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The Vicereines of India
From 1858 until 1947, the chief British government official and representative of the British monarch in India was styled the "Viceroy and Governor-General of India" (add link). Initially an official operating primarily under the auspices of the British East India Company during the 18th century, under the Government of India Act 1858, the office of Viceroy became an official part of the British Government. Thenceforth, the Viceroy was appointed by the British Sovereign to oversee the administration of the British Raj and to conduct relations with the quasi-independent Princely States of India. The Viceroys reported directly to the Secretary of State for India in London and were advised by the Council of India. The Viceroys were largely unencumbered in the exercise of their authority and were among the most powerful men on earth in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, ruling over an entire subcontinent and with a large military force at their disposal in the form of the British Indian Army. Of the thirty-three Governors-General of India, from Warren Hastings, who took office in 1774 to Admiral of the Fleet Lord Louis Mountbatten, in 1947, twenty were also called Viceroys. Of those, nineteen had wives who held the title of Vicereine. Until the 1920s, those selected to be Viceroys were hereditary aristocrats, since early on, the British government desired its Indian proconsuls to hold sufficient noble rank to deal effectively with the hundreds of Indian rulers of the various states. The British also saw the Indian caste system as something like their own social hierarchy, with potentates as ‘natural aristocrats’ worthy of treatment as social equals—within limits. Some in England hoped that ‘exporting’ aristocrats to the colonies and dominions would replicate Britain’s aristocratic hierarchy in those domains, and set proper social standards and tone among their imperial subjects. The rank, social skills, and bearing of the wife of the Viceroy had to match her role as “vice-queen.” The Vicereine sat atop an incredibly rigid and elaborate social system set forth in a Warrant of Precedence listing all positions in British India and relative rank. Her actions were under intense scrutiny, especially if she changed any complex ritual or social norm. Most Vicereines were upper class British women and came from prominent, usually aristocratic families. Often, their own family’s rank, relationships and wealth aided their husband’s career as in the case of Charlotte Canning (link, one of Queen Victoria's favorite ladies-in-waiting or Mary Minto, the daughter of Sir Charles Grey (link) private secretary to Prince Albert (link), and later, to Queen Victoria (link). Edwina Mountbatten (link) was literally related to the royal family though her marriage to Lord Mountbatten (link), a cousin of the king.     Like most women of their class, and British women in India and out in the Empire, the Vicereines’ time abroad was a mix of pleasures and ordeals. Unlike other italic text memsahibs, their tours were brief and limited, usually five to seven years. Even with these advantages, nevertheless, Vicereines often experienced discomfort, and threats to their own and their children’s health and safety, along with prolonged separations from family and friends. Although they lacked formal political power, Vicereines often exercised substantial influence behind the scenes. In addition to that informal power, some used their Indian experience to realize their personal potential by founding or overseeing established social welfare programs, primarily those aimed at maternal and child health. Most vicereines also played prominent roles within their families and on the stage of British politics, as well as in the government of India. Both Mary Curzon and Edwina Mountbatten’s personal wealth enabled their husbands to become viceroy, a position very expensive to maintain, and a major drain on family finances. Ironically, the most enduring symbol of a vicereine is that of an American, Lady Mary Curzon. The beauteous Mary’s jewel-encrusted ‘peacock’ dress at the 1903 Durbar created a lasting image in British popular culture of a vicereine as a “great ornamental.” The vicereines’routine of cutting ribbons, giving prizes, and overseeing large households were familiar duties. It took a great deal of energy and attention to oversee viceregal residences and social schedules, and large staffs than for even the grandest London mansion or country estate. The viceregal court had an annual calendar, but one dictated far more by the weather than by events: winter in Calcutta (later New Delhi), late spring through summer, in the hills at Simla, fall tours of various princely states; and a return in late fall to Calcutta to begin the cycle again. The viceregal social calendar was complicated by a constant flow of visitors from home—royalty, politicians, or just friends of someone who knew the viceroy. Some vicereines enjoyed that, but other saw them as irritants mixed in with the ceremonies, investitures, balls, races and gymkhanas, dinners, and amateur theatricals aimed at relieving the boredom of Anglo-Indian society. Each event required careful planning, with the Vicereine responsible for ensuring that the rules of precedence were strictly enforced, and that no breach of court protocol occurred. Some vicereines tried to put a personal stamp on that highly cohesive and reactionary inner circle by increasing or decreasing the formality of the viceregal court ritual, or trying to inspire more productive behavior by engaging in charitable works, an increasingly popular activity among aristocratic and haute bourgeois women in England and elsewhere from the mid-19th century onward. As a result, several vicereines made significant contributions to the welfare of India and to imperial imagery. Beyond individual personalities and the events of their times, the vicereines as a social phenomenon provide some unique perspectives on women in a context of power and family. Despite the onus that has accrued to the label “imperial.” they warrant some recognition for attempting, as intelligent, caring women, to seek improvements in the health and well-being of women and children in India on a then unprecedented scale. From Lady Harriot Dufferin in 1885 to Lady Edwina Mountbatten in 1947, Viceroys’ wives strove, to varying degrees of effort, to provide improved medical care in India, especially to women and children. In leading the drive for creation of an organization to provide female medical care for Indian women, Lady Dufferin set the example for future Vicereines, for her model of active leadership of philanthropic efforts would be followed to some degree by all the subsequent “vice-queens” of India.

