue sword belt secured a black velvet scabbard, in which was sheathed the gilt-hilted sword."
• He "looked well as a courtier of the later Elizabethan period, in his dark blue silk costume slashed with black satin and braided with bold, and his mantle of royal blue velvet."
• "THE DUKE OF FIFE. Courtier late Elizabethan period. Doublet, indigo blue silk, edged with broad braiding, and with six long slashes of black satin, three on each side, and edged with fine gold embroidery. Trunks, indigo blue silk, with a double row of slashes, eight on each leg, embroidered with gold edging. Sleeves of doublet slashed from wrist to shoulder, embroidered same as pourpoint. Mantle of Royal blue velvet, turned back and lined with black satin. Short wide sleeves to mantle edged and embroidered with fine gold embroidery, the turn back of the mantle edged with gold. Hose of black silk. Shoes embroidered on the front with gold. Ruff. Gold chain and jewel round neck. Sword-belt, Royal blue velvet embroidered and edged with gold. Sword, black velvet scabbard, gilt hilt. Pointed lace cuffs. Blue velvet Elizabethan cap."
• "Duke of Fife, in royal blue, was a courtier of Marguerite de Valois, as in duty bound."
• The Duke of Fife "looked well as a Courtier, late Elizabethan period, in a doublet, indigo blue silk, edged with broad gold braiding; trunks, indigo blue silk; mantle of royal blue velvet turned back and lined with black satin; gold chain and jewel round neck; blue velvet Elizabethan cap."
• The Duke of Fife, "as a courtier of late Elizabethan Period, wore a blue silk doublet with gold bands, and trunks of blue silk, slashed with gold embroidery. Mantle of Royal blue velvet, black hose, and embroidered shoes."
• The Duke of Fife's original costume appeared in the Drury Lane production of The White Heather.

Demographics

• Nationality: she, British; he, Scots

Residences

• London residence: 15 Portman Square
• Aberdeenshire: Mar Lodge
• Banff: Mountcoffer House

Family

• Alexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife (10 November 1849 – 29 January 1912)
• Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar (20 February 1867 – 4 January 1931)

1. Alastair Duff, Marquess of Macduff (stillborn 16 June 1890)
2. Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise (17 May 1891 – 26 February 1959)
3. Maud Alexandra Victoria Georgina Bertha (3 April 1893 – 14 December 1945)

Relations

Louise, Princess Royal, is the 3rd child and 1st daughter of Albert Edward, Prince and Alexandra, Princess of Wales.