Alexandra Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Anastasia "Sacha" Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn OBE
(b. 27 February 1946, Tucson, Arizona
, U.S.
) is the wife of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn
.
She is the eldest daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips (1909–1980) and his wife, Georgina Wernher
(1919–2011). Her younger sister is Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster
. Her paternal grandparents were Joseph Harold John Phillips and wife Mary Mercedes Bryce, whose niece Janet Mercedes Bryce (daughter of Major
Francis Bryce of Hamilton, Bermuda
and wife Gladys Jean Mosley) married David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven
.
The Duchess of Abercorn and her children (as well as her sister) are in the line of succession to the British Throne as direct descendants of Sophia, Electress of Hanover. They are direct descendants of the Russian
poet
, Alexander Pushkin, as well as his African great-grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal
, who was both a tribal prince and a protégé of Peter the Great. It is through their Russian grand ducal father that Alexandra and Natalia are descended from Sophia, Electress of Hanover.
(later Lady "Zia" Wernher), younger morganatic daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mihailovich of Russia
(a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia
) by his wife Countess Sophie of Merenberg
, morganatic daughter of Prince Nicholas of Nassau (himself brother of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg
by his wife, the younger daughter of Russia's greatest poet Alexander Pushkin).
Lady Zia's sister Nadezhda (or "Nada") was wife of the George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
, elder maternal uncle of the Duke of Edinburgh. The Torby sisters were third cousins of the prince through their common ancestor Nicholas I.
The Duchess of Abercorn is a close friend of the Duke of Edinburgh today, and her sister, the Duchess of Westminster, is a godmother of The Duke of Cambridge. The Duke of Abercorn was himself closely related to Diana, Princess of Wales
whose father was his first cousin.
(who in 1979, succeeded as the 5th Duke of Abercorn
), son of James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn
and Lady Mary Katherine Crichton, in Westminster Abbey
. The Duke and Duchess of Abercorn have two sons and a daughter:
The Duchess and her family reside at Baronscourt, near Drumquin
, County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(b. 27 February 1946, Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) is the wife of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn, KG , is the current Duke of Abercorn in the Peerage of Ireland, having succeeded his father in June 1979. The son of James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn, and Lady Mary Crichton...
.
She is the eldest daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips (1909–1980) and his wife, Georgina Wernher
Georgina Kennard
Georgina Kennard, Lady Kennard , was the mother of Alexandra Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, and Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster...
(1919–2011). Her younger sister is Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster
Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster
Natalia Ayesha Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster is the wife of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster.The Duchess of Westminster is the younger daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife, Georgina Wernher. Her elder sister is Alexandra, Duchess of Abercorn...
. Her paternal grandparents were Joseph Harold John Phillips and wife Mary Mercedes Bryce, whose niece Janet Mercedes Bryce (daughter of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Francis Bryce of Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.-Geography:...
and wife Gladys Jean Mosley) married David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven
David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven
David Michael Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven , styled Viscount Alderney before 1921 and Earl of Medina between 1921 and 1938, was the son of the 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven and Countess Nadejda de Torby....
.
The Duchess of Abercorn and her children (as well as her sister) are in the line of succession to the British Throne as direct descendants of Sophia, Electress of Hanover. They are direct descendants of the Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, Alexander Pushkin, as well as his African great-grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal
Abram Petrovich Gannibal
Major-General Abram Petrovich Gannibal, also Hannibal or Ganibal or Ibrahim Hannibal or Abram Petrov , was brought to Russia as a gift for Peter the Great and became major-general, military engineer, governor of Reval and nobleman of the Russian Empire...
, who was both a tribal prince and a protégé of Peter the Great. It is through their Russian grand ducal father that Alexandra and Natalia are descended from Sophia, Electress of Hanover.
Royal ancestry
The sisters are related distantly to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Their maternal grandmother Lady Wernher was born Countess Anastasia de TorbyAnastasia de Torby
Countess Anastasia Mikhailovna de Torby, CBE , also named Lady Zia Wernher, was the elder daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia, a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, by Countess Sophie of Merenberg.-Biography:Like her mother, Anastasia was born of a morganatic marriage, and was...
(later Lady "Zia" Wernher), younger morganatic daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mihailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Mihailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia and a first cousin of Alexander III of Russia. He followed a military career, but was banished from living in Russia when in 1891 he contracted a morganatic marriage with Countess Sophie of Merenberg...
(a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
) by his wife Countess Sophie of Merenberg
Sophie of Merenberg
Countess Sophie of Merenberg, Countess de Torby, was the eldest daughter of Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau and Natalya Alexandrovna Pushkina.-Early life:...
, morganatic daughter of Prince Nicholas of Nassau (himself brother of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
by his wife, the younger daughter of Russia's greatest poet Alexander Pushkin).