Political Influence
The Vicereines’ involvement in the actual governance of India as informal advisors to their husbands is well-documented. Despite their formally powerless role, several Vicereines used their sometimes considerable charm to influence or gather information from people important to the Viceroy. Military officials discussed strategy and upcoming operations with them, sometimes at length in correspondence. There was no home leave available for Viceroys until the 1920s, but their wives did visit England on family matters while their husbands remained in India. During those home visits, the Vicereines served as unofficial channels between the Viceroy and the India Office, government officials and members of Parliament, pressing their husbands’ policies and talking with politicians.

Social Welfare Initiatives
Some vicereines tried to put a personal stamp on their reign that by engaging in charitable works, an  increasingly popular activity among aristocratic and haute bourgeois women in England and elsewhere from the mid-19th century onward. Several vicereines made significant contributions to the welfare of India, in particular to the medical care available to Indian women and children. From Lady Harriot Dufferin in 1885 to Lady Edwina Mountbatten in 1947, Viceroys’ wives strove, to varying degrees of effort, to provide improved medical care in India, especially to women and children.

The Dufferin Fund
In leading the drive for creation of an organization to provide female medical care for Indian women, Lady Dufferin set the example for future Vicereines. After Lady Dufferin, each Vicereine felt an obligation to continue--or improve upon--the work she had begun.

Vicereine Biographies
Charlotte Stuart Canning 1817 – 1861	Vicereine, 1856-1861 Born Paris, March 3, 1817, daughter of Sir Charles Stuart (later Lord Stuart de Rothsay) then ambassador to France, and Elizabeth Yorke, third daughter of  Earl of Hardwicke. Extensive aristocratic and royal connections: granddaughter of two earls (Bute and Hardwicke), and wife of another; named for Queen Charlotte, George III’s wife; served as Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria. Married September 5, 1835; no children. Charlotte’s detailed letters to Queen Victoria during the 1857 uprising conveyed a unique personal perspective of that conflict; also known for her superb watercolors and sketches of India. Died of malaria November 18, 1861. Known as the first renowned female “martyr of British India.” Her grave and memorial at Barrackpore have remained under guard since Independence.

Mary Louisa Lambton Elgin 1819 – 1898	Vicereine, 1862 – 1863

Born 1819, daughter of the Earl of Durham and Lady Louisa Elizabeth, eldest daughter of 2nd Earl Grey. Married 8th Earl of Elgin on November 2, 1846, after the death of his first wife. Children: Victor Alexander (1849), Robert (1851, died 1853); Charles (1853, died 1863); Frederick (1854); Louisa (1856). Accompanied Elgin during his tour as Governor General of Canada. In 1863, she learned of the death of her son, Charles, in England, which was followed by that of her husband in India. Mary Louisa returned to London to oversee the family estate until her son Victor Alexander, the 19th earl (and later viceroy) came of age. Died in Scotland on March 9, 1898.

Harriette Catherine Hamilton Lawrence 1819 - 1917	Vicereine 1864 – 1869

Born County Meath, Ireland, daughter of Richard Hamilton, a rector, and Catherine Tipping, distant relatives of the Hamiltons who were later ennobled as Dufferin. Married August 26, 1841. Children: John Hamilton (1846), Henry Arnold (1848), Charles Napier, (1855), Herbert Alexander (1861), Catherine Letitia (Kate), Harriette Emily (1863), Alice Margaret, Mary Emma, Edith (d. 1861), Maude Agnes; two other children died in infancy One of  only two vicereines who lived in India before becoming vicereine, and the only other vicereine than Charlotte Canning who experienced the Indian Mutiny. Died December 28, 1917.

Blanche Julia Wyndham Mayo 1827 – 1918	Vicereine 1869 – 1872

Born East Riding England, 1827, fourth daughter, first Baron Leconfield and Mary Fanny Blunt, daughter of the Rev. William Blunt. Married October 31, 1848; children: Dermot Robert (1851); Maurice Archibald (1853); Algernon (1854); Terrance Theobald (1865); Florence Blanche Madeline (1861); Eva Constance Aline, (1863); another daughter born before Dermot died in infancy. Remembered chiefly for dignified behavior following her husband’s assassination in 1872. Later served Queen Victoria as an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber, 1874-1901. Died January 31, 1918.

