by Scott Mehl

Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll

Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria from 1860 to 1870. She was born Elizabeth Georgiana Leveson-Gower on May 30, 1824, the eldest child of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland and Lady Harriet Howard, who served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria four different times between 1837 and 1861. Elizabeth had ten siblings:

Elizabeth married George Douglas Campbell, Marquess of Lorne (later 8th Duke of Argyll) at Trentham Hall on July 31, 1844, in a ceremony officiated by the Archbishop of York. He was the son of John Campbell, 7th Duke of Argyll and Joan Glassel. The couple had met at Taymouth Castle in 1842, when Elizabeth accompanied Queen Victoria on her first visit to Scotland. Elizabeth and George quickly began their family, and had 12 children:

The couple took up residence at Rosneath House, given to them by her husband’s father, and enjoyed a very close and happy marriage. Both held strong interest in liberal policies, and shared many of the same interests. Three years after their marriage, Elizabeth’s husband became Duke of Argyll and chief of Clan Campbell upon his father’s death. He also became Master of the Household in Scotland, an hereditary office which had been held by the Earls and Dukes of Argyll since the reign of King James IV of Scotland. Upon his accession, he also inherited Inveraray Castle, the seat of the Dukes of Argyll in Scotland, and Argyll Lodge in London.

Much like her mother, Elizabeth was an ardent supporter of the abolitionist movement, and helped draft a letter to the women of the United States calling for an end to slavery. After the letter was sent to Harriet Beecher Stowe – author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin – the two began a correspondence and friendship which lasted for many years. She and her husband also developed a friendship with Charles Sumner, an American politician and leader in the anti-slavery movement.

The Duchess of Argyll was appointed Mistress of the Robes in December 1868. She served for just over a year before resigning in January 1870 due to her ill health. (She had suffered a mild stroke earlier in 1868, and never fully recovered.) She was succeeded by her sister-in-law, Anne, The Duchess of Sutherland. The following year, her eldest son John married Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter, Princess Louise, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

The Duchess of Argyll died in London on May 25, 1878, while dining with the former Prime Minister Gladstone. She was just 53 years old. She is buried beside her husband in the Argyll Mausoleum at the Kilmun Parish Church in Kilmun, Scotland.

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

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