Duchesses who reach 100 years

[pyvery]

I think that in the last week Fortune the Dowager Duchess of Grafton celebrated her 100th birthday.I wonder how many other Duchesses have reaches this age?

[David Gabriel]

In Uk peerages only? Queen Elizabeth as Duchess of Lancaster and Normandy in 2000, Duchess of Gloucester in 2001 and now Dowager Duchess of Grafton. 12 woman as far as I know reach 100 birthday who were duchesses.

[Richard R]

Thanks David Gabriel. Asides from the late Duchess of Gloucester, can you list the other duchesses you think have achieved the age of 100?

With regard to Queen ELIZABETH II. As the 'font of all honour' she cannot hold any title lower than Queen. Here's some remarks I made from an earlier post:

The Sovereign's style as "Duke of Lancaster" is just that, a convention, not an actual peerage and stems, I think, from Henry IV's decision to keep the revenues from that duchy for the Crown's use after he 'succeeded' to the latter in 1399. It is not a title used in any proclamation or other formal document or at a coronation. The dukedom of Normandy is in a different category (ie not a hereditary peerage created by a British sovereign). The duchy passed to the The Conqueror's eldest son on the former's death and was held briefly by other immediate descendants of William I until it was confiscated by the King of France early in the 13th century. The British Crown retained The Channel Islands and they still refer to The Queen as 'Duke of Normandy' there, along the same lines as Lancaster. Louis XIV of France styled Charles II's brother (the future James VII & II) as 'Duke of Normandy' but I don't think there was any formal granting of the title and lands to him.

[David Gabriel]

Other duchesses that lived to be 100 years old were:

Duchess Oda of Saxony (805-913)

Duchess Elisabeth of Saxe – Lauenburg, born von Weinsberg (1397-1498)

Duchess Maria Josefa de Alcudia y de Sueca, born de Pardo y Manuel de Villena (13 Feb 1869 – 7 Jan 1976)

Duchess Felicie de Dino nee Countess Talleyrand de Perigord  (12 Dec 1878 – 9 Jan 1981)

Duchess of Carosino, Laura de Giovanni Greuther dei duchi de Santa Severina married de Rosa (8 Aug 1879 – 5 Oct 1984)

Duchess Lucie de Tervueren  née Lucie Mundutey, (30 Oct 1900 – 8 Feb 2005)

Principessa Fernanda Brancaccio, Duchess di Lustra nee Ceccarelli (7 Jul 1907 – 21 Oct 2014)

Duchess Maria de la Marcedes of Vistahermosa (12 Mar 1911 – 10 May 2011)

Duchessa Elena Visconti nee Castellini (26 Nov 1914 – 11 Sep 2015)

Duchess Hélène Claire Marie de Rohan, Princesse de Leon nee de Liencourt (b.11 Mar 1915)

Beatrice Vergara Caffarelli, Duchessa di Craco nee Pasqualino di Marineo (9 Jun 1915 – Dec 2016)

Duchessa di Bagnoli, Giuseppina Sanfelice (5 Mar 1917 – Apr 2019)

Duchess Woizlawa – Feodore zu Mecklenburg – Schwerin, Princess of Reuss (17 Dec 1918 – 3 Jun 2019)

The Duchess of Grafton nee Ann Fortune Smith (b. 24 Feb 1920)

upcoming birthdays:

Donna Anna, Duchessa Ruffo, Principessa della Floresta nee Benincasa 26 Mar 1920 – 

Duchess and Princess Gabrielle Marie of Arenberg nee de Lambertye – Gerbéviller 8 Sep 1920 –

Died in their 100th year and not became centenarians:

Duchesse Marie Therese de La Vallière nee de Noailes (30 Oct 1684 – 24 Apr 1784)

Duchess Ornella Revaschieri Fieschi dei Duchi di Roccapiemonte (16 Jun 1904 – 3 Apr 2004)

Duchess Maria Victoria of Almodovar del Rio  (18 Aug 1912 – 4 Jan 2012)

Duchess Sylviane d’Abrantes nee Quimfe (29 Sep 1912 – 3 Feb 2012)

Donna Laura Biondi Morra, duchessa di Belforte, née dei conti Cagiano de Azevedo, (16 Jul 1917 – 26 Jun 2017)

[malcolm davies]

Note that the Duchess survived the death of her husband the 11th Duke when she was 90(he was 91),and is still Mistress of the Robes-but does anyone know when she last accompanied the Queen on official duties.She has held that position for 55 years.

[David Gabriel]

I was wondering about that too. 

[Henry W]

https://www.royal.uk/court-circular?text=Duchess%20of%20Grafton&mrf=&date[min][date]=1/01/1997&date[max][date]=1/03/2020&id=

The online Court Circular is searchable back to 1997.

Most references to her are attending the Order of the Garter luncheon when her husband was alive (he died 2011).  Her most recent engagement on behalf of the Queen was in 2006.

[ThomasFoolery]

Possibly the last Mistress of the Robes ever? The Queen Mother didn’t bother to appoint one after 1990. Even if Camilla uses the title of Queen, would she appoint one? Will Catherine appoint one in say 2030? Clearly the role isn’t a practical one, essentially being unfilled for a decade.

Reading through the Court Circular, it’s apparent that the rotation of Ladies in Waiting is no longer documented. Hope not! Its a historic post, but the thought did cross my mind.

[Troy]

I think David was referring to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, not Elizabeth II. 

[Richard R]

Thanks David Gabriel for the list covering Europe etc. So, in terms of BRITISH titles, Fortune Grafton joins Alice Gloucester as the only known British duchesses to achieve their century.

[malcolm davies]

Henry,

         Thanks for this list.But I don't think it answers my question.The Mistress of the Robes normally accompanies the Queen on major occasions such as the opening of Parliament.The court circular for 1997 says, for example, "The Ladies and Gentlemen of the Household in Waiting and the Pages of Honour to The Queen were in attendance at the Palace of Westminster." without specifying who.I have not been able to find any Court Circular about the opening of Parliament from 2010 onwards which is when the Duchess was widowed.

[hopewell]

I believe the Queen is DUKE of Lancaster. It's the one that's different.