The late Princess Alice

[senga-marie]

When this lady was widowed, her title Duchess of Gloucester passed to her daughter in law. She married into the royals as a commoner, just as the Queen Mother, Diana, Fergie and Sophie. Had any of their husbands no other title than Prince, they would have taken their (husbands) christian names. ie Fergie would have been known as Princess Andrew and not Sarah as she is not a royal. Alice was not a royal, so why was she not known by her late husband's name, Henry, but styled Princess Alice, as if she were born royal?

[ll_billym]

A bit like Diana. Princess of Wales.  Only a Lady really but the public liked her?

 

Only a guess, sorry.

[Peter Pedant]

I think basically the Royals can call each other what they like.

Princess Michael is the only one to take her husbands name although they all could, because erm otherwise it would be German - and no-one wanted that.

Reagan called Princess Di, Princess David but that was more becasue he was ga-ga than she was called David.

I think there is a protocol office in Buckingham palace and you can write and ask them.

[Ouisch]

according to alt.talk.royalty:

When Alice married Prince Henry son of King George V of the British royal family he was created the Duke of Gloucester. Alice then took her title from that marriage and was created the Duchess of Gloucester and of course an HRH as well. She gave birth to two sons,
Prince William and Prince Richard. Prince Henry had a stroke. After this Prince William was killed in a crash. This elevated second son Prince Richard to become the Duke of Gloucester and his wife became the Duchess
of Gloucester. Alice had been through this extended period of grief and loss of both her husband and rather favored son and was left with her correct title , the Dowager Duchess of Gloucester, (many of the royal
women including Queens have avoided the dreaded word Dowager as well).In order to not use Dowager, and avoid confusion with her daughter-in-law, she was "allowed" by the Queen to call herself Princess Alice, (as she had married a Prince as well a Duke, the name they were to use of Duke and Duchess) Duchess of Gloucester. So it seems that the Queen extended what could be called a gift of honor, by giving her the use of the name Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. She did not change her official title or style nor make her a
Princess, she only extended a favor to a woman, her aunt, who had long served her country.

 

[bernardo]

If Ouisch is correct, then she might have been confuzzled with the other Princess Alice (1883-1981).

[senga-marie]

Who, as a grandaughter of Queen Victoria, was a royal princess in her own right .....