Monthly Archives: February 2015

March 1915: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer


Brabourne Family Connections

Brabourne

Wyndham Knatchbull-Hugessen, 3rd Baron Brabourne; Photo Credit – www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com

On March 11, 1915, 29-year-old Wyndham Knatchbull-Hugessen, 3rd Baron Brabourne was killed in action in World War I. On March 10, 1915, during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards took up reserve positions near Neuve Chapelle, France. On March 11, 1915, the battalion sustained heavy casualties while crossing the Rue Tilleloy. The battalion’s war diary recorded the death of Lord Brabourne together with 15 other officers and 325 other soldiers. Lord Barbourne has no known grave, but his name appears on the La Touret Memorial in Bethune, France. His family erected a memorial for him in the parish church in Smeeth, England.

As the 3rd Baron Brabourne was unmarried and had no heir, his first cousin Cecil Knatchbull-Hugessen succeeded him as the 4th Baron Brabourne. The peerage continued to be inherited from father to son until Norton Knatchbull, 6th Baron Brabourne, who was captured and executed by the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) during World War II. The 6th Baron Brabourne’s brother John then became the 7th Baron Brabourne as his brother had died unmarried.
Wikipedia: Baron Brabourne

The names Brabourne and Knatchbull may sound familiar to many British royal family enthusiasts. The current Baron Brabourne, Norton Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne, is the son of John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne and Patricia Mountbatten, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma. His mother Patricia is the elder daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma who was a great grandson of Queen Victoria. Patricia is also a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The family’s descent from Queen Victoria comes from her third child Princess Alice who married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.

Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha → Princess Alice married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine  → Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine married Prince Louis of Battenberg (later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) →  Prince Louis of Battenberg (later of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma) married Edwina Ashley → Patricia Mountbatten, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma married John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne → Norton Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma was killed in 1979 by a Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb placed in his fishing boat. Also killed was Nicholas Knatchbull, a son of Lord Mountbatten’s elder daughter Patricia, Patricia’s mother-in-law the Dowager Lady Brabourne, and Paul Maxwell, a 15-year-old crew member.
Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August (scroll down to Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma)

Upon his father’s death in 2005, Norton Knatchbull became the 8th Baron Brabourne. He will become 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma upon the death of his mother Patricia, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Patricia was able to succeed to her father’s title because the peerage had been created with special remainder to the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma’s daughters and their heirs male.
Wikipedia Earl Mountbatten of Burma

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Timeline: March 1, 1915 – March 31, 1915

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A Note About German Titles

Most of the royals who died in action during World War I were German. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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March 1915 – Royals/Nobles/Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

The Honorable William Eden

Prince Alexander of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prince of Ratibor-Corvey

Howard Stonor

Wyndham Knatchbull-Hugessen, 3rd Baron Brabourne

George Douglas-Pennant

Charlotte of Prussia, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Charlotte of Prussia, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Charlotte of Prussia (Viktoria Elisabeth Auguste Charlotte) was the second child and eldest daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia and his wife Victoria, Princess Royal, the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. She was born at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, on July 24, 1860, and was christened Viktoria Elisabeth Auguste Charlotte. Charlotte’s mother considered her the most difficult of all her children. As a toddler, Charlotte started to bite her nails and pull at her clothes and was forced to wear gloves or stand with her hands tied together. Charlotte also seemed to have learning difficulties. Her governess and tutors told her mother they had never had such difficulties as with Charlotte. Charlotte was a favorite of her paternal grandparents whose spoiling did not help the situation.

Charlotte had seven siblings:

Charlotte’s mother and siblings in 1900: Sophia, Victoria, Wilhelm, their mother Empress Frederick, Charlotte, Heinrich, and Margaret; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte wanted to leave home as quickly as possible. As a marriage offered her the only way out, Charlotte found herself a prince, her shy and well-educated second cousin Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Meiningen. Because the prince was a suitable marriage candidate and their daughter caused much unrest at home, Charlotte’s parents agreed to the marriage. Charlotte and Bernhard were engaged in 1876 and married in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on February 18, 1878, when Charlotte was not quite 18.

Charlotte of Prussia with Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen around the time of the engagement; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte and Bernhard had one child, the first great-grandchild of Queen Victoria:

Feodora circa 1900; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After the birth of her only child, Charlotte neglected her daughter in favor of society life in Berlin which caused Feodora to be cared for by nannies and servants and her maternal grandmother. Feodora was a long-term houseguest at her grandmother’s home Friedrichshof. Her grandmother said of her, “She is really a good little child and far easier to manage than her Mama…The atmosphere of her home is not the best for a child her age.”

In 1891, Charlotte was involved in the Kotze Affair, a scandal in which several members of the aristocracy and members of the family of Wilhelm II, German Emperor were accused in anonymous letters of sexual debauchery.

In 1914, Charlotte’s husband became the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. His reign was short as Bernhard was forced to abdicate on November 10, 1918, and spent the rest of his life in his former country as a private citizen.

Charlotte was a chain smoker and had suffered ill health her entire life. She died on October 1, 1919, at the age of 59, in Baden-Baden, Germany. She was buried at Schloss Altenstein, the summer residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Bad Liebenstein in the German state of Thuringia.

Burial site of Charlotte and her husband; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Meiningen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Hermine Reuss of Greiz, German Empress, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz, the second wife of Wilhelm II, formerly German Emperor, was born on December 17, 1887, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz, German Empire, now in Thuringia, Germany. She was the fifth of the sixth children of Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz and his wife Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe. Hermine had one brother and four sisters:

Hermine (on the left) and her sisters in 1903; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Hermine was not quite four years old when her mother died. Louise, Grand Duchess of Baden, the daughter of Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia raised Hermine.

