Category Archives: British Royals

Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Charles Edward was born at Claremont House near Esher, Surrey, England on July 19, 1884. He was the only son and the second of the two children of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son of Queen Victoria, and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Sadly, Charles Edward’s father died three months before he was born. Prince Leopold, who inherited hemophilia from his mother Queen Victoria, died at age 30 from a fall that caused a cerebral hemorrhage. Luckily, Charles Edward was in no danger of inheriting hemophilia. Males have XY chromosomes and females have XX chromosomes. Each parent transmits one chromosome to their offspring. Hemophilia is transmitted on the X chromosome. The hemophiliac male will transmit his Y chromosome to his sons, and therefore the sons will not have hemophilia. However, all daughters of hemophiliac males will be carriers as they all will receive their father’s X chromosome with the hemophilia gene. For more information see Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Family.

His father Prince Leopold had always been drawn to the story of the Stuarts who lost the throne and wanted his son to be named Charles Edward for Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie. The infant prince was named Leopold Charles Edward George Albert. Formally he was known as Charles Edward and in the family, he was called Charlie. At his birth, Charles Edward inherited his father’s title Duke of Albany.

About two weeks after his birth, Charles Edward became ill and it was thought advisable to baptize him privately at Claremont House on August 4, 1884. Later that year, he was christened publicly on December 4, 1884, at Christ Church in Esher, Surrey, England. His godparents were:

Charles had one older sibling, a sister:

 

Charles Edward and his sister Alice were first educated at home by their governess Miss Jane Potts. After Charles Edward got to be “too much for Miss Potts,” as his sister says in her memoir For My Grandchildren, he was sent as a day student to Sanroyd School, then to prep school at Lyndhurst and Eton College.  Charles Edward remained at Eton College until an event occurred that would change his life drastically.

Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was the second of the two sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  Albert’s elder brother succeeded their father as Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  Ernst II had married Princess Alexandrine of Baden, but when it became increasingly clear that the marriage would produce no children, a plan for the succession needed to be devised. A union between the United Kingdom and the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was undesirable. For most of Ernst II’s reign, his brother Albert was the heir presumptive. When Albert died in 1861, his second son Alfred became the heir presumptive after his older brother, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII of the United Kingdom), renounced his succession rights.

Alfred married and had one son and four daughters, and his son Alfred (known as Young Affie) became the next in the line of succession. In 1893, Ernst II died and Alfred became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his son Young Affie became Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Young Affie was involved in a scandal with his mistress and shot himself during his parents’ 25th wedding anniversary celebrations. His parents sent him off to a spa to recover, but Young Affie died two weeks later on February 6, 1899. Prince Albert’s third son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, had renounced the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha succession for himself and his only son Prince Arthur of Connaught. That left only Charles Edward. It is rumored that Prince Arthur of Connaught, who was attending Eton with Charles Edward, threatened to beat up his cousin if he did not accept the duchy.

In 1899, 15-year-old Charles Edward left Eton to continue his education in Germany. Various relatives argued about where Charles Edward should attend school. Finally, Cousin Willy, Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, arranged for Charles Edward to attend Leichterfelde Military Cadet Academy, the German equivalent of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The Duchess of Albany and her daughter Alice stayed for a prolonged time in Germany to ease Charles Edward’s adjustment, but the adjustment did not last long. Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died of throat cancer on July 30, 1900, and 16-year-old Charles Edward became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. After becoming Duke, Charles Edward continued his education at the University of Bonn where he studied law and political science. Until Charles Edward reached his 21st birthday, Hereditary Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the husband of Alfred’s daughter Alexandra, served as the Regent of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

 

On February 15, 1905, at a court ball at the Berliner Stadtschloss, the engagement of Charles Edward and Princess Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg was announced. Viktoria Adelheid, who was called Dick in the family, was the niece of Empress Augusta Victoria, wife of Charles Edward’s first cousin Wilhelm II, German Emperor, and Wilhelm is said to have selected the bride. She was the eldest daughter of Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. The wedding was held on October 11, 1905, at Glücksburg Castle.

Charles Edward and Viktoria Adelheid in 1905; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had five children:

Charles Edward and his family in 1918; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles Edward showed a great interest in cars and early aviation. In 1910 in Gotha, he built an airplane landing site with a hangar and a flying school. In 1913, he was involved in transforming the Gotha Coach Factory into an airplane manufacturer.

During World War I, Charles Edward was a General on the staff of the General Command of the 3rd Army of the German Empire. Before 1867, the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha had its own army, but in 1867 a treaty was signed with Prussia, and the Duchy’s army was added to the 6th Thuringian Infantry Regiment No. 95 of the 22nd Division of the Army Corps.  Charles Edward considered the 6th Thuringian Infantry Regiment No. 95 his army and accompanied the regiment to the front. He visited the regiment often and spent more than one-third of World War I with the regiment. In December 1914, Charles Edward was promoted to General of Infantry. Although he held the rank of General, Charles Edward had no active command during World War I. To demonstrate his unconditional loyalty to the German Empire, Carl Edward signed a law on March 12, 1917, that said non-German members of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha could not be in the line of succession and succeed to the throne if their home country was at war with the German Empire. An attack on London on June 17, 1917, by seventeen twin-engine bombers built at Charles Edward’s Gotha Coach Factory cost 160 lives and increased the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom.

