From right: Duchesse de Connaught, Rivers Bulkeley, Princesse Patricia, major Lowtler, Mr Whitclaw Reid, Miss Pelly
This was taken upon the occasion of the Connaughts departing Ottawa for New York in January 1912. The full and correct names of those involved were Miss Annie Pelly (daughter of Sir Henry Carstairs Pelly, 3rd Bt. and Lady Lilian Harriet Charteris), lady-in-waiting to the Duchess; Capt. Thomas Rivers-Bulkeley, aide de camp to the Duke (as well as Controller of the Household at Rideau Hall in Canada), and Col. H.C. Lowther, military secretary as well as Ambassador Whitelaw Reid--who had very close ties to the British royals, especially the Connaughts. The Captain had been with the Duke since 1907.
Miss Pelly would marry Capt Rivers-Bulkeley the next year but he would unfortunately die in action in 1914--3 days before the Duke's nephew Prince Maurice of Battenberg--while serving with the Scots Guards. His widow would pass away in 1923. They had one son, Robert Henry Arthur Rivers-Bulkeley (1914-2007), to whom the Duke was godfather along with the 1st Marquess of Curzon and Sir (Henry) Vincent Meredith, 1st and last Baronet of Montreal. Capt Rivers-Bulkeley served as Controller of the Vice Regal Household under Lord Curzon. He followed his father into the Scots Guards. His wife was Elisabeth, one of the founders of Annabel's nightclub.
Col Lowther was the brother of the then Speaker of the British House of Commons, James Lowther. He served as military attache in several cities. He was the grandson of the 1st Earl of Lonsdale. He commanded 1st Battalion Scots Guards until being wounded in November 1914. He then commanded 1st (Guards) Brigade, which was broken up in August 1915. He retired as a Major-General and went into Parliament for some years.