On January 7, 1907, Hermine married Prince Johann Georg von Schoenaich-Carolath, who died in 1920 from tuberculosis. Hermine and Johann Georg had five children:

  • Prince Hans Georg von Schönaich-Carolath (1907 – 1943), married Baroness Sibylle von Zedlitz und Leipe, killed in action during World War II
  • Prince Georg Wilhelm von Schönaich-Carolath (1909 – 1927), died unmarried
  • Princess Hermine von Schönaich-Carolath (born 9 May 1910), married Hugo Herbert Hartung
  • Prince Ferdinand von Schönaich-Carolath (1913 –1973), married (1) Rose Rauch, married (2) Baroness Margret von Seckendorff
  • Princess Henriette von Schönaich-Carolath (1918 – 1972), married Prince Karl Franz of Prussia (grandson of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and only child of Prince Joachim of Prussia), had three children including Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia whose wife Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia is a claimant to the Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia

Hermine with her children in 1923; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In January 1922, one of Hermine’s sons sent birthday wishes to Wilhelm II, formerly German Emperor, living in exile at Huis Doorn in Doorn, the Netherlands, who then invited the boy and his mother to Doorn. Wilhelm found Hermine very attractive and greatly enjoyed her company. Having both been recently widowed, the two had much in common. Wilhelm was determined to marry Hermine despite objections from his children. 63-year-old Wilhelm and 34-year-old Hermine married on November 5, 1922, in Doorn. Although Wilhelm had abdicated, he continued to use his royal styles and titles, and therefore Hermine was styled Her Imperial Majesty The German Empress, Queen of Prussia.

Wilhelm and Hermine in 1933 at Huis Doorn; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Hermine’s youngest child Princess Henriette came to live with Hermine and Wilhelm at Huis Doorn. Wilhelm stayed out of his stepchildren’s affairs, except for Henriette. He seemed to have a genuine affection for her, and she was known as “the general”. On August 6, 1940, at his residence at Doorn, Wilhelm officially announced the engagement of his stepdaughter Princess Henriette and his grandson Prince Karl Franz of Prussia, the only child of Wilhelm’s son Prince Joachim who had died by suicide in 1920. The couple married at Huis Doorn on October 5, 1940, had three children, and divorced in 1946.

Hermine with Wilhelm and her youngest daughter Henriette in Doorn in 1931; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Hermine returned to Germany after Wilhelm died in 1941. After World War II, Hermine was imprisoned for a while at Paulinenhof, a Soviet internment camp near Brandenburg, East Germany.  On August 7, 1947, at the age of 59, Hermine died suddenly of a heart attack in a small apartment in Frankfurt an der Oder in the Soviet Zone of Germany while under house arrest by the Red Army occupation forces. She was buried at the Temple of Antiquities in Potsdam, Germany where Wilhelm’s first wife, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, and several other family members are buried.

Temple of Antiquities; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Kingdom of Prussia: The Protestant Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern ruled as Margraves of Brandenburg, Dukes of Prussia, Electors of Brandenburg, Kings of Prussia from 1415 until 1918. In November 1700, in exchange for supporting the Holy Roman Empire in the Spanish War of Succession, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor agreed to allow Friedrich III, Duke of Prussia, Elector of Brandenburg to make Prussia a kingdom and become its first king. In the aftermath of World War I, Prussia had a revolution that resulted in the replacement of the monarchy with a republic. Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia abdicated on November 9, 1918.

The Kingdom of Prussia had territory that today is part of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and Switzerland. All or parts of the following states of today’s Germany were part of the Kingdom of Prussia: Brandenburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein.

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Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia was born at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on October 18, 1831. The elder of the two children of the future Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia and Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, he was given the names Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl and was known in the family as Fritz.

Fritz had one sister:

Fritz’s father Wilhelm had been raised in the strict military traditions of the Hohenzollerns, the ruling house of Prussia. However, Fritz’s mother Augusta grew up in the more intellectual and artistic atmosphere of Saxe-Weimar where she received an excellent education with liberal views. Among the people, Augusta was exposed to during her childhood were the famous German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and artist Louise Seidler.  Because of their different views, Fritz’s parents did not have a happy marriage and this unhappiness affected their children.

Fritz, circa 1841; Credit – Wikipedia

Fritz received both a military and a classical education. In 1844, archaeologist and historian Ernst Curtius was appointed his private tutor, and Fritz studied history, geography, physics, music, and religion. He had a talent for foreign languages, studying Latin and becoming fluent in English and French. Fritz also studied the traditional Hohenzollern areas of fencing, riding, gymnastics, and practical craft skills such as carpentry, book printing, and bookbinding. Colonel Karl Georg Friedrich Johann von Unruh oversaw Fritz’s military education. Probably at his mother’s suggestion, Fritz interrupted his military training at the age of 18 to study history, politics, law, and public policy at the University of Bonn. His time at the University of Bonn helped solidify his liberal, reforming beliefs.

In 1851, Fritz and his family were invited to England by Queen Victoria to visit the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London which her husband Prince Albert was instrumental in organizing. On a visit to the Great Exhibition, Queen Victoria’s eldest child, ten-year-old Victoria, Princess Royal (called Vicky), was allowed to accompany the group as a companion to Fritz’s sister Louise. Despite being only ten years old, Vicky made an impression on Fritz, who was ten years older. Vicky’s father Prince Albert saw Fritz as a partner who shared his liberal political views. Fritz spent four weeks in England and was impressed by the British Royal Family. Unlike his own parents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were warm and loving toward each other and had a family life that was far different from the rigor and formality of the Prussian court. After Fritz returned to Prussia, he and Vicky began to write to each other regularly. In a letter to her uncle Leopold I, King of the Belgians, Queen Victoria expressed the hope that Fritz and Vicky would form a closer bond.

