by Scott Mehl

Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland

Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland, served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria from 1870 until 1874. She was born Anne Hay-Mackenzie on April 21, 1829, the only child of John Hay-Mackenzie of Newhall and Cromarty and Anne Gibson-Craig.

Through her father, Anne was the great-great-granddaughter of George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie, who had participated in the Jacobite rising of 1745, the attempt of Charles Edward Stuart to take the British throne for the House of Stuart. He was captured, tried and sentenced to death, but managed to get a pardon. In exchange for his life, he was stripped of his titles and all of his estates were confiscated. His eldest son was able to get the family’s estates restored in 1784, but not the titles.

On June 27, 1849, Anne married George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Marquess of Stafford (later 3rd Duke of Sutherland), the son of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland and Lady Harriet Howard. Anne and George had five children:

George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Earl Gower (1850) – died in childhood

Cromartie, 4th Duke of Sutherland (1851) – married Lady Millicent St Clair-Erskine, had issue

Francis Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl of Cromartie (1852) – married the Hon. Lilian Bosville Macdonald, had issue

Lady Florence Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1855) – married Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin, had issue

Lady Alexandra Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1866) – unmarried

Anne became Duchess of Sutherland on February 22, 1861 upon her husband’s accession to the dukedom. Later that year, she also received titles of her own. On October 21, 1861, Anne was created Countess of Cromartie, Viscountess Tarbat, Baroness Castlehaven and Baroness MacLeod in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. These were all titles previously held by her ancestors, and were granted with special remainder to her younger son, Francis. She also inherited Castle Leod in the Scottish Highlands, the seat of the Earls of Cromartie going back to the 17th century.

In 1870, she succeeded her sister-in-law, Elizabeth, Duchess of Argyll, as Mistress of the Robes, and served until 1874. The position had also previously been held by her mother-in-law, Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland, four different times between 1837 and 1861.

The Duchess of Sutherland died on November 25, 1888 at Stafford House in London. She is buried at Babbacombe Cemetery in Torquay, Devon.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

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