While many people know all about the senior members of the British Royal Family today, very few people know one past royal that was known for being a scandalous figure. Although no longer alive, Princess Louise, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was the subject of many rumours during her time, some of which still exist today.

Born in 1848, Louise was always known for her rebellious streak, especially when it came to her relationship with her mother the late Queen Victoria. While Victoria, who had the nickname of ‘Grandmother of Europe’, wanted Louise to marry European heirs and dignitaries, this was not what happened – leading to potentially one of the biggest royal scandals. As reported by MyLondon, Louise went against her mother’s wishes and instead married a high-ranking member of British society John, Marquess of Lorne, who later became the Duke of Argyll.

After their wedding, rumours swirled that John was homosexual, while other rumours emerged that Louise had been in relationships with at least two other men while married.

It was also rumoured that she fell pregnant as a result, with some claiming she gave birth to an illegitimate child in 1866 or 1867.

This was around the same time that the son of Queen Victoria’s obstetrician, Frederick Locock and his wife, adopted a boy who was born on December 30, 1867.

While it was never confirmed, rumours suggested that the baby was the illegitimate son of Princess Louise from a relationship she had with her brother’s tutor Walter Stirling.

According to the official biographer for the princess, Lucinda Hawksley, Queen Victoria’s lawyers were called to the Queen at the end of 1867 – around the same time as the adoption. A fter this, Locock – who adopted the baby – began receiving a large allowance and was even given an apartment in St. James’s Palace, where the adopted boy called Harry grew up and spent much of his childhood with royal children.

It is believed that when he was older, he told all of his children that Princess Louise was his mother, although this was never proved or confirmed. While these rumours were a key talking topic at the time, Louise spent most of her time and efforts in supporting the suffragist movement and in focusing on her own art work.

The princess was a talented sculptor and produced the statue of Queen Victoria in her coronation robes outside Kensington Palace.

Louise later died at the Palace herself in 1939 after spending much of her later life living there.