Charles Edward visiting the troops in 1914; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles Edward had been invested as a Knight of the Garter in 1902, but he was struck off the roll of the Order of the Garter in 1915 by his first cousin King George V of the United Kingdom along with six other Austrian or German royals. Further action was taken against him after the British Parliament passed the 1917 Titles Deprivation Act which allowed the Privy Council to investigate “any persons enjoying any dignity or title as a peer or British prince who have, during the present war, borne arms against His Majesty or His Allies, or who have adhered to His Majesty’s enemies.” Under the terms of that act, an Order in Council on March 28, 1919, formally removed Charles Edward’s British peerages, the Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and the Baron of Arklow. Charles Edward and his children also lost their titles of Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom and the styles Royal Highness and Highness. Along with Charles Edward, three others, Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, Earl of Armagh; Ernst August (Duke of Brunswick), Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; and Henry, Viscount Taaffe of Corren and Baron of Ballymote, lost their titles. According to the Titles Deprivation Act, the male heirs of these four people have the right to petition for restoration of their titles but no heir has ever done so.

On November 9, 1918, the Workers and Soldiers Council of Gotha deposed Charles Edward as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. Saxe-Coburg and Gotha broke into two republics, Coburg and Gotha. In 1920, Gotha joined the newly created state of Thuringia, while Coburg joined the Free State of Bavaria. After losing his throne, being branded as a traitor by his birth country, and fearing the threat of Communism, Charles Edward searched for something new. He became associated with various right-wing paramilitary and political organizations. In 1932, he took part in the creation of the Harzburg Front, through which the German National People’s Party became associated with the Nazi Party.

Charles Edward first met Adolf Hitler on October 14, 1922, when he welcomed Hitler as a guest of honor at a festival in Coburg. In the following decades, Charles Edward met Hitler personally at least 21 times. After the first electoral success of the Nazi Party in Coburg in 1929, Charles Edward openly supported the Nazi Party. On March 23, 1932, in the Coburg National newspaper, Charles Edward supported Hitler in the presidential election against the incumbent Paul von Hindenburg. After the Nazi Party won the general election in 1933, the Nazi swastika flag was flown over the Veste Coburg, the home of Charles Edward.

As a result of his support of the Nazi Party, Charles Edward was appointed to several positions and represented the Nazi Party in Germany and abroad. He became a member of the Sturmabteilung (SA or Brownshirts), the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, and rose to the rank of Obergruppenführer.  He served as president of the German Red Cross from 1933 to 1945, and the German Red Cross became a part of the Nazi Party and was no longer affiliated with the neutral International Red Cross. In December of 1935, Charles Edward was elected President of the German-English Society, whose goal was to explore a possible pact between the two countries. In January 1936, Charles Edward returned to his home country when he represented Adolf Hitler at the funeral of King George V. After King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne and married Wallis Simpson, it was Charles Edward who hosted their unauthorized trip to Germany in 1937. Charles Edward was too old for active service during World War II, but three of his sons served in the German armed forces, and his son Hubertus was killed in action in 1943.

Charles Edward giving a speech as President of the German Red Cross in 1936; Credit – Wikipedia

After the end of World War II, Charles Edward was placed under house arrest on June 4, 1945, at his residence, the Veste Coburg, because of his Nazi sympathies. Charles Edward and his wife were housed in a stable cottage on the grounds of the Veste Coburg. His sister Alice and her husband came to Coburg to plead for his release but were unsuccessful. However, they were able to negotiate for an improvement in Charles Edward’s living conditions. Charles Edward and his wife moved into a part of one of their own houses, close to the market where it was easier for them to do shopping. Several times Charles Edward faced trial for his alleged Nazi activities. In 1949, a denazification appeals court classified Charles Edward as a Nazi Follower, Category IV. He was heavily fined and almost bankrupted.

After World War II, some of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha properties that were now in East Germany were seized. The family was left with Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany and Schloss Greinburg an der Donau in Grein, Austria. Charles Edward spent the last years of his life in seclusion. He died of cancer on March 6, 1954, at the age of 69 in his apartment on Elsässer Straße (Street) in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany, and was buried in the Waldfriedhof (Forest Cemetery) at Schloss Callenberg. His wife Viktoria Adelheid died on October 3, 1970, and was buried beside her husband.

The cemetery at Schloss Callenberg; 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-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone; Credit – Wikipedia

The husband of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Alice of Albany, and Governor-General of both the Union of South Africa and Canada, His Serene Highness Prince Alexander of Teck was born in Kensington Palace in London, England on April 14, 1874. He was the fourth child and third son of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. His mother was a male-line granddaughter of King George III and a first cousin of Queen Victoria. Princess Mary Adelaide weighed approximately 250 pounds and was affectionately known as “Fat Mary.” Queen Victoria wrote of her, “Her size is fearful. It is really a misfortune.” Princess Mary Adelaide, however, was high-spirited and full of life, and was adored by the Victorian public who called her “The People’s Princess.”

Alexander’s father was His Serene Highness Prince Francis of Teck, the product of a morganatic marriage. Prince Francis’ father, Duke Alexander of Württemberg, was once heir to the throne of Württemberg. However, Duke Alexander contracted a morganatic marriage (marriage to a person of a lower rank) to a Hungarian countess, Claudine Rhedey. Duke Alexander lost his rights to the throne and his children lost the right to use the Württemberg name. Francis’ cousin King Karl of Württemberg eventually elevated him to the more important Germanic title of Duke of Teck.

