Cecilia Underwood, 1st Duchess of Inverness
Cecilia Letitia Underwood, 1st Duchess of Inverness (* around 1785, † August 1, 1873 in Kensington Palace ) was a British noblewoman. She was the morganatic, second wife of Prince Augustus Frederick, 1st Duke of Sussex .
Life
She was a daughter of Arthur Gore , 2nd Earl of Arran (1734-1809) and his third wife Elizabeth Underwood († 1829). As the daughter of an earl, she was born as a courtesy lady .
Her first marriage was on May 14, 1815, as his second wife Sir George Buggin (1760-1825). He died on April 12, 1825. The marriage remained childless.
On May 2, 1831, she married in second marriage and as his second wife Prince Augustus Frederick, 1st Duke of Sussex, the sixth son of King George III. Marriage was illegal in Great Britain under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 . Since the marriage was not recognized in Great Britain, she took her mother's maiden name “Underwood” instead of her husband's surname with royal permission. The couple lived in rooms at Kensington Palace. She lived in these rooms even after her husband's death in 1843. On March 30, 1840, Queen Victoria bestowed the hereditary title Duchess of Inverness on her in her own right . The naming of this title refers to the title Earl of Inverness , which her husband held as a subordinate title since 1801. Since she had no children with Augustus Frederick either, her title of nobility expired on her death in 1873. She was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery at the side of Prince Augustus Frederick.
Salutation and title
- 1785–1815: Lady Cecilia Gore
- 1815–1831: Lady Cecilia Buggin
- 1831-1840: Lady Cecilia Underwood
- 1840–1873: Cecilia Underwood, 1st Duchess of Inverness
Web links
- Cecilia Letitia Underwood, 1st and last Duchess of Inverness, on thepeerage.com , accessed August 12, 2015.
- http://www.sandiegoaccountantsguide.com/library/Duchess-of-Inverness.php
Individual evidence
- ^ The London Gazette : 19842, 858 , March 31, 1840.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Underwood, Cecilia, 1st Duchess of Inverness |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gore, Lady Cecilia; Buggin, Lady Cecilia; Underwood, Lady Cecilia |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British noblewoman, 2nd morganatic wife of Prince Augustus Frederick, 1st Duke of Sussex |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1785 |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 1, 1873 |
| Place of death | Kensington Palace |