The Marriage of Princess Louise of Great Britain
Royal Union with John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne and Duke of Argyll
Sep 14, 2009
When Princess Louise of Great Britain, a daughter of Queen Victoria, married John Campbell, the Marquess of Lorne and future Duke of Argyll, it was the first marriage between a British royal and a commoner in 350 years. The difference in rank, however, meant that Princess Louise could enjoy freedoms and activities that her royal sisters could not, and although the marriage grew strained in later years it still let Louise live the relatively independent life she had always desired.
Finding a Husband for Princess Louise of Great Britain
Princess Louise (1848–1939) had always been the boldest and least obedient of Queen Victoria’s daughters, and finding her a man she would consent to marry was not easy. She didn’t like any of the appropriate foreign princes, and none would consent to live in England as Queen Victoria desired. But as the years went by and Louise remained unmarried, Victoria consented to a British marriage, provided that the proposed commoner be of the titled nobility.
John Douglas Campbell (1845–1914) was the Marquess of Lorne and son of the 8th Duke of Argyll, one of the most prestigious of the Scottish nobles. Lorne was wealthy and already a member of the House of Commons, and would one day inherit the dukedom of Argyll as well as many estates and castles. He also enjoyed the arts, like Princess Louise did, particularly poetry and other literary endeavors.
The Engagement and Wedding of Princess Louise and the Marquess of Lorne
Princess Louise was initially not interested in the marriage, but gradually realized that Lorne was the best candidate and that a union with him would not only work but would provide her with the freedom from the royal court that she had always wanted. They were not in love, and possibly never fell in love throughout their entire married life, but they got along and believed they could be content with each other.
Marriage between a royal and a commoner posed some problems, though. Lorne would always be of a lesser rank than his wife, and he would be required to give up some of his own freedom in order to serve his new mother-in-law. Louise’s older sisters who had married ranking German princes thought that marriage with a commoner was unsuitable, and Louise’s older brother Bertie didn’t like Lorne because he was a Liberal.
Nevertheless, once Queen Victoria gave her consent to the marriage no other objections mattered, and Princess Louise and the Marquess of Lorne were married on March 21, 1871, in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor.
The Early Married Life of Princess Louise and the Marquess of Lorne
Princess Louise reveled in the relative freedom of her new non-royal life and threw herself into the society of rich aristocrats and their artist friends. Louise and Lorne initially lived in Argyll Lodge, then moved to a townhouse in the fashionable and expensive Grosvenor Crescent. They later moved into the more affordable Kensington Palace, although they were able to enjoy more freedom away from the royal court at their country house in Kent.
The problems that would plague their entire married life showed up early. They were never able to have children, and while children may have brought them together as a couple, without them they had little in common and drifted further apart. They also had financial problems, as Lorne had a relatively small income until he inherited the dukedom of Argyll, and it was hard for them to keep up with their rich society friends.
The Work of Princess Louise and the Marquess of Lorne
Princess Louise was involved with the arts and charity. She founded and supported the Ladies’ Work Society, which taught middle class women fine arts and crafts so they could find respectable work. She also supported the Girls’ Public School Day Company.
When Lorne’s term in the House of Commons ended, Queen Victoria appointed him governor general of the Dominion of Canada. He was effectively made the head of state, and also had an ambassadorial role between Great Britain and Canada. It was a difficult job but he was good at it, and was even able to name a newly founded province Alberta after his wife’s middle name. Although it was a five-year appointment, Princess Louise grew bored and unhappy after only two years, returning to England in 1880 and causing an estrangement that their marriage would never recover from.
After returning from Canada, Lorne didn’t have much to do until he rejoined the House of Commons in 1895. In 1900 he finally became the 9th Duke of Argyll, but by this time he and his wife mostly lived apart. Princess Louise continued to be hard working, in particular doing charity work for the poor and young girls. Lorne became senile and eventually died of pneumonia in 1914.
The marriage of Princess Louise and John Campbell, the Marquess of Lorne and the Duke of Argyll, was not successful, but in it Louise was able to find a freedom that helped her to live her life to the fullest away from the strictness of the royal court.
Source:
Packard, Jerrold M. Victoria’s Daughters. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998.
 |
 |
