Formerly hanging in Hamilton Palace, South Lanarkshire, now at Lennoxlove, East Lothian

Alfred Douglas was the eldest son of Captain Charles Henry Douglas-Hamilton, RN and Elizabeth Ann Hill. Following family tradition he joined the Navy. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant and seemed destined for a successful naval career.

In 1888, however, he was persuaded by the 12th Duke, whose distant cousin and heir he was, to resign from the Navy. In 1890 he was partially paralysed by an obscure tropical disease which he had contracted when he was last at sea and his life was despaired of.

He recovered, succeeding in 1895 to the dukedom and over £1m in debts which took him 13 years to pay off. In 1901 he married Nina Poore by whom he had seven children. Hamilton Palace was demolished in his lifetime, and he moved to Dungavel.