Lady Alice Egerton
Encyclopedia
Lady Alice Egerton CVO
(7 August 1923–7 October 1977) was a British
courtier.
Lady Alice was the youngest child of the 4th Earl of Ellesmere
and his wife, Violet. In 1949, she replaced her sister, Lady Margaret Colville, as a Lady-in-Waiting
to the then Princess Elizabeth
and became a Woman of the Bedchamber
in 1953. Lady Alice never married and held a continuous time of service for the next twenty-four years.
In 1977, she was found dead in her home near Flodden Field
in Northumberland
; the suicide was believed to have been brought about by Lady Alice having been dismissed from the Royal Household
, allegedly for warning the Queen about Prince Philip
's infidelity.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(7 August 1923–7 October 1977) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
courtier.
Lady Alice was the youngest child of the 4th Earl of Ellesmere
John Egerton, 4th Earl of Ellesmere
Lieutenant-Colonel John Francis Granville Scrope Egerton, 4th Earl of Ellesmere MVO KJStJ was a British peer and soldier, known as Viscount Brackley before 1914....
and his wife, Violet. In 1949, she replaced her sister, Lady Margaret Colville, as a Lady-in-Waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to the then Princess Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and became a Woman of the Bedchamber
Woman of the Bedchamber
In the Royal Household of the United Kingdom the term Woman of the Bedchamber is used to describe a woman attending either a queen regnant or queen consort, in the role of Lady-in-Waiting...
in 1953. Lady Alice never married and held a continuous time of service for the next twenty-four years.
In 1977, she was found dead in her home near Flodden Field
Battle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
; the suicide was believed to have been brought about by Lady Alice having been dismissed from the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
, allegedly for warning the Queen about Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
's infidelity.