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King Charles' most scandalous relative who fought for women's rights and 'had a baby in secret affair'

While members of the Royal Family typically strive to be viewed as figures of high moral standing, it would be an understatement to say that there aren't some rather questionable skeletons in the royal closet - from a Prince accused of being Jack the Ripper to a King who had so many affairs he had a special 'sex chair' built.

Princess Louise, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was born on March 18, 1848 and there are many rumours that still circulate today which suggest she was an incredibly scandalous and radical figure.

From rebelling against her mother’s orders to having affairs and even allegedly giving birth to an illegitimate child, Princess Louise was far from the prim and proper princess. She is known for being ahead of her time: she openly supported the suffragist movement, held radical views on women's autonomy, and challenged her mother's opinions about where women belong in the world.

As her mother was known as the ‘Grandmother of Europe’, it was common practice for Queen Victoria to have her children and grandchildren married off to European heirs and dignitaries.

But Louise protested and instead demanded to marry a high-ranking member of British society, John, Marquess of Lorne who later became the Duke of Argyll. Their childless marriage was said to be unhappy and was punctuated by rumours of her husband’s alleged homosexuality.

But had Louise already had a child? There is a belief that Princess Louise had relationships with at least two other men outside of her marriage and that she gave birth to an illegitimate child in 1866 or 1867. 

louise© Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The son of Queen Victoria’s obstetrician, Frederick Locock and his wife adopted a boy who was born on December 30, 1867. Many people believe this baby was the illegitimate son of Princess Louise, from a relationship with her brother’s tutor, Walter Stirling.

According to Lucinda Hawksley, the official biographer for Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s lawyers were called to the Queen at the end of 1867. After this, Locock began receiving a fairly large allowance shortly after adopting the boy and had been given a grace-and-favour apartment in St. James’s Palace.

To add further evidence to the allegation, the adopted boy - Henry Locock - grew up in the palace and spent much of childhood playing with the royal children. When he was older, he told all of his children that Princess Louise was his mother and the legend has since passed down in his family. 

louise© Royal Collection Trust

Claims of an illegitimate son aside, Louise was hugely ahead of her time with her open support for the suffragist movement. The princess even made a visit to Elizabeth Garrett, the first woman to qualify as a physician in the UK. Queen Victoria deplored the idea of women joining professions such as medicine and called it a "repulsive subject".

Louise is well remembered for her artistry and being a talented sculptor. Her most famous work is the statue of Queen Victoria in her coronation robes outside Kensington Palace. The Princess died on December 3, 1939 at Kensington Palace. Her obituary in The Times described her as "the least bound by convention and etiquette of any of the Royal Family".