Mary Adelaide and Francis had a happy marriage but had chronic financial problems due to Mary Adelaide’s extravagance and generosity. Queen Victoria gave them an apartment at Kensington Palace where their four children were born. Christened Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George, Alexander was called Alge, a name derived from the first two letters of Alexander and George. He had an older sister and two older brothers:

NPG x96004; Queen Mary with her mother and brothers by Alexander Bassano

Queen Mary with her mother and brothers by Alexander Bassano, half-plate glass negative, circa 1884 NPG x96004 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Alge was first educated at home by tutors and at a local morning school. All the Teck children were encouraged to learn languages, and their parents insisted they speak only French at some meals and only German at others. In 1883, when Alge was nine years old, his parents were forced to flee the country due to their financial situation. The family settled in a villa in Florence, Italy where they lived more cheaply for two years. Alge’s two elder brothers remained in England, attending boarding school. During this time, Alge and his sister May developed a close relationship that was to last all their lives.

The family returned to England in the spring of 1883 and Alge was enrolled in Reverand A.H. Morton’s boarding school in Farnborough, England. At the beginning of the Lent Term in 1889, Alge began to attend Eton College. In 1892, Alge started his military education at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Two years later, Alge was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 7th Hussars and stationed in India. In 1896, Alge was transferred to Africa and participated in the Second Matabele War and in the Second Boer War.

At the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, Alge caught the eye of the King’s niece Princess Alice of Albany. Alge and his siblings had known Alice since childhood, although they were much older than she was. Alice was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and his wife Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Prince Leopold inherited hemophilia from his mother and died at age 30 from a fall that caused a cerebral hemorrhage, the injuries, having been exacerbated by his hemophilia. Alice was just 13 months old and her mother was pregnant with her brother Charles Edward, who was Duke of Albany at birth and succeeded his uncle Alfred as Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1900.  Alice and her mother lived at Claremont and Alge was stationed at nearby Hampton Court Palace, so there was an opportunity for the couple to court. Alge and Alice became engaged on November 16, 1903.

 

The wedding was held on February 10, 1904, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. After Alge’s wedding leave from the British Army, he became the aide-de-camp to Sir John French, the commander at the Aldershot Garrison.  King Edward VII allowed the couple to live at the Royal Pavilion at Aldershot. Toward the end of 1904, Alge’s regiment was scheduled to be transferred out of the country, but King Edward VII insisted that Alge remain in England and be transferred to the Royal Horse Guards. The King also allowed his niece and her husband to live at the Henry III Tower of Windsor Castle as the Horse Guards were stationed at the Windsor Castle barracks.

Alge and Alice had three children:

Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone with her children May and Rupert, circa 1909; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Alice was a hemophilia carrier. Her father Prince Leopold was the only one of Queen Victoria’s four sons to have hemophilia and the first of the nine hemophiliacs among Queen Victoria’s descendants. All daughters of hemophiliacs have to be carriers because their fathers pass their X chromosome to them and it is on the X chromosome where the hemophilia gene is carried. All sons of hemophiliacs will not have the disease because they receive a Y chromosome from their father. Alice’s son Rupert was a hemophiliac. On April 15, 1928, 20-year-old Rupert died from an injury received in a car accident which he probably would have recovered from had he not been a hemophiliac.  It is also possible that Alge and Alice’s son Maurice, who died at the age of six months, was a hemophiliac.

Prince Alexander of Teck, 28 June 1910; Credit – Wikipedia

During World War I, Alge saw active service in Belgium and France. Due to anti-German sentiment during World War I, King George V issued Letters Patents on July 17, 1917 “declaring that the name Windsor is to be borne by his royal house and family and relinquishing the use of all German titles and dignities.” Alge relinquished the title Prince of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg and the style Serene Highness.  His two surviving children also lost their Württemberg titles and styles. The Teck family adopted the surname Cambridge (Alge’s eldest brother Adolphus became the 1st Marquess of Cambridge) and for several months Alge’s style was Sir Alexander Cambridge.  On November 7, 1917, King George V created him Earl of Athlone and Viscount Trematon.  Alge’s son Rupert used his father’s secondary title as a courtesy title and his daughter May was styled Lady May Cambridge.  Alice was then styled Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.

At the end of World War I, Alge retired from the army and took up civilian work including continuing as Chairman of Middlesex Hospital in London, a post he was first appointed to in 1910. From 1924-1930, Alge was the Governor-General of South Africa and he was the Governor-General of Canada from 1940-1946.  During the World War II years in Canada, Alge and Alice welcomed a number of displaced royals who had sought refuge in Canada: Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway; Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Luxembourg; King Peter of Yugoslavia; King George of Greece; Empress Zita of Austria and her daughters; as well as Alice’s first cousin Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her daughter, Princess Juliana.

The Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone at the Opening of Parliament in 1946; Photo: Wikipedia

In 1946, Alge retired and he and Alice took a grace and favor apartment at Kensington Palace in London. However, Alge did not completely retire. He served on the committee organizing the 1953 coronation of his great-niece Queen Elizabeth II and continued to serve as Chancellor of the University of London until 1955. Alge died on January 16, 1957, at Kensington Palace in London, England at the age of 82.  After a funeral with full military honors, Alge was buried at the Royal Burial Grounds at Frogmore in Windsor, England. Alice survived Alge by 24 years, dying on January 3, 1981, one month short of her 98th birthday, the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria, and the longest-lived person of the Blood Royal of the British Royal Family. Alice was buried beside her husband and son Rupert at the Royal Burial Grounds at Frogmore in Windsor, England.

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The Honorable Sir Alexander Ramsay

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

The Honorable Sir Alexander Ramsay; Credit – Wikipedia

The Honorable Alexander Ramsay (Alexander Robert Maule), the husband of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Patricia of Connaught, was born in London, England on May 29, 1881. He was the third of the five sons of John William Maule Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie and Lady Ida Bennet, daughter of Charles Bennet, 6th Earl of Tankerville.

