Princess Alice, Duchess Of Gloucester

Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, born Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott on December 25, 1901, was a member of the British royal family. She died on October 29, 2004, at the age of 102. She was the wife of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. Her children included Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

Her father was John Montagu Douglas Scott, Earl of Dalkeith, who later became the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. Her mother was Lady Margaret Alice Bridgeman, daughter of the 4th Earl of Bradford. She was a descendant, through unbroken male line, of Charles II via his illegitimate son James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. Her family was involved in Conservative politics, with her brothers Walter and William, and her nephew John, serving as Members of Parliament.

Born at Montagu House in Whitehall, London, she was the third daughter and fifth child in her family. Her childhood involved extensive traveling between estates such as Boughton House in Northamptonshire, Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, and Bowhill in the Scottish Borders, with Eildon Hall in Melrose as her base. At age 14, she nearly drowned in the Solway Firth, an experience which she recounted inspired her sense of purpose in serving her country.

Her education included attendance at St James's School for Girls in West Malvern, Worcestershire. She also traveled to France, Kenya, and India, and spent a year in Paris prior to her 1920 presentation at court. Alice was skilled in watercolor painting, and her work, including a piece created near Archers Post in Kenya, is part of the Royal Collection.

In 1935, she returned to the UK due to her father's deteriorating health. That same year, she became engaged to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. They married privately on November 6, 1935, at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Due to the death of her father shortly before the wedding and considerations regarding health and protocol, the marriage was held in a scaled-down ceremony rather than at Westminster Abbey.

Following her marriage, she was known as the Duchess of Gloucester. The couple initially resided at the Royal Pavilion in Aldershot. They later moved to York House at St James's Palace and in 1938 purchased Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire. The Duke and Duchess had two sons: Prince William of Gloucester (born December 18, 1941, died August 28, 1972) and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (born August 26, 1944).

During World War II, she was active in the Red Cross and the Order of St. John, and she held several commands in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, ultimately reaching the rank of Air Chief Marshal in 1990. She served as a deputy to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and was the Commandant-in-Chief of the Women's Royal Air Force.

Her service included numerous military and charitable roles. She was Colonel-in-Chief or deputy Colonel-in-Chief of multiple regiments in the British Army, patron of various trusts including the Girls' Day School Trust, and involved in several naval and military organizations across the Commonwealth nations.

In 1965, she survived a car accident following her husband's stroke. After the death of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, in 1968, she moved from York House at St James's Palace to an apartment at Kensington Palace. Her son Prince William was killed in a plane crash in 1972, and her husband died in 1974.

Alice published her memoirs in 1981, titled "The Memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester," with a revised edition in 1991. She was the first woman to be appointed a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1975. She retired from public duties at age 98, with her last public appearance occurring during her 100th birthday celebration in December 2001.

At her death, she was the oldest member of the British royal family and held the record as the longest-lived royal in history. Her funeral was held at St George's Chapel, Windsor, and she was interred in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore next to her husband and elder son.