Lady Alastair Innes-Ker

Parents: William Lawrence Breese (1853–1888) and Mary Louise Parsons (1857–1948). Spouse: Alastair Robert Innes-Ker (1880–1936). Children: Alastair James Innes-Ker (1908–1944), David Charles Innes-Ker (1910–1957), and Eloise Jena Innes-Ker (1915–1996). Kinship: Sixth cousin three times removed of the post–World War II Smith generation.

Early Life and Marriage

Anne Breese was born in 1889, the daughter of William Lawrence Breese and Mary Louise Parsons. After the death of her father, her mother married Henry Vincent Higgins, impresario of Covent Garden, and the family settled in England.

Like her sister Eloise, Anne entered the British aristocracy through marriage. On October 10, 1907, she wed Alastair Robert Innes-Ker (left), the younger brother of the then-childless 8th Duke of Roxburghe.

Although Lord Alastair came from one of Britain’s oldest noble families, he was not wealthy, and neither was Anne. Newspapers of the time emphasized the sincerity of the match, calling it “the culmination of a genuine love affair.” \

A contemporary report noted:

“Lord Alastair, though belonging to one of the noblest families of England, is by no means wealthy. The bride is not wealthy either, and the young people will have to live quietly, but, it is said, the Duchess of Roxburghe, who was Miss May Goelet of New York, will give them a small but completely furnished house in Mayfair.”

Family and Royal Connections

In October 1908, Anne gave birth to her first child, Alastair James Innes-Ker. As the Duke of Roxburghe had no children at the time, Anne's son was the heir presumptive to the dukedom and the vast Roxburghe estates, including Floors Castle.

However, when the Duchess of Roxburghe gave birth to a son, George Innes-Ker, in 1913, the succession passed to the new heir. Anne took the change in good humor; the press reported that she was “among the first to proffer congratulations” and had “frankly declared she considered the Goelet millions really necessary to maintain such a palatial residence as Floors Castle.”

Military Life and Losses

Lord Alastair Innes-Ker had a distinguished military career. He served in the Boer War, receiving both the King’s and Queen’s medals, and was later awarded the Distinguished Service Order in November 1914 for bravery in the First World War. After continuing his service into the interwar period, he retired from the army in 1930 and died in 1936 at the age of fifty-five.

Their eldest son, Alastair James Innes-Ker, followed his father’s path in military service. He was killed in action in Normandy on July 6, 1944, when his tank was destroyed by fire. His body was never recovered, and he is commemorated on the Bayeux Memorial in France.

Later Life

Anne Breese lived quietly in England after her husband’s death. Two of her children, David Charles Innes-Ker and Eloise Jena Innes-Ker, survived her. She died in 1959, having witnessed both the triumphs and the tragedies of a family entwined with the British nobility and the turbulent first half of the twentieth century.