Ramsay had a long career in the Royal Navy. He began his career in 1894 as a cadet on the cadet training ship HMS Britannia.  After serving on several ships, Ramsay became the naval aide-de-camp to Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught in his early years (1911-1913) as Governor-General of Canada. In 1913, Ramsay served as the gunnery officer on the battle cruiser Indefatigable in the Mediterranean.

During World War I, Ramsay took part in several important naval operations including the bombardment of the Dardanelles forts and naval operations at Gallipoli. He attained the rank of Commander in 1914 and became Flag Commander of the Second Squadron in 1916. From 1919-1922, Ramsay was the naval attaché in Paris, France. In 1928, Ramsay assumed command of the aircraft carrier HMS Furious in the Atlantic Fleet. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1933 and commanded the aircraft carriers in the Atlantic Fleet for the next five years.

Ramsay served as Commander in Chief of the East Indies Station from 1936 to 1938. Thereafter, he became Fifth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Air Services, posts he held until the outbreak of World War II. He was promoted to Admiral in 1939 and retired from the Royal Navy in 1942.

While serving as naval aide-de-camp to Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught in his early years as Governor-General of Canada, Ramsay became acquainted with his youngest child, Princess Patricia of Connaught. The couple became engaged at the fishing lodge of J. K. L. Ross, a Canadian businessman, sportsman, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and philanthropist, on St. Anns Bay in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The wedding was held at Westminster Abbey in London, England on February 27, 1919. This was the first major royal event after World War I and the first royal wedding at Westminster Abbey since the 1382 wedding of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. The bridal party consisted of eight bridesmaids and two train-bearers:

Photo Credit – Bain News Service – Library of Congress

Upon her marriage, Princess Patricia voluntarily relinquished the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and assumed the style of Lady Patricia Ramsay. She was not obligated to renounce her royal title but she wished to have a social status and rank closer to that of her husband. The decision was made with the agreement of her father The Duke of Connaught and her first cousin King George V.  Lady Patricia remained a member of the British Royal Family, remained in the line of succession, and attended all major royal events including weddings, funerals, and coronations.

The couple had one child:

Lady Patricia and her son; Photo Credit – Wikipedia, Bain News Service – Library of Congress

At the age of 91, Alexander Ramsay died at his home Ribsden Holt in Windlesham, Surrey, England on October 8, 1972, and was buried in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England. Fourteen months later, on January 12, 1974, Lady Patricia died at Ribsden Holt at the age of 87 and was buried alongside her husband.

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.

Prince Arthur of Connaught

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Arthur of Connaught; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Arthur of Connaught was the only son and the second of the three children of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Princess Luise Margarete of Prussia. He was born at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on January 13, 1883, and was christened Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert on February 16, 1883, at the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle. His godparents were:

NPG x128290; Prince Arthur of Connaught by Alexander Bassano

Prince Arthur of Connaught by Alexander Bassano, albumen cabinet card, 1885, NPG x128290 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Prince Arthur had two sisters:

Prince Arthur with his parents and his sisters, 1893; Credit – Wikipedia

Arthur began his education at home with governesses and tutors. He was the first British prince to attend Eton College. After finishing Eton College, Arthur received his military education at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars on May 8, 1901. Like his father, Arthur had a military career. He was on active duty during the Second Boer War. During World War I, Prince Arthur served as aide-de-camp to General Sir John French and General Sir Douglas Haig.

He held the following ranks in the British Army:

  • Lieutenant, 7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars (1903)
  • Captain, 2nd Dragoons (The Royal Scots Greys) (1907)
  • Brevet Major (1913)
  • Major, 2nd Dragoons (The Royal Scots Greys) (1915)
  • Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel (1919)
  • Retired from active service (December 31, 1919)
  • Honorary Major-General (1920)

When his first cousin King George V succeeded to the British throne in 1910, Prince Arthur and his father The Duke of Connaught were the most senior male members of the British Royal Family over the age of 18 who were living in the United Kingdom. Therefore, Prince Arthur undertook a wide variety of royal duties on behalf of King George V and acted as a Counsellor of State when King George V was out of the United Kingdom.

On October 15, 1913, at the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, Arthur married her first cousin once removed, Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife. Alexandra was the eldest surviving child of Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and a grandchild of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.  In 1900, when it became apparent that the Duke and Duchess of Fife were unlikely to have a son to inherit the title, Queen Victoria issued the Duke of Fife a new Letters Patent as Duke of Fife and Earl of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This Letters Patent gave the second dukedom of Fife a special remainder that allowed the dukedom to pass to the daughters of the 1st Duke of Fife, if he had no son, and then to the male heirs of his daughters. Therefore, Alexandra became heir to her father’s dukedom.

Alexandra’s mother was the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and was created Princess Royal during her father’s reign, in 1905.  At the same time, Alexandra and her sister Maud were granted the title of Princess with the style of “Highness” and received precedence immediately after all members of the royal family bearing the style of “Royal Highness.” This act was unprecedented and when the College of Arms told King Edward VII it could not be done, the King simply said, “Do it!”  Alexandra and Maud’s maternal uncle, the future King George V, was greatly disturbed by this act.

Because Alexandra’s father had died the year before her wedding, her uncle King George V, gave her away. After her marriage, Alexandra was styled Her Royal Highness Princess Arthur of Connaught, Duchess of Fife.

