Baby will be a Duke's daughter

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 May 26, 1891

Queen Victoria has decided that the Duke and Duchess of Fife's newborn daughter "is to have only the rank and title to which she is entitled as the daughter of a Duke," reports the New York Times.  The new baby is the first child of Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife, and the Duke of Fife, and the first grandchild for the Prince and Princess of Wales. 

The Queen "came to this decision" even though the Crown's legal advisers "concurred in the opinion that the Prince of Wales's granddaughter should rank as a Princess of the blood royal."

Victoria's decisions are final. 

Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wales, Duchess of Fife, was "safely confined of a daughter" at East Sheen Lodge, Richmond, on May 17.

Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife, and the Duke of Fife's infant daughter was baptized at the Chapel Royal. St. James's Palace, on June 29.   The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by their daughters, the Princesses Victoria and Maud, were present for the ceremony.  The Prince and Princess of Wales were also the sponsors for their granddaughter.  Queen Victoria came up to London from Windsor to act as a sponsor for the infant. 

Other members of the Royal family who attended the baptism included the Duchess of Edinburgh and her three daughters, Princesses Marie, Victoria Melita, and Alexandra,  the Duke of Cambridge, Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne and the Marquess of Lorne,  the Duchess of Albany, the Duke and Duchess of Teck, Princess Victoria of Teck, Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg,  Prince and Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Prince and Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and the Countesses Gleichen.

The Princess of Wales placed the infant in the arms of Queen Victoria, "who gave the names Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise."  The Queen passed the child back to the Princess of Wales, "from whom the Archbishop of Canterbury received her  in order to perform the act of baptism."  Water from the River Jordan was sprinkled on the baby.

After the ceremony, the guests "lunched with the Prince and Princess of Wales at Marlborough House.  Queen Victoria "returned immediately to Windsor."