Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott - 1935

[Marengo]

On 6 November 1935 Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; 3rd son of King George V and Queen Mary, married Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, daughter of the duke of Buccleugh and Queensberry. The wedding was planned to take place in the Westminster Abbey but since the father of the bride died shortly before the wedding it was scaled down and they married in the Chapel Royal at St. James' palace:



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[Marengo]

And another picture:



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[James in London]

I'd always thought Alice compared poorly to Marina: having been a bride only a year apart. But seeing those pics (I assume Beaton), she held her own. She may not have had Marina's beauty, but she was a magnificent 1930's bride...

[Elspeth]

Well, she was a few years older than Marina, and she was married shortly after the death of her father so I think the wedding was scaled back (although you'd never know it from the Beaton portraits).

I think both Alice and Marina improved in their looks as they aged. Marina was a genuine beauty, but Alice had a delicate prettiness that didn't really show to best advantage when she was younger.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Marengo

On 6 November 1935 Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; 3rd son of King George V and Queen Mary, married Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, daughter of the duke of Buccleugh and Queensberry. The wedding was planned to take place in the Westminster Abbey but since the father of the bride died shortly before the wedding it was scaled down and they married in the Chapel Royal at St. James' palace:

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It was the Chapel of Buckingham Palace not St. James. I had read somewhere that the didn't postpone the Wedding for a longer time because of the health of King George V.

[Mermaid1962]

Marina had such a regal, exotic look. From her pictures, I have the impression of someone who could be rather grand and intimidating--although I could be wrong. Alice had, as you've said, "a delicate prettiness." She looked like the archtypal girl-next-door, even though she came from an old, aristocratic family. She was also a lady who's entire face would light up when she smiled.

Originally Posted by Elspeth

Well, she was a few years older than Marina, and she was married shortly after the death of her father so I think the wedding was scaled back (although you'd never know it from the Beaton portraits).

I think both Alice and Marina improved in their looks as they aged. Marina was a genuine beauty, but Alice had a delicate prettiness that didn't really show to best advantage when she was younger.

[James in London]

Agree with all of this, but seldom else did Alice look beautiful or glamorous. On her wedding day she did, but I guess that is the glow of the bride.

And of course, few people could compete with Marina, but then she had such a tragic lot in life really...

[pamk]

Marina really became very stylish after her marriage - she and her husband were so good-looking as a couple - very chic.

Alice was always very pretty, but stayed in the background - she didn't mingle with high society like Marina did.

[Catherine Helvin]

Originally Posted by Marengo

And another picture:




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That train looks a long one. How long was it, roughly?

[Dierna23]

The movie about the wedding and many stills can be found here: British Pathe - THE ROYAL WEDDING (aka DUKE AND DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER'S WEDDING)

[Thena]

Wedding Wednesday: Alice, Duchess of Gloucester's Gown

Quite a few amazing things about this gown, including the fact that it was pearl pink instead of white. Also, this was the first royal commission for Norman Hartnell. He designed the bridal gown and the bridesmaids gowns worn by Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Hartnell would go on to design Queen Elizabeth's coronation gown.

[PrincessKaimi]

Great story - and what a lovely bride, gown included. At first I wondered why everyone looked so somber, but the story explains.

The title held by the bride's father, Duke of Buccleuch (one of his titles) was created for an illegitimate son of Charles II (of England, Scotland and Ireland) in 1663. Before that, the Countess of Buccleuch (the son's wife) had held the title in her own right and she was created Duchess of Buccleuch in her own right. The Queensberry title was created for William Douglas, a Scots commoner and politician, who was first a Marquis then two years later elevated to Duke (in 1686, I think). His son, James Douglas, inherited his titles and became Privy Councillor of Scotland. Apparently, they've been amongst Scottish nobility ever since. The title was split between two cousins of Charles Douglas later (one getting the Dukedom, the other the Marquessate). Charles had died without male issue and one of the cousins was named Scott. My ancestors were Montagu not that long ago, so I was interested in how these last names came together in this family, genealogy is always interesting.

There's more of this story on this wiki:

Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It always saddens me to see how titles and property are taken away from girls when they are the only surviving child of their parents...but history is what it is. Fascinating!

Anyway, I found this story led to all kinds of interesting facts about the bride's family and helped me understand the creation and passage of titles amongst the nobility.

[Thena]

It must have been difficult circumstances for a wedding. Not only had the bride just lost her father but there were concerns about the health of George V. The couple opted not to postpone the wedding because they didn't know how much time the king had left.

I also read that the king wrote a letter to Alice after the wedding where he said he hoped he could be the father she was missing. He died two months after the wedding, so it was a double tragedy for her.

[PrincessKaimi]

That's so sad. She looks beautiful, but it's all so bittersweet. This story has somehow been lost (at least to me) in all the other stories of that era. So glad it was brought up here.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

She's not as beautiful as Marina, and her husband not my favorite son of George and Mary, but their story is so fascinating. It sometimes makes me sad to see a bride being escorted by her brother, or in Margaret's case brother in law; makes me wonder how both of them could have brought it together on a day that is supposed to be so happy. So that's Alice huh? I've only heard of her when she is brought up as having outlived Elizabeth QM in the longest living royals contest.
Her dress reminds me of Marina's and Grand Duchess Irina, I really like that style.

[Mermaid1962]

That's really quite sweet of him, considering the kind of bluff personality he had. George V seems to have been kind to his daughters-in-law, and he seems to have been better at putting his feelings in writing than in expressing them verbally.

Originally Posted by Thena

I also read that the king wrote a letter to Alice after the wedding where he said he hoped he could be the father she was missing. He died two months after the wedding, so it was a double tragedy for her.

[Mariel]

Princess Kalmi, there are a few titles which have gone to "girls". Lady of Rothes was a title which was held by the daughter (only child) of Peter de Pollock, who had castles in Renfrewshire an Rothes in the 12th century. His daughter Muriel had only a daughter, Eva, who also had the title Lady of Rothes. Eva's daughter (I do not have the name) married Sir Norman de Leslyn and I suppose she still had the title Lady of Rothes until she had a son...in subsequent years, the title could go to a woman only when there was no male claimant, and the last Lady of Rothes was Lady Georgiana Maxwell in the late 20th century. That's all I know about it.

[Lumutqueen]

Patricia Knatchbull, Countess of Burma inherited her title from her father Lord Louis Mountbatten.

[NoorMeansLight]

Lady Alice had a very delicate beauty! I don't see why we should compare her to any other royal lady.
I remember reading that her wedding day was so cold and rainy, that the bride was dubbed 'Winter Princess' soon afterwards.

[CyrilVladisla]

Even though her father, John Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch died before the wedding, could Lady Alice still have gotten married in Westminster Abbey?