Duke & Duchess of Fife with daughters c1905

Duke & Duchess of Fife with daughters c1905 Enlarge

Daughters of the Duke & Duchess of Fife c1900

Daughters of the Duke & Duchess of Fife c1900 Enlarge

Alexander 6th Earl

Alexander Duff (1849-1912) the 6th Earl was the last Duff to live, with his family, at Duff House.
Alexander was created 1st Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff in 1889 on his marriage to Princess Louise, the eldest daughter of Edward, Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VII. As the eldest grand-daughter of Queen Victoria, Louise became the Princess Royal and both the Duff House Royal Golf Club and Victoria Park in Banff are named after her.

We are amused

Despite the considerable age gap between the young couple (17 years) and the fact that the Earl was not of royal blood, and therefore a commoner, Alexander Duff was very wealthy and the Queen Victoria greatly approved of the match. 

In 1911 the family was shipwrecked while travelling to Egypt on a P&O liner for their winter holiday. The Duke died of pneumonia ten days later as a result of the accident, having lent his dressing gown to a fellow passenger.