Laura Lascelles

Laura Lascelles is the daughter of Sir Issac Lascelles and Diane Hastings, the 1st Baron and Baroness of Huntington. Through her father, Laura is the great-granddaughter of the 1st Earl of Medford, thus a member of the powerful Lascelles Family; and through her mother she is the granddaughter (through an illegitimate line) of Sir Henry Carnarvon, The Duke of Chelsea, thus making her a descendant of the House of Carnarvon.

Laura has three younger siblings: Josephine and Francis Lascelles, and a younger half-brother Sir Isaac Lascelles, The Baron of Huntington. Laura grew up at Hagley Park, with her parents, siblings and uncle Jonathan Lascelles. When Laura was a child, her father was created "The Baron of Huntington" by the Regent, The Duke of Worcester.

Though Laura and her family were members of the lower branch of the House of Lascelles, her family were still prominent members of the aristocracy. Her uncle, served as a member of the Royal Household as the Treasurer of the Royal Households and her mother was (until her death) a Lady-In-Waiting to The Duchess of Worcester.

Due to Laura's blood line, being one of the illegitimate granddaughters of a Carnarvon Prince, her prospects for marriage were quite high. Afraid of what would happen if a descendant of the House of Carnarvon married an enemy of the House of Beaufort, the Regent, The Duke of Worcester, made it illegal for any descendant of the House of Carnarvon, both legitimate and illegitimate, to marry without the Monarchs approval. It was eventually decided that Laura would marry the youngest brother of King Henry II of Wessex: Edmund Beaufort, The Duke of Chelsea.

Tragedy struck the family when Laura's mother died giving birth to her twin daughters: Josephine and Francis. A second blow was felt when Laura's father The Baron of Huntington died only a day after his engagement party to Katherine Cecil, the sister of Sir Thomas Cecil, The Baron of Palmer.

There was some hope, when Katherine was discovered to be with child. The family hoped for the birth of a boy, but there were some early concern that The child would not be legitimate as his parents had yet to properly wed.

The Regent eventually allowed the unborn child to be recognized as a legitimate child of the late Baron, whether male of female. This meant that if the child was male, he would become The Baron of Huntington on his birth and the heir to his uncle's estates at Hagley Park, thus displacing Laura as his lawful heir.

Laura's brother was born at Hagley Park in the afternoon. He was born in the presence of two "royal attendants" The Duchess of Beverly and Lord Richard Gore, who were sent to watch the birth by The Regent to ensure that if the child was born a girl no one could switch it with a male child.