Winifred Selina Hardinge, Baroness Hardinge of Penshurst, CI (''née'' Sturt; 17 March 1868 – 11 July 1914) was a British

aristocrat The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...

and

Vicereine of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the emperor o ...

Family

Winifred Selina ("Bena") Sturt was the second daughter of Henry Gerard Sturt, 1st Baron Alington, of Crichel, Dorset, and his first wife Lady Augusta Bingham, the first daughter of George Charles Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan.Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood'' (107 ed.). Burke’s Peerage & Gentry. p. 1776. . Henry Gerard Sturt was a racing magnate and close friend of Edward, Prince of Wales. The Sturt family opposed Winifred's engagement to

Charles Hardinge Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, (20 June 1858 – 2 August 1944) was a British diplomat and statesman who served as Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1910 to 1916. Background and education Hardinge was the second ...

on account of Winifred and Charles'

consanguinity Consanguinity (from Latin '':wikt: consanguinitas, consanguinitas'' 'blood relationship') is the characteristic of having a kinship with a relative who is descended from a common ancestor. Many jurisdictions have laws prohibiting people who are ...

(they were first cousins), as well as Hardinge's relative indigence, but the couple married on 17 April 1890. The couple had three children: * Lieutenant Honourable Edward Hardinge, DSO (1892–1914), an officer in the

15th Hussars The 15th The King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. First raised in 1759, it saw service over two centuries, including the First World War, before being amalgamated with the 19th Royal Hussars into the 15th/19th The King's Roy ...

, who died of wounds received during

WWI World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...

. * Alexander Hardinge (1894–1960), who succeeded his father as Lord Hardinge of Penshurst * Honourable Diamond Evelyn Violet Hardinge (1900–1927)

Court

Mrs. Charles Hardinge was a

Woman of the Bedchamber In the Royal Household of the United Kingdom the term Woman of the Bedchamber is used to describe a woman (usually a daughter of a peer) attending either a queen regnant or queen consort, in the role of lady-in-waiting. Historically the term 'Gen ...

to the Princess of Wales from 1893. When Edward VII acceded the throne in 1901, she continued as a Woman of the Bedchamber to the new queen,

Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...

, serving throughout the reign 1901–1910. When her husband was knighted in 1904, she became Lady Hardinge. After her husband was created

Baron Hardinge of Penshurst Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, ...

in 1910, she became The Lady Hardinge of Penshurst, and was appointed an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber to the now Dowager Queen Alexandra.

India

Charles Hardinge was appointed

Viceroy of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the Emperor of ...

in late 1910, and his wife accompanied him to India. The tenure was a memorable one, and included the visit of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

, and the

Delhi Durbar The Delhi Durbar ( lit. "Court of Delhi") was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by Britain at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was he ...

of 1911, as well as the move of the capital from

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

in 1911. Lady Hardinge of Penshurst died on 11 July 1914 at the age of 46.

Legacy

She had an instrumental role in starting the

Lady Hardinge Medical College Lady Hardinge Medical College, also known as LHMC, is a public medical college and central government hospital located in New Delhi, India. Established in 1916, it became part of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi in 1950. The ...

, Delhi - first medical school exclusively for women in India. Initially to be named Queen Mary's College and Hospital, after Lady Hardinge's death in 1914 it was named after her to honour her contribution.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardinge of Penshurst, Winifred Sturt, Baroness 1868 births 1914 deaths People from Penshurst Place of birth missing Companions of the Order of the Crown of India British baronesses Viceregal consorts of India Daughters of barons Winifred 1910s in British India