Edith Villiers Lytton, CI, VA	1841 – 1936 Vicereine 1876-1880

Born September 15, 1841, one of twin daughters of the Hon. Edward Villiers (brother of Lord Clarendon) and Elizabeth Liddell, daughter of Lord Ravensworth. Married October 4, 1864; children: Edward Rowland John, (1865; died 1871); Henry Meredith Edward, 1872; died 1874); Victor Alexander George (2nd Earl) (1876); Neville Stephen (1879); Elizabeth Edith, (1867); Constance Georgina (1869); Emily (1874). Her major social concern in India was female education. First vicereine to attend a major public ceremony, the Imperial Assemblage, 1877. After her husband’s death, her financial problems were eased by appointment as Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria and later Queen Alexandra. Died September 12, 1936.

Henrietta Anne Theodosia Vyner Ripon, CI 	 1828 – 1907 Vicereine 1880 - 1884

Born 1828, West Riding, Yorkshire, daughter of Captain Henry Vyner and granddaughter of Earl de Grey, her husband’s great uncle; married April 8, 1851; children: Oliver (1852); daughter Mary (1857, died 1858); her husband’s principal political advisor and supporter throughout his career, actively aided his imposing liberal policies in India. In later life, actively supported the Liberal party and several children’s welfare organizations in West Riding. Died February 28, 1907. Served as Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, 1872-1874.

Hariot Georgina Hamilton Dufferin, CI, VA, DBE 1843 - 1936	Vicereine 1884 - 1888

Born County Down, Ireland, February 5, 1843, eldest daughter of Captain Archibald. Rowan-Hamilton, of Killyleagh Castle, distantly related to the Dufferins. Married October 23, 1862; children: Archibald James (1863 - 1900); Terence John Temple (1866 – 1918); Ian Basil Gwaine Temple (1870 – 1917); Frederick Temple (1875 – 1930); Helen Hermione (1863); Hermione Catherine Helen (1869); Victoria Alexandrina (1873). Much admired by British and Indians for her major women and children’s health efforts, esp. the Dufferin Fund, which she actively supported interest until her death. A prolific and lucid correspondent and author, her books on her time in India and Canada are among the most detailed accounts of viceregal experiences. Died October 25, 1936.

Maud Evelyn Hamilton Lansdowne, CI, VA, GBE 1850 - 1932 	Vicereine 1888-1894

Born December 17, 1850, youngest of seven daughters and seven sons of the Duke of Abercorn; married November 8, 1869; children: Henry (1872); Charles (1874); Evelyn Mary (1870); Beatrice Frances (1877). Most aristocratic of all the vicereines: daughter of a duke; married a marquess (as did her sister); one daughter married a duke, the other a marquis; son Charles married Lady Violet Minto. Renowned political hostess; succeeded Hariot Dufferin in both Canada and India. Post-India social work included creating the Officers Family Fund in the Boer War, and active service with Queen Alexandra’s Nursing Corps, British Red Cross ,and St. John Ambulance Brigade; Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandra. Died October 21, 1932.

Constance Mary Carnegie Elgin, CI	1851 – 1909 Vicereine 1894 – 1899

Born 1851, daughter of Sir James Carnegie, 6th Bt, and 9th Earl of Southesk; married November 9, 1876; children: Edward James (1881); Robert (1882); Alexander (1884); David (1888); John (1892); Victor Alexander (1897); Elizabeth Mary (1877);  Christian Augusta (1879); Constance (1880); Marjorie (1885 – 1901) Rachel Catherine (1890). Weakened health, childbirth complications, and family issues limited her effectiveness in India; attempts to promote the Dufferin Fund described in correspondence with Queen Victoria. Died September 24, 1909.

Mary Leiter Curzon, CI, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold 1870 – 1906	Vicereine 1898 – 1905

Born Chicago, Illinois, May 27, 1870, daughter of Levi and Mary Theresa Carver Leiter. Married April 22, 1895; children: Mary Irene (1896); Cynthia Blanche (1898); Alexandra Naldera (1904). The only American vicereine, her epithet “perfect” due to her youth, beauty, and her impressive appearance and conduct at the 1903 Durbar. Established Victoria Memorial Scholarships for nurses and laid groundwork for the Minto Nursing Association. Died July 18, 1906 from heart failure shortly after returning to England.

Mary Grey Minto, CI, DStJ 1858 – 1940	Vicereine 1905 – 1910

Born (1858) and raised at St. James’s Palace; daughter of General Sir Charles Grey and Caroline Eliza, VA, daughter of Sir Thomas Harvie Farquhar. Especially close to the monarchy since father was private secretary to Prince Albert and later Queen Victoria. Married July 28, 1883; children: Victor Gilbert (1891); Gavin William Esmond (1895-1917); Eileen Nina (1884); Ruby Florence (1886); Violet Mary (1889). In India, established the Lady Minto Nursing Association. Like Hariot Dufferin and Maud Lansdowne, was wife of the Governor General of Canada. Wrote a book about her Canadian experience, and later, India, Minto and Morley, a brief for her husband’s dominant role in the Morley-Minto reforms of 1909. Post-India, promoted the Minto Nursing Association, served as Extra Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary; died July 14, 1940.

