So she certainly would have become the Countess of Southesk. Did perhaps James get styled as the Earl of Macduff by courtesy, after the death of his cousin, until the death in 1959 of his aunt? The reason for my asking is that it seems that there is no courtesy title associated with the earldom of Southesk. So not even the eldest or only son and heir of such would be styled as Lord, Viscount, Baron, etc. Instead, he would simply have been the Honourable James Carnegie.
Indeed, that seems to be how his own father (Charles Carnegie) was styled, until the death of his father (the 10th Earl of Southesk). Now Maud herself accepted a demotion in her title on the occasion of her marriage in 1923. Originally Lady Maud Duff, as a daughter of a duke (indeed, that's how she would have been styled, even if her father had been only an earl), she and her sisters, despite being only cognatic granddaughters of a king, were given the Princess title (with the qualification of Highness) in 1905.
She went back to Lady when marrying the Honourable Charles Carnegie. Since it would have been too great an indignity to be styled simply as The Honourable Mrs. Charles Carnegie, she opted for a compromise. Hence, Lady Maud Carnegie -- just like her kinswoman, born HRH Princess Victoria Patricia of Connaught, who in 1919 married the Honourable Alexander Ramsey and became Lady Patricia Ramsey.
I was wondering how Maud's son was styled, over the years. Also, her grandson (the present duke of Fife). Like I said, things sure are confusing when there are multiple peerages, titles, and courtesy titles. Is there any tertiary title associated with the Fife dukedom?
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