PRINCESS LOUISE, DUCHESS OF ARGYLL
VA, CI, GCVO, GBE, RRC
(Louisa Caroline Alberta; 18 March 1848 – 3 December 1939)
Early life
Princess Louisa Caroline Alberta was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace on 18th March 1848. In a family of nine children, she was the fourth of five daughters. However, amid all the pomp and ceremony of the Victorian era her privileged life was to have an element of sadness.
As she grew, she was considered to be the most artistic, the most beautiful and most rebellious daughter. Her natural creative talents were encouraged by Prince Albert and after his early death in 1861 Victoria allowed further art training, first privately in the usual confines of Buckingham Palace, but later publicly at London’s National Art Training School. Here she excelled in sculpture and, tellingly, found the bohemian artistic lifestyle exhilarating.
As a young woman she took on the duties of Victoria’s informal private secretary and proved very capable, but her early involvement with London’s artistic community brought accusations of improper behaviour.
Inevitably her marriage prospects were regularly under consideration with the prospect of entering European Royal bloodlines as with her siblings. However, events conspired to break this longstanding protocol.
A deep personal friend of Victoria and a close contemporary was George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll. In 1847, a year before Louise was born, the Queen, Prince Albert and the Royal family embarked on a visit to the west coast of Scotland aboard the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert. The vessel anchored at the Tail of the Bank to huge public interest and the Queen made several local excursions. Crowd numbers were estimated at 100,000 on the shoreline or embarked on private or passenger vessels. The royal cruise then proceeded via Rothesay and the Kyles of Bute to Inveraray, family seat of George Campbell. (Note: At a subsequent visit in 1849 the Royal Yacht anchored in Camsail Bay overnight).
Hurried preparations at Inveraray combined with fair weather led to a successful occasion (lunch and a carriage ride) but significantly, amongst those waiting prominently to greet her at the castle entrance was John Campbell, George’s two-year-old son and heir - the Marquis of Lorne. It was a significant moment and years later Victoria was to arrange a love match for Louise.
Marriage
Twenty-four years later the couple married in St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle to huge public acclaim in London, Glasgow and Argyll then took up residence at No.1, Grosvenor Square, Mayfair. Along with his election as M.P. for Argyll, Lorne was appointed to several royal duties, but his gay tendencies caused disquiet and affected their marriage.
In 1878, at the instigation of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and to Victoria’s great pleasure, Lorne was appointed Governor General of Canada. His four-year term of office was a moderate success, although internal politics proved difficult. Louise, as Viceregal consort, promoted the arts and tourism, but was not happy in Montreal taking regular extended visits home and spending long winter months in the warmer climes of Bermuda, where a grandiose new hotel in Hamilton was named in her honour. Whilst in Canada Louise was injured in a sleigh ride accident. She sustained a slight head injury, but information was released in a restricted manner, again causing ill feeling amongst Canadian society.
On completion of Lorne’s duties, the couple toured Canada then returned to London in 1883 living in Kensington Palace. Louise actively engaged in many public duties. She was a liberal minded feminist who later supported the suffragettes and acquired a reputation for being “unconventional”. However, the strained and childless marriage caused concern with unsubstantiated rumours of Louise having affairs during extended periods of separation.
Louise developed an affinity with Rosneath and it became a favoured abode, far removed from London gossip. It was also preferred to the austere atmosphere of Inveraray Castle and increasing friction with Lorne’s father who, on the death of Lorne’s mother, had remarried.
Rosneath
The 8th Duke's finances were never strong and at times Rosneath Castle with its grouse moor was hired out to wealthy clients. At such times the couple would stay at the old Ferry Inn a modest accommodation for travellers at Rhu Narrows, a modest accommodation for travellers. Here, away from the pressures of London life they relaxed perhaps a little too much. The story goes that the Queen discovered, much to her displeasure, that they were patronising too closely with the village community.
In 1895, amidst escalating friction between Lorne and his father, the couple raised £170,000 to purchase Rosneath Estate.