Winifred Sturt Hardinge, CI, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold 1868 – 1914	Vicereine, 1911-1914

Born 1868 in Dorset, daughter of 1st Baron Alington; married April 17, 1890; children: Edward (1892-1917); Alexander (1894); Diamond (1900); coordinated efforts leading to  the Women’s Medical Service in India; helped establish first medical college for women in India (later named in her honor). Honored by King and Parliament for her bravery during the assassination attempt of 1912; died unexpectedly on July 14, 1914 while in England for a rest from the Indian climate.

Frances Charlotte Guest Chelmsford, CI, GBE 1869 – 1957	Vicereine 1916 – 1921

Born 1869; eldest daughter, 1st Baron Wimborne and Cornelia Henrietta Maria, Duke of Marlborough’s eldest daughter; married  July 27, 1894;  children: Frederick Ivor (1896 – 1917); Andrew Charles Gerald (1903); Joan Frances (1895);  Anne Molyneux (1898); Bridget Mary (1900); Margaret St. Clair Sidney (1911). Received GBE for war relief work. Lived in Italy after her husband’s death in 1933; known as “La Contessa d’India.” Died September 24, 1957.

Alice Edith Reading, CI, GBE, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold 1866 – 1930	Vicereine 1921 – 1926

Born in London, 1866, daughter of Albert Cohen, a prosperous merchant. Married December 8, 1887; one son: Gerald Rufus Isaacs (1889). The only Jewish vicereine, and one of the most active in social welfare; despite operations for cancer and slow recovery, founded the Women of India Fund to coordinate existing social welfare organizations’ fundraising and established the Lady Reading Hospital at Simla. Alice’s health declined after she left India, and she died on January 30, 1930.

Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Irwin, CI, DCVO, JP, DGStJ 1885 – 1976	Vicereine 1926 – 1929

Born 1885 Clandon, Surrey, younger daughter of 4th Earl of Onslow and Florence Coulston Gardner, elder daughter, 3rd Baron Gardner; married September 21, 1909; children: Charles Ingram (1912); Peter Courtenay (1916 – 1942); Richard Frederick Wood (1920); twin girls born July 1910: Mary Agnes (died August 1910); Anne Dorothy. Social work efforts in India included fundraising and administration of Dufferin Fund, Women’s Medical Service,and All-India Education League; oversaw final details of building of Viceroy’s House in New Delhi. Post-India experiences included accompanying Lord Irwin/ Halifax during his ambassadorship in Washington D.C. during WWII. Died 1976.

George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen of Hawkshurst served as viceroy and acting Governor General of India 1929 -1931

Margaret Evelyn Gathorne-Hardy, CI, LGStJ, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold

Youngest daughter of the 1st Earl of Cranbrook; married January 26, 1893; children: George Joachim (1893-1916); Phyllis Evelyn (1895); Cecily Winifred (1899). Died July 11, 1943.

Marie Brassey Willingdon, CI, DBE, GBE, DJStJ, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold, Order of the League of Mercy 1875 – 1960	Vicereine 1931- 1936

Born 1875 in Sussex, daughter 2nd Earl Brassey and Lady Idina Mary Nevill, lst Marquess of Abergavenny’s daughter; married July 20, 1892: children: Gerard Frederick (killed in WWI, 1916); Inigo Brassey (1899). Like Harriette Lawrence, lived in India prior to becoming vicereine. Charming, energetic, and controversial, and best known for garish changes to Viceroy’s House, and obsession with the color mauve, she was devoted to India, and devoted extensive effort to the welfare of the Indian people and war relief. . Died, January 30, 1960.

Doreen Maud Milner Linlithgow CI (1936), DGStJ, Kaiser-i-Hind Gold 1886 – 1965	Vicereine 1936-1943

Born in Yorkshire, May 20, 1886, second daughter of Sir Frederick George Milner, 7th Bt, and Adeline Gertrude Denison, daughter of William Beckett. Married April 11, 1919; children: twin sons, Charlie and John (1912); daughters Anne (1914 – twin sister died); Joan (1915); Doreen (1920). Active in public health matters, especially tuberculosis treatment and prevention. Established Tuberculosis Association of India (TAI), and made personal appeal in 1937 for funds to support nationwide program of education and treatment, and open regional and provincial TB clinics. Encouraged Edward Lutyens to remove Lady Willingdon’s to “infelicitious additions” to the interior and gardens of the Viceroy’s House in New Delhi. Died August 2, 1965, from injuries in a car wreck near Hopetoun.

Eugenie Wavell, CI 	Dates: 1887 - 1987 Vicereine 1943 - 1947

Born in London, the daughter of Col. John Owen Quirk, and Eugenie O’Brien; married 1915; children: Archibald John (1916); Pamela (1918); Felicity (1920); Joan (1923). Wife of a career soldier and wartime vicereine; focused her energies on the Red Cross, St. John Ambulance Brigade, and other war relief efforts in India, including hospital work with her daughters. Returned to England in 1947; died 1987.

