The oldest British Royal in history. Although born in London, Alice was the daughter of John Montagu Douglas Scott, the 7th Duke of Buccleuch (1864 - 1935) and was a regular visitor to Scotland. She was educated initially at home, then at St. James School (Malvern) and in Paris. An accomplished watercolourist, she quickly developed a life-long passion for travel, spending time working in Kenya, and then travelling around Africa, India and Afghanistan. Her sense of adventure was such that she nearly drowned in the Solway Firth in her early twenties. In 1935, she married Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and third son of George V, in a private ceremony at the chapel in Buckingham Palace, with her nieces the future Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret as bridesmaids.
During World War II, Alice accompanied her husband to Australia, where he served as Governor-General, and to Canada. She served as Colonel-in-Chief of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, Air Chief Marshall of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (from 1940), was on the Council of the Red Cross and Patron to a large number of organisations.
She died in Kensington Palace (London), two months short of her 103rd birthday, having overtaken the longevity record set by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900 - 2002). Her funeral was held in St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle and she was laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore. She will be remembered as an independent, hard-working, but discrete, member of the Royal family.