Four years later, in 1855, Fritz was invited back to England by Victoria and Albert for a visit to their Scottish home Balmoral. Both the British and Prussian royal families expected Fritz and Vicky would decide their future together. Fritz was second in line to the Prussian throne after his father, who was expected to succeed his childless brother. Even though the marriage would not be universally popular in either country, Vicky and Fritz agreed to marry each other. Their marriage would be one of the most romantic of royal marriages. Because Vicky was so young, her parents decreed that the wedding would have to wait until Vicky was 17 years old. Fritz and Vicky were married on Monday, January 25, 1858, in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, England, where the bride’s parents had been married.

Fritz and Vicky, circa 1858; Credit – Wikipedia

Vicky and Fritz had eight children:

Fritz and Vicky’s family; Credit – Wikipedia

Vicky had also received a liberal education and shared her husband’s views. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria ardently hoped that this marriage would make the ties between London and Berlin closer, and lead to a unified and liberal Germany. However, Vicky and Fritz were politically isolated and their liberal and Anglophile views clashed with the authoritarian ideas of the Minister-President of Prussia and later Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. Despite Fritz and Vicky’s efforts to educate their eldest son, the future German Emperor Wilhelm II, about the benefits of democracy, he favored his German tutors’ views of autocratic rule and became alienated from his parents.

On January 2, 1861, Fritz’s father became King of Prussia and Fritz became Crown Prince, a title he held for 27 years. King Wilhelm I continued with his conservative ideas and frequently clashed with his son Fritz who believed in an “essential liberal policy for internal and foreign affairs.” The appointment of Otto von Bismarck as Minister-President of Prussia made matters worse. Bismarck was an authoritarian who saw nothing wrong with ignoring or overruling the Landtag, the Prussian legislative body. On June 4, 1863, Fritz vehemently protested Bismarck’s restrictions on freedom of the press at a city hall reception in Danzig, making Bismarck his enemy and his father extremely angry. For the rest of his father’s reign, Fritz was excluded from any position of political power and relegated to representing his father at ceremonies, weddings, and celebrations, such as Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887.

Fritz as Crown Prince in 1874; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite his hatred of war and his belief that there should be bloodless “moral conquests,” Fritz served in the Second Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War, and the Franco-Prussian War. Once the wars had started, Fritz supported the Prussian military wholeheartedly and had command positions. Since he had no political influence, these were the only opportunities to prove himself. In 1871, following Prussia’s victories, the German states were united into the German Empire, with Fritz’s father Wilhelm I as the German Emperor (Kaiser) and Fritz as heir-apparent. Fritz sided with the empire’s liberals in their opposition to the expansion of the German Empire’s army and became involved in many public works projects, such as the establishment of schools and churches.

Fritz’s father’s proclamation as German Emperor in the Hall of Mirror at the Palace of Versailles, Fritz is standing behind his father on the steps; Credit – Wikipedia

The year 1888 is called “The Year of Three Emperors” in German history. Fritz’s father Wilhelm I died on March 9, 1888, and Fritz succeeded him as Friedrich III. However, Fritz was already gravely ill with cancer of the larynx and could no longer speak, but despite this, he did his best to fulfill his obligations as Emperor. In May 1888, Fritz lamented, “I cannot die … What would happen to Germany?” Fritz reigned for only 99 days, dying at the age of 56 on June 15, 1888, and was buried in the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum at the Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.

As for what happened to Germany, Fritz was succeeded by his impulsive and pompous son Wilhelm II, who brought the German Empire into World War I which eventually caused the collapse of all the German Empire’s constituent states. Wilhelm II was an ineffective war leader, who abdicated in November 1918 and fled to exile in the Netherlands.

Tomb of Friedrich III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal; Credit – findagrave.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prussia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

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Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine was the husband of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, second daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was born Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Karl on September 12, 1837, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, the eldest of four children of Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine (a son of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine and younger brother of Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine) and his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Prussia (a granddaughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia).

Ludwig had three siblings:

photo: Wikipedia

Ludwig began his military training in 1854, along with his younger brother Heinrich, and the two later studied at the University of Göttingen and the University of Giessen. But from an early age, Ludwig was destined for a military career. He led the Hessian forces in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.

The Marriage of Princess Alice, 1st July 1862 by George Housman Thomas; Credit – Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017

On July 1, 1862, he married Princess Alice at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, England. The wedding was a rather subdued affair, as Alice’s father had died seven months earlier, and the family was still in official mourning. At the time of the wedding, Queen Victoria issued Letters Patent giving Ludwig the style Royal Highness. This would only be valid in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, he was still a Grand Ducal Highness. After a brief honeymoon, the couple returned and took up residence in Darmstadt.

They would go on to have seven children:

photo: Wikipedia

Ludwig’s uncle, Grand Duke Ludwig III, was childless, so it was expected that the grand ducal throne would pass to Ludwig’s father. However, Prince Karl died in March 1877, making Ludwig the heir presumptive. Just three months later, on June 13, 1877, he succeeded to the grand ducal throne, as Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine.

Tragedy would strike the family at the end of 1878. The family, with the exception of Alice and Ella, all came down with diphtheria. Princess Alice nursed her family back to health, and all survived except for their youngest daughter May. Sadly, Princess Alice eventually also became ill and was unable to fight off the illness, and died on December 14, 1878. The couple’s eldest daughter Victoria took on the role of raising her younger siblings and often served as hostess at official events.

In 1884, royals from around Europe descended upon Darmstadt for the wedding of Princess Victoria to her father’s first cousin, Prince Louis of Battenberg. Ludwig didn’t particularly approve of the marriage for several reasons – his cousin’s unequal birth, and the fact that he would be losing his daughter who had become his close companion). However, Victoria stood her ground and the marriage took place as planned. Unknown to any of the assembled guests, Grand Duke Ludwig had also made plans to marry that same evening. Following the wedding events for his daughter, Ludwig was secretly married to Alexandrine de Kolemine (formerly Hutton-Czapska), the divorced wife of the Russian chargé d’affaires in Darmstadt. When word spread, the assembled guests were shocked. The idea that the Grand Duke would enter into such an inappropriate, and unequal, marriage was scandalous at the time. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Prussia were summoned home immediately, so as not to be caught up in the scandal. And Queen Victoria was in an uproar! She was adamant that the marriage should be annulled immediately… and it was.

