Cecilia Underwood, 1st Duchess of Inverness

Cecilia Underwood, 1st Duchess of Inverness ( born as Lady Cecilia Letitia Gore; * circa 1785, † August 1st, 1873 at Kensington Palace ) was the second wife of Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, the sixth son of King George III .. the marriage was not legal because of the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 in the UK. She was appointed on 10 April 1840 by Queen Victoria to the Duchess of Inverness in its own right.

Life

Her father was Arthur Gore, 2nd Earl of Arran; her mother, Elizabeth Underwood. As the daughter of an earl she wore the title of Lady Cecilia Gore of birth. In his first marriage Cecilia was married to Sir George Buggin since 1818, this died on 12 April 1825. The marriage remained childless.

On May 2, 1831, she married Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex. Since the marriage was not recognized in the UK, she took her mother 's maiden name " Underwood " and bore the name of Lady Cecilia Underwood. The couple lived in rooms at Kensington Palace. She lived in these rooms, even after her husband's death in 1843. She was buried after her death in Kensal Green Cemetery on the side of Prince Augustus Frederick.