Edwina Cynthia Annette Ashley Mountbatten, CI, CBE, GBE, DCVO, GCStJ Dates: 1901 – 1960 Vicereine 1947 (then wife of the Governor General of India, 1947-48) Elder daughter of 2nd Baron Mount Temple and Amalia Mary Maud Cassel, the only child of Sir Ernest Cassel; married July 18, 1922; children: Patricia (1924); Pamela (1929). Internationally famed for her war relief work when she went to India, she earned further respect and admiration for working with refugees, freed prisoners-of-war and victims of massive rioting in post-Independence India and Pakistan; oversaw dismantling of the Minto Nursing Association, and transfer of leadership of charitable organizations from British to Indian women.

Died February 21, 1960. "Viceroy and Governor-General of India". Initially an official operating primarily under the auspices of the British East India Company during the 18th century, under the Government of India Act 1858, the office of Viceroy became an official part of the British Government. Thenceforth, the Viceroy was appointed by the British Sovereign to oversee the administration of the British Raj and to conduct relations with the quasi-independent Princely States of India. The Viceroys reported directly to the Secretary of State for India in London and were advised by the Council of India. The Viceroys were largely unencumbered in the exercise of their authority and were among the most powerful men on earth in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, ruling over an entire subcontinent and with a large military force at their disposal in the form of the British Indian Army. Of the thirty-three Governors-General of India, from Warren Hastings, who took office in 1774 to Admiral of the Fleet Lord Louis Mountbatten, in 1947, twenty were also called Viceroys. Of those, nineteen had wives who held the title of vicereine. Until the 1920s, those selected to be viceroys were hereditary aristocrats, since early on, the British government desired its Indian proconsuls to hold sufficient noble rank to deal effectively with the hundreds of Indian rulers of the various states. The British also saw the Indian caste system as something like their own social hierarchy, with potentates as ‘natural aristocrats’ worthy of treatment as social equals—within limits. Some in England hoped that ‘exporting’ aristocrats to the colonies and dominions would replicate Britain’s aristocratic hierarchy in those domains, and set proper social standards and tone among their imperial subjects. The rank, social skills, and bearing of the wife of the viceroy had to match her role as “vice-queen.” The vicereine sat atop an incredibly rigid and elaborate social system set forth in a Warrant of Precedence listing all positions in British India and relative rank. Her actions were under intense scrutiny, especially if she changed any complex ritual or social norm. Most vicereines were upper class British women and came from prominent, usually aristocratic families, with their fathers, brothers, and/or sons in politics, the diplomatic service, or the military. Often, their own family’s rank, relationships and wealth aided their husband’s career as in the case of Charlotte Canning (link) ,one of Queen Victoria's favorite ladies-in-waiting or Mary Minto, the daughter of Sir Charles Grey, private secretary to Prince Albert, and later, to Queen Victoria. Edwina Mountbatten was literally related to the royal family though her marriage to Lord Mountbatten, a cousin of the king. Like most women of their class, and British women in India and out in the Empire, the vicereines’ time abroad was a mix of pleasures and ordeals. Unlike other italic text memsahibs, their tours were brief and limited, usually five to seven years. Even with these advantages, nevertheless, vicereines often experienced discomfort, and threats to their own and their children’s health and safety, along with prolonged separations from family and friends. Although vicereines lacked formal political power, they often exercised substantial influence behind the scenes. In addition to that informal power, some used their Indian experience to realize their personal potential by founding or overseeing established social welfare programs, primarily those aimed at maternal and child health. Most vicereines also played prominent roles within their families and on the stage of British politics, as well as in the government of India. Both Mary Curzon and Edwina Mountbatten’s personal wealth enabled their husbands to become viceroy, a position very expensive to maintain, and a major drain on family finances. Ironically, the most enduring symbol of a vicereine is that of an American, Lady Mary Curzon. The beauteous Mary’s jewel-encrusted ‘peacock’ dress at the 1903 Durbar created a lasting image in British popular culture of a vicereine as a “great ornamental.” The vicereines’routine of cutting ribbons, giving prizes, and overseeing large households were familiar duties. It took a great deal of energy and attention to oversee viceregal residences and social schedules, and large staffs than for even the grandest London mansion or country estate. The viceregal court had an annual calendar, but one dictated far more by the weather than by events: winter in Calcutta (later New Delhi), late spring through summer, in the hills at Simla, fall tours of various princely states; and a return in late fall to Calcutta to begin the cycle again. The viceregal social calendar was complicated by a constant flow of visitors from home—royalty, politicians, or just friends of someone who knew the viceroy. Some vicereines enjoyed that, but other saw them as irritants mixed in with the ceremonies, investitures, balls, races and gymkhanas, dinners, and amateur theatricals aimed at relieving the boredom of Anglo-Indian society. Each event required careful planning, with the Vicereine responsible for ensuring that the rules of precedence were strictly enforced, and that no breach of court protocol occurred. Some vicereines tried to put a personal stamp on that highly cohesive and reactionary inner circle by increasing or decreasing the formality of the viceregal court ritual, or trying to inspire more productive behavior by engaging in charitable works, an increasingly popular activity among aristocratic and haute bourgeois women in England and elsewhere from the mid-19th century onward. As a result, several vicereines made significant contributions to the welfare of India and to imperial imagery. Beyond individual personalities and the events of their times, the vicereines as a social phenomenon provide some unique perspectives on women in a context of power and family. Despite the onus that has accrued to the label “imperial.” they warrant some recognition for attempting, as intelligent, caring women, to seek improvements in the health and well-being of women and children in India on a then unprecedented scale. From Lady Harriot Dufferin in 1885 to Lady Edwina Mountbatten in 1947, Viceroys’ wives strove, to varying degrees of effort, to provide improved medical care in India, especially to women and children. In leading the drive for creation of an organization to provide female medical care for Indian women, Lady Dufferin set the example for future Vicereines, for her model of active leadership of philanthropic efforts would be followed to some degree by all the subsequent “vice-queens” of India.