Ludwig IV passed away just eight years later from a heart attack, on March 13, 1892, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. He was just 54 years old. He was buried, alongside his wife and their two children who died in childhood, in the Neues Mausoleum in Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was born on November 21, 1840, at Buckingham Palace in London, England, nine months after her parents’ marriage. Her christening was held in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace on February 10, 1841, her parents’ first wedding anniversary, and she was given the names Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa. In the family, she was known as Vicky. Her godparents were:

Queen Victoria with her eldest daughter Victoria, Princess Royal circa 1845; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Albert with his eldest daughter Princess Victoria and Eos, his greyhound; Credit – Wikipedia

Vicky had eight siblings:

Royal Family in 1846 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter left to right: Prince Alfred and the Prince of Wales; the Queen and Prince Albert; Princesses Alice, Helena, and Victoria; Credit – Wikipedia

Shortly before her first birthday, Vicky was created Princess Royal, the fourth princess to be so styled. Vicky’s first governess was born Lady Sarah Spencer, daughter of George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer, and she married William Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton. Lady Lyttelton was widowed in 1837 and shortly afterward she was appointed a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria. Lyttelton earned the respect of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and, in April 1843, she was appointed governess to the royal children, who continued to call her Laddle, even when they were adults. Vicky started learning French with a French tutor when she was 18 months old and then began learning German at age three. Vicky’s second governess was Sarah Anne Hildyard, a dedicated and skillful teacher who developed a close relationship with her student. Miss Hildyard, called Tilla, was the daughter of a clergyman and taught Vicky science, literature, Latin, and history. Prince Albert tutored his daughter in politics and philosophy. Vicky’s governesses and tutors were impressed with her intelligence.

In 1851, Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (the future King of Prussia and German Emperor) and his wife Augusta were invited to England by Queen Victoria to visit the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in London, England, which her husband Prince Albert was instrumental in organizing. Wilhelm and Augusta brought their two children, 20-year-old Friedrich and 13-year-old Louise. On a visit to the Great Exhibition, ten-year-old Vicky was allowed to accompany the group as a companion to Louise. Despite being only ten years old, Vicky made an impression on Friedrich (Fritz), who was ten years older.

Four years later, in 1855, Fritz was invited back to England by Victoria and Albert for a visit to their Scottish home Balmoral. The British and Prussian royal families expected  Fritz and Vicky to decide their future together. Fritz was second in line to the Prussian throne after his father, who was expected to succeed his childless brother. Although the marriage would not be universally popular in either country, Vicky and Fritz agreed to marry each other. Their marriage would be one of the most romantic of royal marriages. Because Vicky was so young, her parents decreed that the wedding would have to wait until Vicky was 17 years old.

Wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal and Prince Friedrich of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

It was and still is, customary for the wedding to be in the bride’s home territory but Vicky was marrying a future monarch and the wedding was therefore expected to be in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia.  However, Queen Victoria had other ideas: “The assumption of it being too much for a Prince Royal of Prussia to come over to marry the Princess Royal of Great Britain in England is too absurd, to say the least…Whatever may be the usual practice of Prussian Princes, it is not every day that one marries the eldest daughter of the Queen of England.  The question must therefore be considered as settled and closed…”  Queen Victoria got her way and the wedding was scheduled for Monday, January 25, 1858, in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, England, where the bride’s parents had been married.

Eighteen carriages and 300 soldiers were in the procession for the short ride from Buckingham Palace to St. James’ Palace. Queen Victoria and Vicky were in the very last carriage. They were met at St. James’ Palace by Prince Albert and King Leopold I of the Belgians, the uncle of both Victoria and Albert. Vicky’s four brothers were in Highland dress and the elder two (Bertie and Alfred) preceded the Queen down the aisle. Vicky’s two younger brothers (Arthur and Leopold) accompanied their mother down the aisle followed by three of Vicky’s four sisters (Alice, Helena, and Louise), were dressed in white lace over pink satin. Beatrice, Vicky’s youngest sibling, was left back at Buckingham Palace as she was not even a year old. Next came Fritz, wearing a dark blue tunic and white trousers, the uniform of the Prussian First Infantry Regiment of the Guard, accompanied by his father and his uncle Prince Albrecht. Finally, Vicky came down the aisle escorted by her father Prince Albert and her great-uncle King Leopold I of the Belgians.

John Sumner, Archbishop of Canterbury, conducted the service and he was so nervous that he left out several parts of the service. However, Queen Victoria was pleased that both “Vicky and Fritz spoke plainly,” as she wrote in her journal. The service was concluded with George Friedrich Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. Vicky and Fritz led the recessional to The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn, the first time it was used in a wedding. Thereafter, it became a popular wedding recessional. The music is from a suite of incidental music to Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Queen Victoria loved Mendelssohn’s music and the composer often played for her when he visited Great Britain.

Vicky and Fritz led the carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace where they appeared on the balcony with and without their parents. After a wedding breakfast, the newly married couple left by train for a two-day honeymoon at Windsor Castle. Upon arrival at Windsor, Vicky and Fritz were met by fireworks, cannons, an honor guard, and cheering crowds. Schoolboys from nearby Eton pulled their carriage from the train station up the hill to Windsor Castle.

Vicky and Fritz on January 29, 1858; Credit – Wikipedia

Vicky and Fritz had eight children:

Vicky and Fritz’s family; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Albert and Queen Victoria ardently hoped that this marriage would make the ties between London and Berlin closer, and lead to a unified and liberal Germany. However, Vicky and Fritz were politically isolated and their liberal and Anglophile views clashed with the authoritarian ideas of the Minister-President of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck.  Despite their efforts to educate their eldest son Wilhelm about the benefits of democracy, he favored his German tutors’ views of autocratic rule and became alienated from his parents.