Under pressure from Victoria, Louise embarked on a project to enlarge the Ferry Inn to include accommodation befitting a Royal Princess. Advised by an art school friend, the garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, she commissioned young, rising architect, Edwin Lutyens. The two worked closely on the details. Louise went as far as to paint a magnificent inn sign (unique in being the example ever to be created by a Royal Princess). However, as so often with Louise rumours of an affair circulated.
The extension, completed in 1897, retained the original name “The Ferry Inn”. It was a substantial Arts and Crafts villa of elegant architectural form although not appreciated in all quarters. An article in the local newspaper reported that it looked like a distillery. Better informed opinion was more enthusiastic. (Unfortunately, the original inn was demolished in 1960s and the inn sign lost but the extensive Lutyens extension has survived. It is one of only two Lutyens designs in Scotland.
Although Louise was greatly involved in the project she did not often reside at The Ferry Inn. During the Boar War it was designated a military convalescence hospital.
The death of the 8th Duke in 1900 coupled with the adverse funeral demands of his third wife brought longstanding family tensions to a head, necessitating the personal intervention of Queen Victoria. However, in due course Lorne was elevated to the House of Lords as a Scottish Peer. Privately he retained his familiar name of Lorne.
In 1901 Victoria died and Edwardian era of high-profile royal activities began. Louise participated in the new, active social order although when away from court she maintained her privacy often travelling incognito as Mrs Campbell.
As time passed, she grew closer to her ailing husband and devotedly nursed him in declining physical and mental health. Matters deteriorated in 1911 when Rosneath Castle sustained considerable fire damage.
At Rosneath in 1912, Princess Louise inaugurated the formation of the Rosneath Scout Troop under Rosneath Schoolmaster Mr G. Young. This later included the Sea Scouts under the leadership of A. McGruer. Their launch was called “Seagull”. In 1913 Louise became the patron of all scouting in Dunbartonshire.
Death of Lorne – 9th Duke of Argyll
Lorne died of double pneumonia in 1914 whilst staying at Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight. His body was brought by train to Craigendoran then, amidst great funerial ceremony, by P.S. Marmion to Rosneath pier. Here the steamer was met by many local dignitaries, tenant farmers and estate workers, plus soldiers convalescing at the Ferry Inn. The coffin was drawn along Ferry Road to St Modan’s Church on an especially made carriage by a relay of estate workers, whist the band of the Training Ship Empress played a mournful dirge Princess Louise and Naill Campbell, heir to the Dukedom, led the mourners. At St Modan’s Lorne’s body lay in state for three days and, at special request of Louise, members of the Rosneath Scout troop kept vigil. The coffin was then transferred to the Argyll mausoleum at Kilmun.
Although their marriage had not been close Lorne’s death caused Louise deep distress leading to loneliness and isolation. Through the First World War she withdrew from public duties and sought seclusion in Kensington Palace. Later, as Dowager Duchess, Louise spent much time at Rosneath taking an active and detailed part in village and life. In his book The Glimmering Landscape, Charles Warr, son of the then Rosneath minister, relates how she took his father to task over the positioning of the church’s new bicycle shed! Other anecdotes continue this theme.
In 1920 the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada were rededicated as “Princess Louise’s Own” and in 1927 she expressed the desire that Dunbartonshire Girl Guides be called “Princess Louise’s Own”.
She continued her responsibilities at St Modan’s Church maintaining the church organ and the vestry. In 1931, in memory of Lorne and his father the chancel was extended to include a stained-glass window and the Reredos representing “The Last Supper” was installed behind the altar. She also donated Queen Victoria’s bible which continues to be on display in the chancel.
Death Of Princess Louise
Princess Louise expressed the wish that if she were to die in Scotland her remains should be interred in the Campbell Mausoleum at Kilmun beside her late husband. In the event her death took place, on 3rd December 1939, at Kensington Palace and the funeral Service was held at St George’s Chapel. Hers was a simple ceremony due to the onset of the Second World War. On the same day a funeral service was held at St Modan’s Church widely attended with uniformed representation by the Rosneath Scouts, Sea Scouts, Girl Guides and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Princess Louise’s ashes were interred at Frogmore Mausoleum, Windsor.
History of Princess Louise provided with special thanks to Richard Reeve. 26th August 2022
TOMOBB September 2022
