Early Life
Maud was born at East Sheen Lodge, Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey on 3 April 1893. Her father was the Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife (1840–1912), the son of the James Duff, 5th Earl Fife and his wife, Lady Agnes Hay. He was created Duke of Fife following marriage to Maud's mother, then Princess Louise of Wales, the eldest daughter of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Alexandra of Denmark.
As a female line great-granddaughter of a British monarch (Queen Victoria), Maud was not entitled to the title of a Princess of Great Britain nor to the style Royal Highness. Instead she was styled Lady Maud Duff, as the daughter of a duke. She was sixth in the Line of succession to the British Throne at the time of her birth.
Maud and her sister were unique among British princesses in that they were descended from both William IV (through his mistress, Dorothy Jordan), and William IV's niece, Queen Victoria, who succeeded him because he had no legitimate issue.
Read more about this topic: Princess Maud, Countess Of Southesk
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