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Rose Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville

Rose Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville, was a British peeress, elder sister of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and maternal aunt to Queen Elizabeth II.

1. Overview

Rose Constance Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville (née Bowes-Lyon; 6 May 1890 - 17 November 1967) was a prominent British peeress and a significant figure within the British aristocracy due to her direct familial ties to the British Royal Family. She was the third daughter and seventh child of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. As an elder sister of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, she was consequently a maternal aunt to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. Her public life included her role as godmother to Princess Margaret and the reception of several high honours, including the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and the Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (GCStJ).

2. Life

Rose Leveson-Gower's life spanned from the late Victorian era through much of the 20th century, marked by her aristocratic lineage, marriage into a distinguished peerage, and close connections to the British Royal Family.

2.1. Early life and family

Born on 6 May 1890, Rose Constance Bowes-Lyon was the third daughter and seventh child among her siblings. Her parents were Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and his wife, Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. The family was part of the Scottish aristocracy, with her father holding the title of Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
Rose had numerous siblings, including:

  • Violet Bowes-Lyon
  • Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone
  • Patrick Bowes-Lyon, 15th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
  • John Bowes-Lyon
  • Alexander Bowes-Lyon
  • Fergus Bowes-Lyon
  • Michael Bowes-Lyon
  • Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
  • David Bowes-Lyon

Her sister Elizabeth later married King George VI and became Queen Elizabeth, and subsequently Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. This made Rose an elder sister to the Queen Consort and a maternal aunt to Queen Elizabeth II and her younger sister, Princess Margaret.

2.2. Marriage and children

On 24 May 1916, Lady Rose Bowes-Lyon married The Honourable William Leveson-Gower, a naval officer and member of the aristocratic Leveson-Gower family. William Leveson-Gower eventually succeeded to his childless brother's earldom on 21 July 1939, becoming the 4th Earl Granville. With this succession, Lady Rose was thereafter styled as Countess Granville.
The couple had two children:

  • Lady Mary Cecilia Leveson-Gower (12 December 1917 - 13 February 2014). She married Sir Samuel Clayton (8 January 1918 - February 2004) on 7 July 1956. They had issue, including their daughter, the polar adventurer Rosie Stancer.
  • Granville James Leveson-Gower, 5th Earl Granville (6 December 1918 - 31 October 1996). He married Doon Aileen Plunket (1931-2003) on 9 October 1958. They also had issue.

2.3. Public life and honours

Countess Granville held several notable public and honorary roles throughout her life. On 3 October 1930, she served as a godmother to her niece, Princess Margaret Rose of York, at the princess's christening.
She received various honours in recognition of her standing and contributions. She was invested as a Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (GCStJ), an honour associated with the St John Ambulance charitable organization. In 1953, she was further invested as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), an order of chivalry awarded for personal service to the British monarch. Additionally, she was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) by Queen's University Belfast, recognizing her contributions or standing in society.

2.4. Later life and death

Countess Granville's husband, the 4th Earl Granville, died on 25 June 1953, at the age of 72. Lady Granville outlived him by fourteen years. She passed away on 17 November 1967, at the age of 77. At the time of her death, she held the distinction of being the last surviving sibling of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

3. Ancestry

The following list illustrates the ancestry of Rose Constance Bowes-Lyon, Countess Granville, tracing her lineage through several generations of prominent British aristocratic families.

  • 1. Rose Constance Bowes-Lyon
    • Parents (2nd generation)
      • 2. Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
      • 3. Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck
    • Grandparents (3rd generation)
      • 4. Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
      • 5. Frances Dora Smith
      • 6. Charles William Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck
      • 7. Caroline Louisa Burnaby
    • Great-grandparents (4th generation)
      • 8. Thomas George Lyon-Bowes, Lord Glamis
      • 9. Charlotte Grimstead
      • 10. Oswald Smith
      • 11. Henrietta Mildred Hodgson
      • 12. Lord Charles Bentinck
      • 13. Anne Wellesley
      • 14. Edwyn Burnaby
      • 15. Anne Caroline Salisbury

4. Legacy

Rose Leveson-Gower's primary legacy is intertwined with her direct and close relationship to the British Royal Family. As the elder sister of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and a maternal aunt to Queen Elizabeth II, she represented a significant link within the extended royal household. Her role as godmother to Princess Margaret further solidified her personal connection to the senior members of the monarchy. Her life reflects the enduring influence and interconnectedness of the British aristocracy and the Royal Family throughout the 20th century. Her status as the last surviving sibling of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother at the time of her death underscored her long life and the passage of a generation closely associated with the Crown.