NPG Ax132839; Frederick III, Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia; Victoria, Empress of Germany and Queen of Prussia by Hills & Saunders

Frederick III, Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia; Victoria, Empress of Germany and Queen of Prussia by Hills & Saunders, albumen carte-de-visite, circa 1870, NPG Ax132839 © National Portrait Gallery, London

The year 1888 is called “The Year of Three Emperors” in German history. Fritz’s father Wilhelm I died on March 9, 1888, and Fritz succeeded him as Friedrich III. However, Fritz was already gravely ill with cancer of the larynx and lived only three months more, dying at the age of 56 on June 15, 1888, when his son Wilhelm succeeded to the throne. After her husband’s death, Vicky lived at Schloss Friedrichshof, a castle she built in memory of her husband near Kronberg, close to Frankfurt, Germany. Today the castle is a five-star hotel. Vicky remained close to her British relatives and regularly corresponded with her mother. 3,777 letters from Queen Victoria to Vicky and more than 4,000 from Vicky to mother have been cataloged.

1894: At Palais Edinburgh in Coburg. Back row: left to right: Vicky’s brother, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught; Vicky’s brother, Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; Vicky’s son, Wilhelm II, German Emperor; Vicky’s brother, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Front row: left to right: – Queen Victoria;  Vicky

In 1899, while visiting her mother at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Vicky was diagnosed with breast cancer. By 1900, cancer had spread to her spine and she suffered a great deal during the last months of her life. When Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901, Vicky was too ill to go to England. She died less than seven months later on August 5, 1901, at the age of 60. Vicky was buried in the royal mausoleum of the Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany next to her beloved husband Fritz. Their two sons who died in childhood are buried in the same mausoleum.

Tomb of Friedrich III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal; Credit – findagrave.com

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Recommended Books

  • An Uncommon Woman – Hannah Pakula
  • Beloved and Darling Child – edited by Agatha Ramm (letters of Queen Victoria and her daughter Victoria)
  • Dearest Vicky, Darling Fritz: The Tragic Love Story of Queen Victoria’s Eldest Daughter and the German Emperor – John Van der Kiste

Queen Victoria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prussia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

The mother of Queen Victoria, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (Marie Louise Victoire), was born on August 17, 1786, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in the German state of Bavaria. She was the fourth daughter of the five daughters and seventh child of the ten children of Franz Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Augusta of Reuss-Ebersdorf.

Victoria had nine siblings:

At age 17, on December 21, 1803, Victoria became the second wife of Emich Carl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen, who was 23 years her senior.  Emich Carl died of pneumonia in 1814 and was succeeded by his 10-year-old son Karl.

Victoria and Emich Carl’s children:

In November of 1817, the death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, necessitated the marriages of the unmarried sons of King George III to provide an heir to the throne. On May 29, 1818, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (fourth son of King George III) married the 32-year-old widow Victoria at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg. Edward had never married but had lived for 28 years with his mistress Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent. Upon the couple’s return to England, they had a second marriage ceremony on July 13, 1818, at Kew Palace in the presence of Edward’s ailing mother Queen Charlotte.

In September of 1818, Edward and Victoria set out for Leiningen, where the Duchess of Kent’s young son was the Sovereign Prince. However, when the Duchess became pregnant, they were determined to return to England so the possible heir to the throne would be born there. They took up residence in an apartment at Kensington Palace and it was there that their only child was born on May 24, 1819:

Toward the end of 1819, Edward leased Woolbrook Cottage in Sidmouth, a town on the English Channel, due to the need to economize and for benefits the sea air would have on the Duchess’ health. In early January, Edward caught a cold but insisted on taking a walk in the chilly weather. Within days, the cold worsened, he became feverish and delirious and developed pneumonia. His condition was aggravated by the bleeding and cupping of the physician sent from London to treat him. Edward became increasingly weaker and died on January 23, 1820, just six days before his father King George III died.

After King George III’s death, the infant Victoria was third in the line of succession after her uncles Frederick, Duke of York and William, Duke of Clarence. Neither the new king, George IV, nor his brothers Frederick and William had any heirs, and the Duchess of Kent decided she would take a chance on Victoria’s accession to the throne. The Duchess decided to stay in England rather than return to her homeland.

Victoria and the Duchess of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

The Duchess of Kent and her daughter Victoria were given little financial support from Parliament. The Duchess’ brother Leopold (the future King Leopold I of the Belgians) was the widower of Princess Charlotte and received a very generous 50,000 pounds per year income from Parliament upon his marriage to Charlotte which was continued after her death. Leopold provided much-needed financial and emotional support to his sister and niece. In 1831, with King George IV dead for a year and his younger brother and heir King William IV still without legitimate issue, Victoria’s status as heir presumptive and her mother’s prospective place as regent led to major increases in income. Uncle Leopold became King of the Belgians in 1831, so an additional consideration was the impropriety of a foreign monarch supporting the heir to the British throne. Leopold had surrendered his British income upon his accession to the Belgian throne.

The Duchess developed a very close relationship with John Conroy, her household comptroller, who wanted to use his position with the mother of the future queen to obtain power and influence. Conroy and the Duchess tried to control and influence Victoria with their Kensington System, a strict and elaborate set of rules. The Duchess’ relationship with her daughter Victoria suffered greatly and did not normalize until Victoria herself had children.

There was no love lost between King William IV and his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Kent. Despite the Regency Act 1830 making the Duchess of Kent regent in case William died while Victoria was still a minor, the king distrusted the duchess’s capacity to be regent. William had been denied access to his young niece as much as the Duchess dared. The Duchess had offended the King by taking rooms in Kensington Palace that the King had reserved for himself. Both before and during William’s reign, the Duchess had snubbed his illegitimate children, the FitzClarences. All of this led to a scene at a dinner in 1836 where King William IV declared in the Duchess’ presence that he wanted to live until Victoria’s 18th birthday so that a regency could be avoided.