Prince Arthur and his wife Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife; Credit – Wikipedia

Arthur and Alexandra had one son Alastair Arthur, born on August 9, 1914, at his parents’ home at 54 Mount Street in Mayfair, London, England. As a great-grandchild of Queen Victoria through the male line, Alastair was styled His Highness Prince Alastair of Connaught until he was three years old.  At that time King George V restricted the titles of Prince/Princess and the style of Royal Highness to the children of the sovereign, the children of the sovereign’s sons, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. Alastair was then styled with the courtesy title Earl of Macduff, his mother’s secondary title.

Alexandra with her son Alastair, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Arthur was Governor-General of South Africa from 1920 – 1923. After his return to the United Kingdom, he supported several charitable organizations, including serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Middlesex Hospital. Like his father, Arthur was an active Freemason and served as Provincial Grand Master for Berkshire in 1924.

NPG x70586; Prince Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert by Lafayette (Lafayette Ltd)

Prince Arthur of Connaught by Lafayette (Lafayette Ltd), whole-plate nitrate negative, 30 July 1930, NPG x70586 © National Portrait Gallery, London

On September 12, 1938, Prince Arthur died of stomach cancer at the age of 55. He was first interred at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and then his remains were transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore, Windsor, England in 1939. As Prince Arthur predeceased his father The Duke of Connaught, Arthur’s son Alastair became heir to the dukedom.

Arthur_Louise Margaret grave

Prince Arthur is buried near his parents; Photo Credit – Connie Nissinger, www.findagrave.com

In 1942, upon the death of his paternal grandfather Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Alastair succeeded him as the 2nd Duke of Connaught. On April 26, 1943, while on active duty with the British Army in Ottawa, Canada, the 28-year-old Alastair fell asleep or passed out in front of an open window, fell out the window, and died of hypothermia during the night. On his death, his titles became extinct.

Alexandra survived her husband Prince Arthur for nearly 21 years, dying at her home in London on February 26, 1959, at the age of 67. She was buried at St. Ninian’s Chapel in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, located on the grounds of the Mar Lodge Estate, where her parents are buried.

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Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Luise Margarete Alexandra Viktoria Agnes of Prussia was born on July 25, 1860, at the Marmorpalais (Marble Palace), a royal residence in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia (now in Brandenburg, Germany). She was the fourth daughter and the fourth of the five children of Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau. Prince Friedrich Karl’s father, Prince Karl of Prussia, was a younger son of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and a brother of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia. Luise Margarete’s mother was also descended from Prussian kings as her great-grandfather was King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia.

Luise Margarete had three sisters and one brother:

NPG x45763; Princess Louise, Duchess of Connaught by Unknown photographer

Princess Louise, Duchess of Connaught (née Princess of Prussia) by Unknown photographer, albumen print, 1870s, NPG x45763 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Luise Margarete’s parents had an unhappy marriage. After her birth, the birth of a fourth daughter, Prince Friedrich Karl reportedly beat his wife for not producing a son. Apparently, only the urgings of Friedrich Karl’s uncle King Wilhelm I of Prussia and future German Emperor, prevented a formal separation. Luise Margarete became engaged to Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Queen Victoria‘s third son and the seventh of her nine children. However, Queen Victoria considered Luise Margarete a less than satisfactory bride for her son. She was plain-looking and had broken teeth. Her parents were unpleasant, had an unhappy marriage, and lived apart. Victoria wanted to avoid associating her family with a possible scandal.

Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn; Princess Louise, Duchess of Connaught after Léon Abraham Marius Joliot, albumen carte-de-visite, 1870s, NPG Ax131371© National Portrait Gallery, London

Luise Margarete and Arthur were married on March 13, 1879, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The bride received a magnificent diamond tiara and a pearl and diamond pendant from her mother-in-law Queen Victoria. After her marriage, Luise Margarete was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Connaught and her name was anglicized to Louise Margaret.

Louise Margaret of Prussia_wedding

Louise Margaret in her wedding dress;  Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/2905669/the-duchess-of-connaught-when-princess-louise-margaret-of-prussia-1860-1917-in Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

Arthur and Louise Margaret had one son and two daughters. The Swedish and Danish Royal Families are their descendants. The family resided at their country home Bagshot Park and Clarence House, their London residence.

The Duke and Duchess of Connaught with their children, Portrait by Hughes & Mullins, 1893; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise Margaret spent the first twenty years of her marriage accompanying her husband on his various military assignments. In 1911, Arthur was appointed the first Governor-General of Canada who was also a member of the Royal Family. Louise Margaret and her youngest child Patricia accompanied Arthur to Canada. They lived in Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Canada, and undertook extensive travels in Canada. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the family remained in Canada and Louise Margaret worked for the Red Cross and other organizations.

In the summer of 1916, Louise Margaret and her family returned to England from their five-year stay in Canada. A little more than six months later, on March 14, 1917, Louise Margaret died from bronchial pneumonia at Clarence House at the age of 56. She became the first member of the British Royal Family to be cremated, which was done at Golders Green Crematorium. Burying ashes in an urn was still unfamiliar at the time, and her urn was placed in a coffin during the funeral, which was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Louise Margaret’s ashes were buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore. Arthur survived his wife by nearly 25 years, dying on January 16, 1942, at Bagshot Park at the age of 91.