Charlotte Stuart Canning 1817 – 1861	Vicereine, 1856-1861 Born Paris, March 3, 1817, daughter of Sir Charles Stuart (later Lord Stuart de Rothsay) then ambassador to France, and Elizabeth Yorke, third daughter of  Earl of Hardwicke. Extensive aristocratic and royal connections: granddaughter of two earls (Bute and Hardwicke), and wife of another; named for Queen Charlotte, George III’s wife; served as Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria. Married September 5, 1835; no children. Charlotte’s detailed letters to Queen Victoria during the 1857 uprising conveyed a unique personal perspective of that conflict; also known for her superb watercolors and sketches of India. Died of malaria November 18, 1861. Known as the first renowned female “martyr of British India.” Her grave and memorial at Barrackpore have remained under guard since Independence.

Mary Louisa Lambton Elgin 1819 – 1898	Vicereine, 1862 – 1863

Born 1819, daughter of the Earl of Durham and Lady Louisa Elizabeth, eldest daughter of 2nd Earl Grey. Married 8th Earl of Elgin on November 2, 1846, after the death of his first wife. Children: Victor Alexander (1849), Robert (1851, died 1853); Charles (1853, died 1863); Frederick (1854); Louisa (1856). Accompanied Elgin during his tour as Governor General of Canada. In 1863, she learned of the death of her son, Charles, in England, which was followed by that of her husband in India. Mary Louisa returned to London to oversee the family estate until her son Victor Alexander, the 19th earl (and later viceroy) came of age. Died in Scotland on March 9, 1898.

Harriette Catherine Hamilton Lawrence 1819 - 1917	Vicereine 1864 – 1869

Born County Meath, Ireland, daughter of Richard Hamilton, a rector, and Catherine Tipping, distant relatives of the Hamiltons who were later ennobled as Dufferin. Married August 26, 1841. Children: John Hamilton (1846), Henry Arnold (1848), Charles Napier, (1855), Herbert Alexander (1861), Catherine Letitia (Kate), Harriette Emily (1863), Alice Margaret, Mary Emma, Edith (d. 1861), Maude Agnes; two other children died in infancy One of  only two vicereines who lived in India before becoming vicereine, and the only other vicereine than Charlotte Canning who experienced the Indian Mutiny. Died December 28, 1917.

Blanche Julia Wyndham Mayo 1827 – 1918	Vicereine 1869 – 1872

Born East Riding England, 1827, fourth daughter, first Baron Leconfield and Mary Fanny Blunt, daughter of the Rev. William Blunt. Married October 31, 1848; children: Dermot Robert (1851); Maurice Archibald (1853); Algernon (1854); Terrance Theobald (1865); Florence Blanche Madeline (1861); Eva Constance Aline, (1863); another daughter born before Dermot died in infancy. Remembered chiefly for dignified behavior following her husband’s assassination in 1872. Later served Queen Victoria as an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber, 1874-1901. Died January 31, 1918.

Edith Villiers Lytton, CI, VA	1841 – 1936 Vicereine 1876-1880

Born September 15, 1841, one of twin daughters of the Hon. Edward Villiers (brother of Lord Clarendon) and Elizabeth Liddell, daughter of Lord Ravensworth. Married October 4, 1864; children: Edward Rowland John, (1865; died 1871); Henry Meredith Edward, 1872; died 1874); Victor Alexander George (2nd Earl) (1876); Neville Stephen (1879); Elizabeth Edith, (1867); Constance Georgina (1869); Emily (1874). Her major social concern in India was female education. First vicereine to attend a major public ceremony, the Imperial Assemblage, 1877. After her husband’s death, her financial problems were eased by appointment as Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria and later Queen Alexandra. Died September 12, 1936.