On May 24, 1837, Victoria turned 18 years old and it would not be necessary for the Duchess of Kent to serve as regent, much to the relief of Victoria’s uncle King William IV. Less than a month later, on June 20, 1837, King William IV died and Victoria acceded to the British throne. On the day Victoria became queen, she demonstrated her determination to free herself from her mother’s influence by ordering her bed removed from the room she and her mother had always shared.

In 1840, Queen Victoria married her first cousin and her mother’s nephew, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. After the birth of Victoria and Albert’s first child Victoria, Princess Royal, the Duchess was reconciled with Victoria probably due to Albert’s persuasion. Thereafter, the Duchess became a doting grandmother and her relationship with her daughter became closer than it had ever been.

Dowager Duchess of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

In March of 1861, after the Duchess had surgery on her arm to remove an ulcer, a severe infection developed. On March 15, 1861, Queen Victoria was notified that her mother was not expected to survive for more than a few hours. Victoria, Albert, and their daughter Alice immediately traveled from London to Windsor where the Duchess resided at Frogmore House near Windsor Castle. The Queen found her mother in a semi-coma and breathing with great difficulty. At 9:30 on the morning of March 16, 1861, the Duchess of Kent died at the age of 74 without regaining consciousness. Victoria did not deal well with losing her mother and dealt even worse with a death that was to come at the end of 1861, that of her beloved husband Albert.

The Duchess of Kent’s final resting place is a mausoleum near Victoria and Albert’s mausoleum at Frogmore in Windsor Home Park.

Mausoleum of the Duchess of Kent. photo: Wikipedia

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Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the father of Queen Victoria, was born at Buckingham House (later Buckingham Palace) in London, England on November 2, 1767. He was the fourth son and the fifth of the fifteen children of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Edward had fourteen siblings:

The infant prince was christened Edward Augustus after his paternal uncle Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany who died seven weeks before his birth. His godparents were:

Edward was first educated at home by the Rev. John Fisher (later Bishop of Exeter and then Bishop of Salisbury).  He then went to study in Lüneburg and Hanover (both now in Germany) and in Geneva, Switzerland accompanied by his tutor Baron von Wangenheim. In 1785, Edward began his military training with the Hanoverian Guards and was appointed a colonel the next year at the age of 18. His military training in Hanover was not unusual as his father was also King of Hanover. In 1790, Edward arrived back in England without permission and his angry father immediately had him sent to serve in the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) in Gibraltar.

While in Geneva, Edward became acquainted with Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent, who was his mistress from 1790 – 1818. Julie accompanied him wherever he went until when he married. After Edward’s marriage in 1818, Madame de Saint-Laurent went to Paris where she spent the rest of her life. There is no evidence that the couple had children, but several families in Canada have claimed descent from Edward and Julie.

Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1791, Edward was transferred to an army position in Canada and his mistress Julie accompanied him. The couple was popular in Canadian society and remained in Canada until 1798 when Edward was allowed to return to England following a fall from his horse. In 1799, Edward returned to Canada as the Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America.

In 1802, Edward was appointed Governor-General of Gibraltar, but his harshness to the army forces there led to serious consequences. Edward refused to allow the army garrison to celebrate Christmas Day with any alcoholic drink. The soldiers became mutinous and peace was not restored until blood was shed. This led to Edward being recalled to England although he retained the title Governor-General of Gibraltar for the rest of his life. As a consolation for the end of his active military career, Edward was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal and appointed Ranger of Hampton Court Park, which provided him with a grace and favor residence there known as The Pavilion.

In November 1817, the death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, necessitated the marriages of the unmarried sons of George III to provide an heir to the throne. Edward’s mistress Julie is said to have read the news of Edward’s engagement in the newspaper while seated at the breakfast table and reacted with violent hysterics. Edward was genuinely attached to her and deeply upset at their forced separation.

On May 29, 1818, 50-year-old Edward married 32-year-old Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. His new wife, the daughter of Franz Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and sister of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, widower of the recently deceased Princess Charlotte, was the widow of Emich Carl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen and had two children. Upon the couple’s return to England, they had a second marriage ceremony on July 13, 1818, at Kew Palace in the presence of Edward’s ailing mother Queen Charlotte.

Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

In September 1818, Edward and Victoria set out for Leiningen, where Victoria’s young son was the Sovereign Prince. However, when Victoria became pregnant, they were determined to return to England so the possible heir to the throne would be born there. They took up residence in an apartment at Kensington Palace and it was there that their only child was born on May 24, 1819:

Toward the end of 1819, Edward leased Woolbrook Cottage in Sidmouth, a town on the English Channel, due to the need to economize and the benefits the sea air would have for the Duchess’ health. In early January, Edward caught a cold but insisted on taking a walk in the chilly weather. Within days, the cold worsened, and Edward became feverish and delirious and developed pneumonia. His condition was aggravated by the bleeding and cupping of the physician sent from London to treat him. Edward became increasingly weaker and died in Sidmouth, Devon, England on January 23, 1820, just six days before his father, King George III died. The Duke of Kent was buried in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. He left only debts, which his daughter Victoria paid off when she became queen.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. photo: The Royal Collection Trust

Princess Alice Maud Mary of the United Kingdom was born on April 25, 1843, at Buckingham Palace in London, England, the third child, and second daughter, of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was named in honor of Viscount Melbourne, Queen Victoria’s former Prime Minister. Lord Melbourne had once told the Queen that Alice was his favorite name. Her second name, Maud (a form of Matilda) was in honor of her godmother, Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester; and her third name, Mary, in honor of Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester (Queen Victoria’s aunt) with whom she shared a birthday.