Arthur_Louise Margaret grave

The Duchess of Connaught, along with her husband is buried in the grave on the right-hand side of the photo, nearest the wall; Photo Credit – Connie Nissinger, www.findagrave.com

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Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Arthur was born on May 1, 1850, at Buckingham Palace in London, England, the third son and the seventh of the nine children of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Arthur had five sisters and three brothers:

Albert, Victoria and their nine children in 1857; Left to right: Alice, Arthur, Albert, Edward, Leopold, Louise, Victoria with Beatrice, Alfred, Victoria, and Helena; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 22, 1850, Arthur was christened Arthur William Patrick Albert in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace. His godparents were:

Prince Arthur’s first two names were given in honor of his two godfathers: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Commander of the Coalition Army that defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, and a former Prime Minister (the prince was born on the Duke’s 81st birthday) and Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (later Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia). Patrick was chosen to show his parents’ gratitude for the hospitality of the Irish people during their visit the previous year, and Albert, as his father wrote, “…Victoria’s love has always insisted on my name to finish up with.” Arthur’s one godmother, Princess Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the sister of Queen Adelaide (the wife of King William IV) who had died five months before Arthur’s birth. Prince Albert wrote that Princess Ida was chosen “in memory of poor Queen Adelaide, who would certainly have been delighted at this addition to our family.”

A year later a portrait, painted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, was commissioned to commemorate the first birthday of Prince Arthur, the eighty-second birthday of the prince’s godfather the Duke of Wellington, and the opening day of the Great Exhibition, which was organized by Prince Albert. The painting (below) shows Prince Arthur and his parents, the Duke of Wellington offering a gift to Prince Arthur, and The Crystal Palace, the site of the Great Exhibition in the background.

The First of May 1851 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter; Credit – Wikipedia

Arthur was very much like his father in looks and was obedient, conscientious, and disciplined. He was Victoria’s favorite son: “This child is dear, dearer than any of the others put together, [after Albert] the dearest and most precious object to me on earth.” Arthur was educated by private tutors.

NPG x38485; Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn by Maull & Co

Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn by Maull & Co, albumen cabinet card, late 1860s, NPG x38485 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Considering that Arthur was the godson of one of Britain’s most significant military figures, it was not unusual that he had a 40-year military career. During his long military career in the British Army, Arthur participated in many missions in various parts of the British Empire. In 1870, he served during the Red River Rebellion in Canada. In 1882, he took part in the campaign under General Wolseley to put down the Urabi Revolt in Egypt by leading the Guards Brigade in the decisive Battle of Tel el-Kebir. Between 1886 and 1890, Arthur served in India as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army.

On April 1, 1893, Arthur was promoted to General. He hoped that he would be appointed as Commander in Chief of the British Army when his first cousin once removed, Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, retired in 1895, but instead, he was given command of the southern district of Aldershot. On June 26, 1902, Arthur was appointed Field Marshal. He served as Commander in Chief in Ireland and Commander of the Third Army Corps (1900-1904), Inspector-General of the Forces (1904 and 1907), and Chief of Staff (1904-1907).

Despite being Queen Victoria’s least troublesome and favorite child, Arthur annoyed his mother with his choice of a bride. Princess Luise Margarete of Prussia was born at Marmorpalais (Marble Palace) near Potsdam in the Kingdom of Prussia. Her parents were Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt.  Queen Victoria considered Louise Margaret to be a less than satisfactory spouse for her son. She was plain-looking and had broken teeth. Her parents were unpleasant, had an unhappy marriage, and lived apart. Queen Victoria wanted to avoid associating her family with a possible scandal. Nevertheless, Arthur and Louise Margaret were married on March 13, 1879, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

NPG Ax131371; Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn; Princess Louise, Duchess of Connaught after Unknown photographer

Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn; Princess Louise, Duchess of Connaught (née Princess of Prussia) after Léon Abraham Marius Joliot, albumen carte-de-visite, 1870s, NPG Ax131371© National Portrait Gallery, London

Arthur and Louise Margaret had one son and two daughters. The Swedish and Danish Royal Families are their descendants. The family resided at their country home Bagshot Park and at Clarence House, their London residence.

The Duke and Duchess of Connaught with their children, Portrait by Hughes & Mullins, 1893; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1899, Arthur’s nephew Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the only son of Arthur’s older brother, Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, died. Arthur would have been the immediate successor of his brother Alfred, but chose to relinquish his claim and his son’s claim to the duchy. This caused Prince Carl Edward, Duke of Albany, the posthumous son of Alfred and Arthur’s brother Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, to become Alfred’s heir and his successor when he died in 1900.

In 1911, in order to strengthen the links between the British monarchy and Canada, Arthur was appointed the first Governor-General of Canada who was a member of the Royal Family. Arthur was accompanied to Canada by his wife and his daughter Patricia. They lived in Rideau Hall in Ottawa and undertook extensive travels in Canada. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Arthur and his family remained in Canada. He stressed the need for military training of Canadian troops and gave his name to the Connaught Cup of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a competition in pistol marksmanship for Canadian recruits. During World War I, Arthur served in various emergency services and made hospital visits, while his wife worked for the Red Cross and other organizations. Arthur’s daughter Princess Patricia gave her name to a newly formed regiment, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

Prince Arthur and group with sleds in Ottawa, Canada; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After his time in Canada, Arthur returned to the British Army and served for the rest of World War I. Louise Margaret, who had been ill during their stay in Canada, died of influenza and bronchitis on March 14, 1917, at the age of 56. Arthur withdrew from public life in 1928 and died on January 16, 1942, at Bagshot Park in Surrey, England at the age of 91. His sister Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll also died at the age of 91, making both Arthur and Louise the longest-lived of Victoria and Albert’s children. Arthur was buried at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England.

Arthur’s only son predeceased him in 1938 and at Arthur’s death, his grandson Alastair became the 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn.  However, Alastair died a year later, and as he was childless, the title Duke of Connaught and Strathearn reverted to the Crown.

