LONDON (AFP) - British royal Princess Alice, the longest-lived member of a long-lived family, has died two months short of her 103rd birthday, officials at Buckingham Palace announced.
She lived through much of the 20th century in a remote Elizabethan manor and had become so forgetful in later years, according to her son, that she preferred not to appear in public.
But according to the royal family web site, she had "a rich and eventful life" and behind the scenes had undertaken "extensive official duties over almost seventy years."
It said she worked for numerous charities and supported the armed forces in peace and war.
The princess, who was reported to have died in her sleep at her home at Kensington palace, was mother of the present Duke of Gloucester and aunt of Queen Elizabeth II, who was "greatly saddened" by the death, according to a spokesman.
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