Henrietta Anne Theodosia Vyner Ripon, CI 	 1828 – 1907 Vicereine 1880 - 1884

Born 1828, West Riding, Yorkshire, daughter of Captain Henry Vyner and granddaughter of Earl de Grey, her husband’s great uncle; married April 8, 1851; children: Oliver (1852); daughter Mary (1857, died 1858); her husband’s principal political advisor and supporter throughout his career, actively aided his imposing liberal policies in India. In later life, actively supported the Liberal party and several children’s welfare organizations in West Riding. Died February 28, 1907. Served as Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, 1872-1874.

Hariot Georgina Hamilton Dufferin, CI, VA, DBE 1843 - 1936	Vicereine 1884 - 1888

Born County Down, Ireland, February 5, 1843, eldest daughter of Captain Archibald. Rowan-Hamilton, of Killyleagh Castle, distantly related to the Dufferins. Married October 23, 1862; children: Archibald James (1863 - 1900); Terence John Temple (1866 – 1918); Ian Basil Gwaine Temple (1870 – 1917); Frederick Temple (1875 – 1930); Helen Hermione (1863); Hermione Catherine Helen (1869); Victoria Alexandrina (1873). Much admired by British and Indians for her major women and children’s health efforts, esp. the Dufferin Fund, which she actively supported interest until her death. A prolific and lucid correspondent and author, her books on her time in India and Canada are among the most detailed accounts of viceregal experiences. Died October 25, 1936.

Maud Evelyn Hamilton Lansdowne, CI, VA, GBE 1850 - 1932 	Vicereine 1888-1894

Born December 17, 1850, youngest of seven daughters and seven sons of the Duke of Abercorn; married November 8, 1869; children: Henry (1872); Charles (1874); Evelyn Mary (1870); Beatrice Frances (1877). Most aristocratic of all the vicereines: daughter of a duke; married a marquess (as did her sister); one daughter married a duke, the other a marquis; son Charles married Lady Violet Minto. Renowned political hostess; succeeded Hariot Dufferin in both Canada and India. Post-India social work included creating the Officers Family Fund in the Boer War, and active service with Queen Alexandra’s Nursing Corps, British Red Cross ,and St. John Ambulance Brigade; Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandra. Died October 21, 1932.

Constance Mary Carnegie Elgin, CI	1851 – 1909 Vicereine 1894 – 1899

Born 1851, daughter of Sir James Carnegie, 6th Bt, and 9th Earl of Southesk; married November 9, 1876; children: Edward James (1881); Robert (1882); Alexander (1884); David (1888); John (1892); Victor Alexander (1897); Elizabeth Mary (1877);  Christian Augusta (1879); Constance (1880); Marjorie (1885 – 1901) Rachel Catherine (1890). Weakened health, childbirth complications, and family issues limited her effectiveness in India; attempts to promote the Dufferin Fund described in correspondence with Queen Victoria. Died September 24, 1909.

Mary Leiter Curzon, CI, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold 1870 – 1906	Vicereine 1898 – 1905

Born Chicago, Illinois, May 27, 1870, daughter of Levi and Mary Theresa Carver Leiter. Married April 22, 1895; children: Mary Irene (1896); Cynthia Blanche (1898); Alexandra Naldera (1904). The only American vicereine, her epithet “perfect” due to her youth, beauty, and her impressive appearance and conduct at the 1903 Durbar. Established Victoria Memorial Scholarships for nurses and laid groundwork for the Minto Nursing Association. Died July 18, 1906 from heart failure shortly after returning to England.

Mary Grey Minto, CI, DStJ 1858 – 1940	Vicereine 1905 – 1910

Born (1858) and raised at St. James’s Palace; daughter of General Sir Charles Grey and Caroline Eliza, VA, daughter of Sir Thomas Harvie Farquhar. Especially close to the monarchy since father was private secretary to Prince Albert and later Queen Victoria. Married July 28, 1883; children: Victor Gilbert (1891); Gavin William Esmond (1895-1917); Eileen Nina (1884); Ruby Florence (1886); Violet Mary (1889). In India, established the Lady Minto Nursing Association. Like Hariot Dufferin and Maud Lansdowne, was wife of the Governor General of Canada. Wrote a book about her Canadian experience, and later, India, Minto and Morley, a brief for her husband’s dominant role in the Morley-Minto reforms of 1909. Post-India, promoted the Minto Nursing Association, served as Extra Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary; died July 14, 1940.

Winifred Sturt Hardinge, CI, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold 1868 – 1914	Vicereine, 1911-1914

Born 1868 in Dorset, daughter of 1st Baron Alington; married April 17, 1890; children: Edward (1892-1917); Alexander (1894); Diamond (1900); coordinated efforts leading to  the Women’s Medical Service in India; helped establish first medical college for women in India (later named in her honor). Honored by King and Parliament for her bravery during the assassination attempt of 1912; died unexpectedly on July 14, 1914 while in England for a rest from the Indian climate.

