Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, was Queen Victoria's sixth child. Not only was she a much-loved member of a large family, but she was also the first royal to marry a commoner and, as a talented artist and sculptress, the first to study at art school and to be allowed to practise her profession when her royal duties permitted. Corresponding regularly with her mother, brothers and sisters, as well as with her husband, the Marquess of Lome, and many of the leading artists of the day, Princess Louise has left a vast collection of letters, primarily to her, at Windsor Castle. Invited by the Royal Archive to make a selection of these unpublished letters, which span a period of over eighty years, Elizabeth Longford, distinguished biographer of Queen Victoria, has made a fascinating choice as well as providing a detailed essay on the Princess's life. The letters reveal shifting family affections and allegiances; the difficulties of having Queen Victoria as a mother; the quest for a suitable husband and the controversy over the final choice; Louise's increasing estrangement from her husband (who some claim was a homosexual); her childlessness and delicate health; and her involvement with London's Bohemian artistic society. A lively and sympathetic portrait is revealed of a gifted Princess struggling to lead a normal life - one taken for granted by today's young royals - which also provides a unique insight into Victorian Society and its concerns., ISBN13: 9780297811794 ISBN10: 0297811797 Material Type: hardcover