With the 2022 accession of King Charles III of the United Kingdom, the British Royal Family is not only the descendants of Queen Victoria’s son King Edward VII but also of her daughter Princess Alice. Princess Alice of the United Kingdom → Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine → Princess Alice of Battenberg → Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh → King Charles III of the United Kingdom

Princess Alice was christened on June 2, 1843, in the newly renovated Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, by William Howley Archbishop of Canterbury. Her godparents were:

Alice had eight siblings:

Alice’s upbringing was typical for the times, spending most of her time with her siblings under the watch of nannies and tutors. She formed very close relationships with her two elder siblings, especially her brother Bertie, to whom she would remain very close until her death. A very artistic child, from an early age Alice developed a deep sense of compassion for others which would continue to develop in her adult years.

In March 1861, Alice’s grandmother, the Duchess of Kent, died. Alice had been with her during her final days, and established herself as the “family caregiver”. After she died, it was Alice whom Prince Albert sent to take care of Queen Victoria, whose intense grief over the Duchess’ death was unbearable. The Queen later attributed Alice’s efforts with helping her to get through the dark days that followed. Sadly, it would not be long until Alice’s caregiving skills would be needed again.

 

At the end of the same year, Alice’s father, Prince Albert, fell ill with typhoid fever. Alice stayed at his side, nursing him through the last few days of his life. Albert died on December 14, 1861, and the Queen went into seclusion. It was Princess Alice who then stepped in as unofficial secretary to her mother, assisted by her younger sister Louise, handling all of the state papers and correspondence, all while trying to support and comfort The Queen.

The previous year, Alice had become engaged to Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, the son of Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine and his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Prussia. He would later succeed his uncle to become Grand Duke Ludwig IV. After several other prospective grooms were dismissed by the Queen, Alice’s sister Victoria suggested Ludwig. He and his brother were invited to Windsor in 1860 for the Queen to ‘look them over’, and he and Alice quickly developed a connection. On the second visit in December, the couple became engaged. Following the Queen’s formal consent, the engagement was announced on April 30, 1861. The Queen also negotiated with the Prime Minister to get Parliament to approve a dowry of £30,000.

The wedding was scheduled for the following July, but the death of Alice’s father threatened to derail the plans. Queen Victoria, despite her intense mourning, insisted that the wedding would go on as planned, as that was Prince Albert’s wish. It would, however, be a much more somber affair. Queen Victoria even wrote to her eldest daughter that Alice’s wedding had been “…more of a funeral than a wedding…”

The Marriage of Princess Alice, 1st July 1862 by George Housman Thomas; Credit – Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III

The couple was married on July 1, 1862, in the dining room at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, England, which had been converted into a chapel for the day.

Following a brief honeymoon elsewhere on the Isle of Wight, the couple returned to Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, where they were given a small house in the Old Quarter. This caused much distress to Queen Victoria who held very high expectations when it came to the residences of her children. With significant financial support from Queen Victoria and Alice’s dowry, construction began on a new home, to be called the New Palace. The couple would take up residence in the New Palace in 1866. In the meantime, they were also given the castle at Kranichstein where they spent much of their time. The couple had seven children:

Princess Alice with her husband and children, May 1875.  Photo: The Royal Collection Trust

Once in Darmstadt, Alice tried to find ways to help those less fortunate and attempted to learn as much as she could about the lives of ordinary people. One area of particular interest was nursing. Seeing the need for improved medical care, Alice befriended Florence Nightingale who gave her suggestions and ways to help those in need. Alice embraced this role and worked tirelessly throughout the remainder of her life. During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, and again during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, Alice focused on wounded soldiers, making bandages, visiting the injured, and visiting the hospital wards. These visits would continue for the rest of her life, and she often brought her children along, hoping to instill that same compassion in them.

Tragedy struck the family in 1873. In February, Alice’s second son Frittie had been diagnosed with hemophilia after a cut on his ear took several days to stop bleeding. On May 29, 1873,  Frittie and his brother Ernst Ludwig were playing in their mother’s bedroom at the Neues Palais. Ernst went into another room to look through the window that was at an angle to the window in Alice’s bedroom. While Alice was out of the room to get Ernst, Frittie climbed up to the window in the bedroom to try and see Ernst. From all accounts, the chair he had climbed on tipped over and Frittie fell from the window to the ground below. Due to his hemophilia, Frittie died from his injuries.

Over time, Alice’s relationship with her husband had become somewhat strained, despite their mutual love for each other. Their interests were quite different, with Alice being much more of an intellectual than Ludwig. In the early 1870s, she befriended the theologian David Strauss, and shared many of his views on religion, some of which were quite controversial at the time. Strauss also offered a more intellectual bond than her husband was able to provide. However, following the death of her son in 1873, Alice began to return to her more traditional religious beliefs, distancing herself from Strauss.

Her relationship with her mother was also very strained at times. While initially having a very close relationship, the two often became estranged, often due to Alice voicing her thoughts and opinions, which usually differed from those of Queen Victoria. However, the Queen did remain devoted to Alice, particularly to her children. After Alice’s death, Queen Victoria spent a significant amount of time with her Hessian grandchildren, helping to ensure that they grew up with the proper guidance.

 

Ludwig’s father died in March 1877, and three months later, his uncle Grand Duke Ludwig III also died. Ludwig and Alice became the reigning Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. Alice continued her efforts in nursing, now having a much stronger position in which to bring about changes. Unfortunately, her time would be limited as tragedy would once again strike.

In November 1878, the family began to fall ill with diphtheria. Alice quickly slipped into her role as caregiver, nursing her husband and children back to health. Sadly, her youngest child, Princess Marie, succumbed to the illness and died on November 16, 1878. Alice tried to keep the news from her husband and other children until they were in better health. Eventually telling her son, Ernst Ludwig (who was quite devoted to the young May), she broke the one rule of nursing this horrible illness – she comforted him with hugs and a kiss. Soon after, Alice herself began to fall ill and was also diagnosed with diphtheria. Her condition quickly deteriorated, and in the early morning of December 14, 1878 — the 17th anniversary of her father’s death – Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine died at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. She is buried in the Neues Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt alongside her husband and two of her children.