 

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Queen Victoria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein – Source: Wikipedia

Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein was born on August 12, 1872, at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park in Windsor, England. She was the fourth child and second daughter of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (third daughter of Queen Victoria) and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. She had four siblings:

The princess was christened Franziska Josepha Louise Augusta Marie Christina Helena on September 18, 1872, but was known as Marie Louise. Her godparents were:

As a child, Louie (as she was known affectionately within the family) enjoyed a quiet family life with her parents and siblings. Educated privately at home, the young princess enjoyed close relationships with many of her cousins, both within the United Kingdom and abroad. The family often spent summer holidays with the Grand Ducal Family of Hesse, and Marie Louise was particularly close to her cousin Alix of Hesse (later Empress of Russia). The two were only two months apart in age, and were, in Marie Louise’s own words, “… more like sisters than cousins.”

From a young age, Marie Louise and her sister were brought up to appreciate the needs and sufferings of those less fortunate. They often accompanied their mother on visits to hospitals and clinics. For the rest of her life, Marie Louise would support various charities in this area, including the Princess Christian’s Nursing Home in Windsor, founded by her mother. Marie Louise and her sister Helena Victoria would be involved with the organization their entire lives.

 

According to her memoirs, Marie Louise met her future husband Prince Aribert of Anhalt at the wedding of her cousin Viktoria of Prussia to Adolph of Schaumberg-Lippe. She states this was in the fall of 1889, but the wedding actually took place in the fall of 1890. It is likely that she simply stated the wrong year in her book. Prince Aribert was a younger son of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. He served in the Prussian military and was close friends with Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia, Marie Louise’s first cousin. Wilhelm strongly encouraged the relationship, and it was at a family luncheon at his Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia that the engagement of Marie Louise and Aribert was announced in December 1890. The couple married the following July at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, in the presence of Queen Victoria.

Although Marie Louise seemed deeply in love, marital problems quickly appeared. Aribert’s primary focus was his military career and he had little interest in having a life at home. Fortunately for Marie Louise, they spent little time in Anhalt, as Aribert was based primarily in Berlin. This allowed her freedom from the stifling protocol of the Anhalt court. But it soon became obvious that the couple had little, if anything, in common, and they would often go days without seeing each other, even while living in the same home.

Often suffering from ill health in the cold weather, Marie Louise traveled extensively. It was while on one of these trips, to the United States and Canada, that her marriage ended without her knowledge. In December 1900, while in Canada, Marie Louise received a cable from her father-in-law, demanding that she return home immediately. Just an hour later, she received another cable, this time from Queen Victoria – “tell my granddaughter to come home to me. V.R.” Upon arriving back at Cumberland Lodge, she was told her marriage had been dissolved by her father-in-law, at her husband’s insistence. It has been speculated that the marriage was never consummated and that Aribert was homosexual, and had been caught in a delicate situation by either his wife or his father. In her memoirs, Marie Louise states that even though her marriage was annulled, she maintained the vows she had made at her wedding, and would never remarry.

For a while, Marie Louise lived with her aunt Princess Beatrice at Kensington Palace but she soon set up house at 21 Queensberry Place in London, England where she would live until the onset of World War I. Following World War I, Marie Louise returned to Cumberland Lodge and Schomberg House with her mother and sister. She also became very involved in charity work, working with numerous organizations throughout the United Kingdom.

In July 1917, her first cousin King George V requested that all his extended family relinquish their German titles. Most lost their princely titles and were given peerages in the United Kingdom. Perhaps out of respect for Marie Louise’s father Prince Christian, the only remaining son-in-law of Queen Victoria, the family retained their princely titles and simply stopped using the Schleswig-Holstein designation.

 

One of Marie Louise’s best-known contributions was the creation of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. She worked tirelessly with craftsmen and noted artists and authors to create a scaled replica of a royal palace. It was presented to Queen Mary in 1924 and displayed at the British Empire Exhibition of 1924-1925. It is now on display at Windsor Castle, drawing thousands of visitors each year.

After World War II, Marie Louise and her sister Helena Victoria moved to 10 Fitzmaurice Place in Berkeley Square, London, England. She continued participating in most family functions and remained very close to King George VI, his wife Queen Elizabeth, and their two daughters. Following her sister’s death in 1948, one of her last major appearances was the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Then, at the suggestion of Queen Elizabeth II, she began to write her memoirs. My Memories of Six Reigns was published in 1956. Being a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and having lived to be 84 years old, Marie Louise had experienced a significant amount of history. She had lived during the reigns of six monarchs, attended four coronations and countless family functions throughout Europe, lived through two World Wars, and seen major changes in the Royal Family, particularly in how it interacted with the British people.

Princess Marie Louise at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth Ii, 1953. source: National Portrait Gallery

Princess Marie Louise at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953. source: National Portrait Gallery

Soon after the book was published, Princess Marie Louise died at her home on Fitzmaurice Place in London, England on December 8, 1956. Her funeral was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor and she was buried with her parents and sister in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England.

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Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein; source: Wikipedia

Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein

Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, born May 3, 1870, at Frogmore House in Windsor, England, was the third child, and eldest daughter, of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. Her given names were Victoria Louise Sophia Augusta Amelia Helena, but she was known formally as Helena Victoria, and informally as ‘Thora’.

