Lady Flora

Lady Flora Hastings

Born 1806 and brought up in the beautiful Loudoun Castle, known as the"Windsor of Scotland"
The eldest daughter of the 1st Marques of Hastings who in 1834 was appointed Lady of the bed chamber to the Duchess of Kent, and the Princess, who later, became Queen Victoria in 1837. During this period Lady Flora entered a family split between a mother and daughter. The Duchess looked upon Lady Flora as a daughter, where the young Queen appointed Fraulein Lehzen as her unofficial adviser.
On January 10th, 1839 Lady Flora returned to Buckingham Palace after a holiday in her beloved Scotland and immediately consulted Sir James Clark, the Queens physician, about abdominal pain which was affecting her. After this consultation the Palace society ever eager to seize on some new gossip to spread, had a field day with her swollen abdomen.
The public was very much in support of Lady Flora against the Queen, and wanted the removal of the physician, Sir James and most of the ladies-in-waiting and that included Fraulein Lehzen, now a Baroness along with Lady Tavistock and Lady Portman.
At this time there had been many instances of the Queen being unpopular at royal occasions, including Ascot racing, the theatre and worst of all being driven through the streets of London in total silence from her subjects.
At 4.30 in the morning, of Wednesday, July 10th, 1839, a funeral procession moved slowly through the streets of London. Lady Flora died at Buckingham Palace in 1839, of a broken heart brought on because of the cruel and unfounded slander.
She was buried in the family vault at Loudoun Kirk. The monument records:
Born 11th February 1806
Died 5th July 1839
Aged 33 years.
Lady Flora's mother The Countess of Loudoun and Marchioness of Hastings died on January 1840.
Lady Flora Hastings was a distinguished poet in her own right and after her death, her sister, The Marchioness of Bute edited her poems, this proved highly successful and the proceeds built Lady Flora's School, which is mostly known as Lady Flora's Institute.

Sample verse:

The Swan Song
Grieve not that I die young. Is it not well
To pass away ere life hath its brightness?
Bind me no longer, sisters, with the spell
Of love and your kind words. List ye to me.
Here I am blessed - But I would be more free:
I would go forth in all my spirit's lightness.
Let me Depart.

Lady Flora Elizabeth Hastings