Tomb of Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine (She is hugging her daughter Marie on her left side); Photo Credit – findagrave.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Queen Victoria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Recommended Books

  • Alice, The Enigma – A Biography of Queen Victoria’s Daughter – Christina Croft
  • Alice: Biographical Sketch and Letters – Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine
  • Princess Alice: Queen Victoria’s Forgotten Daughter – Gerard Noel

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Wilhelmina holds the record for the longest-reigning Dutch monarch, 58 years. Her reign spanned World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. Queen Wilhelmina’s father King Willem III was the third monarch of the Netherlands and had married his cousin Sophie of Württemberg in 1839. The couple had three sons, Willem (1840–1879), Maurits, (1843–1850), and Alexander (1851–1884), all predeceased their father without any legitimate children. Queen Sophie had died in 1877 and Willem was eager to remarry. After considering some other princesses, the 62-year-old Willem married Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont who was 21 years old. 19 months later, Willem and Emma’s only child Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880, at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. At the time of her birth, Wilhelmina was third in the line of succession after her half-brother Alexander and her great-uncle Prince Frederick of the Netherlands. By the time Wilhelmina was four years old, both men had died and Wilhelmina was the heir presumptive.

Wilhelmina was named for:

Wilhelmina with her mother; Credit – Wikipedia

King Willem III died on November 23, 1890, without producing a son with Queen Emma, so ten-year-old Wilhelmina became Queen of the Netherlands. Until Wilhelmina was 18 years old, Queen Emma served as regent. On September 6, 1898, when Wilhelmina was 18 years old, her inauguration was held at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.

Inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina; Credit – Wikipedia

In May 1900, Queen Mother Emma and Queen Wilhelmina traveled to Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in present-day Thuringia, Germany to meet with three marriage candidates: Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (a great-grandson of King Willem I of the Netherlands) and two sons of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Only one of the Mecklenburg-Schwerin brothers showed up, Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and it was him that Emma and Wilhelmina selected. The engagement was announced on October 16, 1900. The wedding preparations were overshadowed by the deaths of Wilhelmina’s uncle Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach on January 5, 1901, and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom on January 22, 1901.

The couple was married on February 7, 1901, at the Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk in The Hague in the Netherlands. Following the wedding, Heinrich became a Prince of the Netherlands and was known by Hendrik, the Dutch version of his name. Wilhelmina decreed that the Dutch royal house would remain the House of Orange-Nassau and not change to the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Although the marriage was a peaceful one, Wilhelmina and Hendrik grew apart due to her religious mysticism and his unfaithfulness and frustrations over his lack of an official role in the Netherlands.

Wilhelmina and Hendrik on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelmina needed to provide herself with an heir or the Dutch throne would pass to her second cousin Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, a grandson of Wilhelmina’s aunt Sophie.  On November 9, 1901, Wilhelmina had her first miscarriage. In March 1902, it was announced that the Queen was pregnant again, but a month later Wilhelmina was seriously ill with typhoid fever. She miscarried again in May 1902 and her condition was life-threatening. Wilhelmina recovered and on July 23, 1906, she had a third miscarriage. At the end of 1908, an announcement was made that Wilhelmina was once again pregnant and her only child Juliana was born. After Juliana’s birth, Wilhelmina suffered two additional miscarriages in 1912.

Wilhelmina with Juliana in 1914; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelmina had inherited a substantial amount of money from her father and her half-brother Alexander. She made wise investments that made her the world’s richest woman and the world’s first female billionaire (in United States dollars).

During World War I, the Netherlands remained neutral. While Queen Wilhelmina was concerned with the possibility of a German attack, the Allied blockade of Germany affected the Dutch. Dutch ships were included in the Allied blockade of Germany to ensure that none of the goods would get to the Germans. This severely restricted Dutch imports. At the end of World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm II fled to the Netherlands and was granted political asylum. When the Allied countries tried to gain custody of Wilhelm, Wilhelmina called the Allies’ ambassadors to a meeting and lectured them on the rights of political asylum.

During World War II, three days after Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, the Dutch Royal Family left for London, England. One month later, Juliana and her daughters Beatrix and Irene went to Ottawa, Canada, where they would be safer. Juliana’s husband Prince Bernhard stayed with Queen Wilhelmina in London during the war, although both occasionally visited the family in Canada. Juliana’s third daughter Margriet was born while the family was in Canada. On August 2, 1945, the whole family returned to the Netherlands.

Queen Wilhelmina talks on the radio to the Dutch people during World War II; Credit – Wikipedia

After World War II, Juliana served twice as regent (October 14, 1947 – December 1, 1947, and May 14, 1948 – August 30, 1948) due to her mother’s ill health. On September 4, 1948, after a reign of nearly 58 years, Queen Wilhelmina abdicated in favor of her daughter and Juliana became Queen of the Netherlands. After her abdication, the former queen was styled Her Royal Highness Princess Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and retired to her home Het Loo Palace. She made few public appearances but did appear to support the Dutch people during the terrible floods of 1953.

The access to the royal crypt in the foreground; Credit – By Sander van der Wel from Netherlands – Royal grave tomb and the grave of Willem van Oranje, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28146859

On November 22, 1962, the Dutch government announced that while there was no reason for immediate concern, Wilhelmina’s health had taken a turn for the worse. On November 28, 1962, Wilhelmina died at the age of 82 due to heart disease. After Wilhelmina’s death, it was announced that her condition during the last weeks of her life was more serious than had been announced. Wilhelmina was buried on December 8, 1962, in the royal crypt at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. According to her wishes, white dress was the protocol at her funeral.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of the Netherlands Resources at Unofficial Royalty