Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates
Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl Template:Post-nominals (née Anne Home-Drummond; 17 June 1814 – 22 May 1897), and known as the Lady Glenlyon between 1839–46, as the Duchess of Atholl between 1846–64 and as the Dowager Duchess of Atholl between 1864–97, was a Scottish aristocrat and courtier. For 55 years, she was a close friend of Queen Victoria, who referred to her as "the dear Duchess".<ref name="gentlewoman">Template:Cite news</ref>
Life and career
Murray was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, the daughter of Henry Home-Drummond, 6th of Blair Drummond. Her mother, Christian, was the daughter of Col. Charles Moray, 15th of Abercairny and Anne Stirling (daughter of Sir William Stirling), and eventual heiress to her brother William Moray-Stirling, 17th of Abercairny. At Blair Drummond, where she spent her childhood, Anne was a neighbour of the Murrays of Atholl family at Blair Castle.<ref name="gentlewoman"/> She was educated in England.<ref name="death"/>
On 29 October 1839, she married George Murray, 2nd Baron Glenlyon, at Blair Drummond, thereby becoming Lady Glenlyon. In 1846, he succeeded his uncle as sixth Duke of Atholl, and Anne became Duchess of Atholl.<ref name="burke">Template:Cite book</ref>
The Duke and Duchess (who preferred the earlier spelling of Athole for their title and residence)<ref>K. D. Reynolds, Aristocratic Women and Political Society in Victorian Britain, OUP (1998)</ref> had one child, John Stewart-Murray, 7th Duke of Atholl (1840–1917).<ref name="burke"/>
She served as Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria in Lord Derby's short-lived government of 1852. She subsequently served the queen as a Lady of the Bedchamber for almost forty years and was one of Victoria's closest friends. When The Prince Consort died, the Queen came out of the room where he had died and proclaimed, "Oh, Duchess, he is dead!"
The Duke of Atholl died in 1864, and Anne became the Dowager Duchess of Atholl. In 1892, when Gladstone again came to power, his policy of Home Rule for Ireland had alienated many of the upper classes, and no lady of ducal rank could be found who was willing to serve as Mistress of the Robes. The post therefore remained vacant, while the Dowager Duchess of Atholl and the Duchess of Roxburghe performed the duties of the office.
The Duchess of Atholl died at Dunkeld House, Perthshire, in May 1897, aged 82.<ref name="gentlewoman"/> The Queen sent her telegrams every two hours during the last hours of her life.<ref name="death">Template:Cite news</ref>
She was buried in the Murray family vault at the Old Blair churchyard.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
References
Template:Reflist Template:S-start Template:S-court Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft Template:S-end Template:Authority control Template:Use British English