Lady Zia's sister Nadezhda (or "Nada") was wife of the George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
Captain George Louis Victor Henry Serge Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven , styled Earl of Medina between 1917 and 1921, was born the son of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine at Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany...
, elder maternal uncle of the Duke of Edinburgh. The Torby sisters were third cousins of the prince through their common ancestor Nicholas I.
The Duchess of Abercorn is a close friend of the Duke of Edinburgh today, and her sister, the Duchess of Westminster, is a godmother of The Duke of Cambridge. The Duke of Abercorn was himself closely related to Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
whose father was his first cousin.
Siblings
- Nicholas Harold PhillipsNicholas Harold PhillipsNicholas Harold Phillips was a British landowner in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire with royal connections. As a descendant of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, he was in the line of succession to the British throne.-Life:...
(23 August 1947–1 March 1991) - Fiona Mercedes Phillips (born 30 March 1951)
- Marita Phillips (born 28 May 1954)
- Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of WestminsterNatalia Grosvenor, Duchess of WestminsterNatalia Ayesha Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster is the wife of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster.The Duchess of Westminster is the younger daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife, Georgina Wernher. Her elder sister is Alexandra, Duchess of Abercorn...
(born 8 May 1959)
Marriage
On 20 October 1966, Alexandra Anastasia Phillips married James Hamilton, Marquess of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn, KG , is the current Duke of Abercorn in the Peerage of Ireland, having succeeded his father in June 1979. The son of James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn, and Lady Mary Crichton...
(who in 1979, succeeded as the 5th Duke of Abercorn
Duke of Abercorn
The title Duke of Abercorn was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1868 and bestowed upon James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn.This article also covers the Earls and Marquesses of Abercorn, all named after Abercorn, West Lothian, in Scotland.-History:...
), son of James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn
James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn . He was the son of James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn and Lady Rosalind Cecilia Caroline Bingham...
and Lady Mary Katherine Crichton, in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. The Duke and Duchess of Abercorn have two sons and a daughter:
- James Harold Charles Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton (born 19 August 1969), who was married on 7 May 2004 at the Guards Chapel, Wellington BarracksGuards Chapel, Wellington BarracksThe Royal Military Chapel, St. James Park, known as the Guards Chapel, is the religious home of the Household Division at the Wellington Barracks in London. Built in 1838, the chapel was bombed during the Blitz in 1940/1941....
, to Tanya Marie Nation (b. 1971), eldest daughter of Douglas Percy Codrington Nation, senior managing director of Bear StearnsBear StearnsThe Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. based in New York City, was a global investment bank and securities trading and brokerage, until its sale to JPMorgan Chase in 2008 during the global financial crisis and recession...
(1942–2001) and his wife Barbara Anne Brookes. They have two children, James Alfred Nicholas Hamilton, styled Viscount Strabane (born 30 October 2005) and Lord Claud Douglas Harold Hamilton (b. 12 December 2007).
- Lady Sophia Alexandra Hamilton (b. 8 June 1973), who was a modelModel (person)A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
before 1996. She married British warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Anthony LoydAnthony LoydAnthony William Vivian Loyd is an English journalist, noted war correspondent, and former British Army officer who saw active service in the First Gulf War.-Biography:...
in 2002, but they divorced, without children, in 2005.
- Lord Nicholas Edward Hamilton (b. 5 July 1979). He married Tatiana Kronberg, daughter of Evgeni Kronberg and Irinia Grichtchenko, on 30 August 2009 at New York, U.S.A.
The Duchess and her family reside at Baronscourt, near Drumquin
Drumquin
Drumquin is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies between Omagh and Castlederg, on the banks of the Drumquin River...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Public roles
- The Duchess is the founder of the Pushkin PrizePushkin PrizeThe Pushkin Prize was established in 1881 by the Russian Academy of Sciences to honor one of the greatest Russian poets Alexander Pushkin . The prize was awarded to the Russian who achieved the highest standard of literary excellence. The prize was discontinued during the Soviet period. It was...
s. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for her work with the Pushkin Trust.
- The Duchess is the Honorary Secretary of the Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma & Transformation in OmaghOmaghOmagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
, County TyroneCounty TyroneHistorically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, site of an 1998 Real IRA bombing that left 29 people dead (one of whom was pregnant with twins). She is also the patron of the Omagh Community Youth Choir, founded in the aftermath of 1998.
- The Duchess is the House Patron of Abercorn House at Cambridge House Grammar SchoolCambridge House Grammar SchoolCambridge House Grammar School is a mixed, controlled grammar school in the County Antrim town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland within the North Eastern Education and Library Board area.-General:...
, BallymenaBallymenaBallymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, County AntrimCounty AntrimCounty Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.