Frances Charlotte Guest Chelmsford, CI, GBE 1869 – 1957	Vicereine 1916 – 1921

Born 1869; eldest daughter, 1st Baron Wimborne and Cornelia Henrietta Maria, Duke of Marlborough’s eldest daughter; married  July 27, 1894;  children: Frederick Ivor (1896 – 1917); Andrew Charles Gerald (1903); Joan Frances (1895);  Anne Molyneux (1898); Bridget Mary (1900); Margaret St. Clair Sidney (1911). Received GBE for war relief work. Lived in Italy after her husband’s death in 1933; known as “La Contessa d’India.” Died September 24, 1957.

Alice Edith Reading, CI, GBE, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold 1866 – 1930	Vicereine 1921 – 1926

Born in London, 1866, daughter of Albert Cohen, a prosperous merchant. Married December 8, 1887; one son: Gerald Rufus Isaacs (1889). The only Jewish vicereine, and one of the most active in social welfare; despite operations for cancer and slow recovery, founded the Women of India Fund to coordinate existing social welfare organizations’ fundraising and established the Lady Reading Hospital at Simla. Alice’s health declined after she left India, and she died on January 30, 1930.

Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Irwin, CI, DCVO, JP, DGStJ 1885 – 1976	Vicereine 1926 – 1929

Born 1885 Clandon, Surrey, younger daughter of 4th Earl of Onslow and Florence Coulston Gardner, elder daughter, 3rd Baron Gardner; married September 21, 1909; children: Charles Ingram (1912); Peter Courtenay (1916 – 1942); Richard Frederick Wood (1920); twin girls born July 1910: Mary Agnes (died August 1910); Anne Dorothy. Social work efforts in India included fundraising and administration of Dufferin Fund, Women’s Medical Service,and All-India Education League; oversaw final details of building of Viceroy’s House in New Delhi. Post-India experiences included accompanying Lord Irwin/ Halifax during his ambassadorship in Washington D.C. during WWII. Died 1976.

George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen of Hawkshurst served as viceroy and acting Governor General of India 1929 -1931

Margaret Evelyn Gathorne-Hardy, CI, LGStJ, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold

Youngest daughter of the 1st Earl of Cranbrook; married January 26, 1893; children: George Joachim (1893-1916); Phyllis Evelyn (1895); Cecily Winifred (1899). Died July 11, 1943.

Marie Brassey Willingdon, CI, DBE, GBE, DJStJ, Kaisar-i-Hind Gold, Order of the League of Mercy 1875 – 1960	Vicereine 1931- 1936

Born 1875 in Sussex, daughter 2nd Earl Brassey and Lady Idina Mary Nevill, lst Marquess of Abergavenny’s daughter; married July 20, 1892: children: Gerard Frederick (killed in WWI, 1916); Inigo Brassey (1899). Like Harriette Lawrence, lived in India prior to becoming vicereine. Charming, energetic, and controversial, and best known for garish changes to Viceroy’s House, and obsession with the color mauve, she was devoted to India, and devoted extensive effort to the welfare of the Indian people and war relief. . Died, January 30, 1960.

Doreen Maud Milner Linlithgow CI (1936), DGStJ, Kaiser-i-Hind Gold 1886 – 1965	Vicereine 1936-1943

Born in Yorkshire, May 20, 1886, second daughter of Sir Frederick George Milner, 7th Bt, and Adeline Gertrude Denison, daughter of William Beckett. Married April 11, 1919; children: twin sons, Charlie and John (1912); daughters Anne (1914 – twin sister died); Joan (1915); Doreen (1920). Active in public health matters, especially tuberculosis treatment and prevention. Established Tuberculosis Association of India (TAI), and made personal appeal in 1937 for funds to support nationwide program of education and treatment, and open regional and provincial TB clinics. Encouraged Edward Lutyens to remove Lady Willingdon’s to “infelicitious additions” to the interior and gardens of the Viceroy’s House in New Delhi. Died August 2, 1965, from injuries in a car wreck near Hopetoun.

Eugenie Wavell, CI 	Dates: 1887 - 1987 Vicereine 1943 - 1947

Born in London, the daughter of Col. John Owen Quirk, and Eugenie O’Brien; married 1915; children: Archibald John (1916); Pamela (1918); Felicity (1920); Joan (1923). Wife of a career soldier and wartime vicereine; focused her energies on the Red Cross, St. John Ambulance Brigade, and other war relief efforts in India, including hospital work with her daughters. Returned to England in 1947; died 1987.

Edwina Cynthia Annette Ashley Mountbatten, CI, CBE, GBE, DCVO, GCStJ Dates: 1901 – 1960 Vicereine 1947 (then wife of the Governor General of India, 1947-48) Elder daughter of 2nd Baron Mount Temple and Amalia Mary Maud Cassel, the only child of Sir Ernest Cassel; married July 18, 1922; children: Patricia (1924); Pamela (1929). Internationally famed for her war relief work when she went to India, she earned further respect and admiration for working with refugees, freed prisoners-of-war and victims of massive rioting in post-Independence India and Pakistan; oversaw dismantling of the Minto Nursing Association, and transfer of leadership of charitable organizations from British to Indian women.

Died February 21, 1960.