Alice Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading

Alice Edith Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading, (née Cohen; 31 May 1865 – 30 January 1930) was the first wife of Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading, and a prominent philanthropist in colonial India. Her husband served as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, making her the Vicereine of India.

Isaacs was born in Highbury, north London, to a Jewish family. She was the third daughter of Albert Cohen, a merchant in the City of London, and his wife, Elizabeth (née Friedmann). She married Rufus Isaacs, then a newly qualified barrister, on 8 December 1887. He had considered being a stockbroker but his wife encouraged him to pursue a career in law. He was ultimately Solicitor-General, Attorney-General and Lord Chief Justice. and Companion of the Order of the Crown of India (CI) on 14 March 1921, the latter being a traditional honour for the Vicereine of India. She was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind Medal in gold in 1924. She died of cancer in 1930, aged 64.

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Alice