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It may be interesting to the immediate descendants of the 4th Laird and Mrs. Campbell (especially to their great- grandchildren) to have a note on their friendship in the 80's of the 19th century with the then Prince of Wales (afterwards Edward VII). The Prince's letters to Mrs. Campbell, chiefly on social subjects, are carefully preserved. On one occasion the Prince dined with Mr. and Mrs. Campbell in their London house, 17 Cavendish Square.
It was the custom of the children (James, 5th Laird, Mrs. Plowden-Wardlaw, Muriel, and the others) to watch the arrival of guests from an upper landing. The parties were frequent, for the Campbells had a large social and political circle in the 70's and 80's; but the children were sometimes mischievous enough to drop some nursery bricks when the great of the earth arrived. On the occasion of the Prince's visit, however, the children behaved with great propriety. It was arranged that the Prince should join in 1888 the shooting party at Dunalastair (the seat of Mrs. Campbell's son Hugh Tennent by her 1st marriage), but this arrangement was cancelled by the death of Mr. Campbell in May, 1888, which was followed by the death of Mrs. Campbell in December of the same year.
Campbell of Craigie was considered by the Crown as one of the lesser Chiefs of the Campbell clan: and he and Mrs. Campbell were invited to the royal marriage of the principal Chief, the Marquis of Lorne (afterwards 9th Duke of Argyll) with H.R.H. Princess Louise of Great Britain on March 21, 1871.
The tradition in the family is that the Government in the later part of Mr. Campbell's life offered him a peerage, and that he declined it.
The Campbells of Craigie are affiliated to the Campbells of Auchinbreck whose crest they bear and whose arms they quarter. The Campbells had possessed Craigie since 1783.