A Royal Outcast

Discover the life and trials of Princess Louise, Prince Albert’s mother, and why the royal family tried to erase her from history

The story of Louise is the best kept secret of the Windsors; while her son Prince Albert entered history, she was banished to obscurity

‘Fascinating, rigorously researched and vividly told...[a] groundbreaking biography’. - Dr Anna Whitelock

Princess Louise played a crucial role in rise of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, but while her son Albert entered history, she was removed from it. Based on a decade of original research, this is the first English-language biography to explore her life and legacy — and the scandal the royal family tried to bury.

Married off to the older Duke Ernst Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Louise bore two sons, Ernst and Albert, but her unhappy marriage led to her banishment, divorce, and loss of her children. She died alone at just thirty-one, her reputation destroyed by court gossip and political intrigue. Was she a fallen woman, or a victim of royal machinations? And was Prince Albert truly Ernst’s son?

Louise’s story is one of scandal, tragedy, and secrets that shape the House of Windsor today.