Louisa Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire

Louisa Frederica Augusta Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, formerly Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester (born Countess Luise Friederike Auguste von Alten; 15 June 1832 – 15 July 1911), was a German-born British aristocrat sometimes referred to as the "Double Duchess" due to her marriages, firstly to the 7th Duke of Manchester and then to the 8th Duke of Devonshire.

Early life Luise Friederike Auguste, Countess von Alten, was born 15 June 1832 at Hanover in what was then the Kingdom of Hanover into a family of German nobility. She was a daughter of Karl Franz Viktor, Count von Alten (1800–1879), and his wife, Hermine von Schmincke (1806–1868), the daughter of Friedrich Christoph von Schmincke, who served as the government minister in the Electorate of Hesse. Her siblings included: Helene Charlotte Auguste, Countess of Alten, who married Andrei Bludov, Carl Friedrich Franz Victor, Count of Alten, who married Carolina Frederica Groeninx van Zoelen, and Guidobaldine, Countess of Alten, who married Graf August Grote and Don Luigi Maria Colonna, Prince of Stigliano, and Detlof von Bülow.

Mistress of the Robes "A social climber with a nose for power", the 26-year-old Duchess (through her friendship with Lord Derby, the then prime minister) was appointed Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria in February 1858, resigning in June 1859, when Lord Derby's government fell. Victoria regretted her departure, calling her "a very pleasant, nice, sensible person". However, allegedly Victoria disapproved of 'her tone, her love of admiration and "fast style."' She pointedly declined to invite the Duchess to the wedding of Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales in 1863. The Duchess soon developed close friendships with both.

Devonshire House Ball of 1897 In July 1897, the Duchess hosted the Devonshire House Fancy Dress Ball at Devonshire House, the London residence of the Dukes of Devonshire during the 18th and 19th centuries. The party was a costume ball thrown to celebrate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. The Queen's Private Secretary, Francis Knollys, wrote to the Duchess that the Prince of Wales (who dressed as the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta) thought the party a success. The ball was considered the most important event of the London social season, and was spoken of for many years afterwards. At the ball, the Duchess dressed as Queen Zenobia of Palmyra.

They had five children: George Victor Drogo Montagu, 8th Duke of Manchester (1853–1892), who married Consuelo Yznaga (1853–1909), and had issue.

With the Duke of Devonshire's death on 24 March 1908, she was widowed for the second time, becoming the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire. On 14 July 1911, she suffered a seizure at the Sandown Races. She was taken to nearby Esher Park, and died there on 15 July, aged 79; she was interred at Edensor, near Chatsworth, in Derbyshire.

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