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Elizabeth Alice Wise, a granddaughter of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone and great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, died this weekend at age 89.
The daughter of Princess Mary of Teck and Sir Henry Abel Smith, Elizabeth Alice Abel-Smith was born at Kensington Palace in September 1936, and named for her grandmother Princess Alice. She had two older siblings, Anne and Richard.
During World War II, the family lived in Ottowa, where her grandfather Alexander Cambridge, Earl of Athlone (born Prince Alexander of Teck, he was the youngest brother of Queen Mary), served as Governor General of Canada. They returned to England in 1945, and at age 11, Elizabeth attended the wedding of then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
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Elizabeth Abel-Smith, center, with members of her family in Canada, 1941.
When her father became the Governor of Queensland, a young Elizabeth joined her parents in Australia, and traveled around the country.
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Colonel Henry Abel Smith (center) with his wife Lady May (left) and daughter Elizabeth (right) in 1958.
After returning home to England in the early 1960s, in 1965, she married Peter Ronald Wise, a shipping executive. Queen Elizabeth, along with Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, were in attendance at the wedding.
The couple divorced a decade later; their only daughter, Emma Charlotte Abel Wise, died in infancy. In tragic circumstances, Elizabeth was charged with the murder of her nine-month-old daughter, and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Per Marlene Eilers Koenig at Royal Musings, Emma reportedly caught an infection just a week after her birth, resulting in serious brain damage. Elizabeth’s lawyer told the court that she “broke” when she learned Emma would not survive. “In these circumstances she administered something to the child,” her lawyer said.
The judge sentenced her to twelve months’ probation. “The doctors are genuinely puzzled as to how this child lived so long. I have little doubt it was your devotion which kept her alive. I regard this as an extreme case even among exceptional cases. In my judgment you have suffered enough for the wrong, according to the law, you did.”
After her trial, Elizabeth spoke with her cousin, Queen Elizabeth. “The Queen has been very kind, sympathetic and understanding. We are still good friends. She did not know anything about my daughter until after she died and my arrest was reported in the newspapers. But while I was on remand we talked at some length.”
Elizabeth is survived by her older sister, Anne Liddell-Grainger, and various nieces and nephews. No funeral details were immediately available.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.