The princess was christened in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on June 20, 1870. Her godparents were:

Thora was the 18th grandchild of Queen Victoria, and because her parents lived near the Queen, she enjoyed a very close relationship with her grandmother. She had four siblings:

  • Prince Christian Victor (1867-1900) – died while serving in the Boer War, unmarried, no issue
  • Prince Albert (1869-1931) – later Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, unmarried, illegitimate issue
  • Princess Marie Louise (1872-1956) – married Prince Aribert of Anhalt (divorced), no issue
  • Prince Harald (born and died1876)

Thora never married and remained at home until after her mother’s death. In 1894, she was touted as a potential bride for Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, by her aunt, the Crown Princess of Prussia. However, nothing ever came of this, and Ernst ended up marrying Helena’s cousin, Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Following her mother’s example, Thora was involved in many charities and organizations. These included the YMCA, YWCA, and Princess Christian’s Nursing Home in Windsor (established by her mother). She was also, with her sister, an avid supporter of the arts, and often held small concerts and performances at their various homes. Like her mother, she also assisted her aunt Beatrice in serving as an unofficial secretary to Queen Victoria. In the last few months of the Queen’s life, she often dictated her journal to Helena Victoria.

During World War I, Thora and her family remained at Cumberland Lodge, where they typically spent Sundays with King George V and Queen Mary, to whom they were rather close. It was in 1917 when the King requested his family members to relinquish any German titles. Unlike many other members of the extended royal family who lost their princely titles, Thora and her family retained their titles and simply dropped the ‘Schleswig-Holstein’ designation.

 

Following her mother’s death in 1923, Thora and her sister divided many of their mother’s charities and patronages between them. Thora became President of Princess Helena College, a position her mother had held since 1874, and who had given her name to the school. She also continued her work with the Princess Christian’s Nursing Home. In addition, she often attended the Davis Cup tennis tournament and presented trophies to the winners.

When World War II began, it was deemed unsafe for Thora and her sister to remain at Schomberg House in London. They took a ‘flat’ in the home of Lady Grace Weigall in Englemore, near Ascot, for several years, and then spent the remainder of the war at Brantridge Park (home of their cousin Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone), with their aunt Beatrice. Following the war, they gave up Schomberg House (which had suffered significant damage in the war), and took up residence at 10 Fitzmaurice Place, in Berkeley Square.

 

Thora’s last years were spent rather quietly. In 1941, she was named godmother to Prince William of Gloucester, elder son of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, to whom she was quite close. In November 1947, she made her last major public appearance at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten.

Princess Helena Victoria died four months later, on March 13, 1948, at the age of 77. Following a funeral held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, she was buried beside her parents in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England.

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Prince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein: In November 1863, Prince Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg claimed the twin duchies as Friedrich VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein after the death without a male heir of King Frederick VII of Denmark, who was also the Duke of Schleswig and the Duke of Holstein.  In 1864, following the Second Schleswig War, the Duchy of Holstein and the Duchy of Schleswig became occupied territories of the German Confederation and two years later, following the Austro-Prussian War, part of the new Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein. However, Prussia recognized the head of the House of Oldenburg as the *mediatized duke of these two duchies, with the rank and all the titles. The Duchy of Schleswig and the Duchy of Holstein are now the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

*mediatize – to annex (a principality) to another state, while allowing certain rights to its former sovereign

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Prince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein – source: Wikipedia

Prince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (Albert John Charles Frederick Arthur George) was the second son of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. He was born on February 26, 1869, at Frogmore House in Windsor, England.

He was christened Albert John Charles Frederick Arthur George in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on March 31, 1869. His godparents were:

Albert had four siblings:

Princess Helena with her sons Christian Victor and Albert, c. 1875. source: National Portrait Gallery. NPG x95876

Princess Helena with her sons Christian Victor (l) and Albert (r), 1875. source: National Portrait Gallery; half-plate glass negative, by Alexander Bassano (NPG x95876)

Like his elder brother Christian Victor, Albert attended Lambrook and was destined for a military career. However, unlike his brother, Albert joined the Prussian Army, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. This meant that Albert was separated from his family during World War I. Having refused to fight against the British, Albert’s cousin, Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, excused him from active service, and he spent the war years serving on the staff of the Governor of Berlin.

By the end of the war, Albert was the heir apparent to his childless cousin, the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, a brother of the German Empress Augusta Viktoria. He succeeded to the Dukedom in 1921, also becoming head of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. The title was merely in pretense, as the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein had been annexed by Prussia following the Austro-Prussian War in 1866.

Albert never married, but just before his death, he acknowledged an illegitimate daughter born in 1900. The child, Valerie Marie, had quickly been given up and was raised by a Jewish family. Albert wrote to her just weeks before he passed away, acknowledging that he was her father. He also informed his two sisters, although he never disclosed the mother’s name to any of them. Some years later, when Valerie was planning to marry the Duke of Arenberg, this acknowledgment would become very important. At the time, because of her perceived Jewish heritage, she was not permitted to marry the Duke. Fortunately, Albert’s sisters attested to her true parentage, and the wedding was then permitted. Valerie died, by apparent suicide, in 1953.

Prince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein died on April 27, 1931, in Primkenau, Germany (now Przemków, Poland). He is buried near the church in Primkenau.

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Schleswig-Holstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein. source: Wikipedia

Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein (Christian Victor Albert Louis Ernst Anton) was the eldest child of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (the third daughter of Queen Victoria), and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. He was born on April 14, 1867, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

Prince Christian Victor was christened on May 21, 1867, in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle. His godparents were:

Christian Victor had four siblings:

Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein. source: Wikipedia

“Christle”, as he was known within the family, became the first member of the British Royal Family to attend school, enrolling at Lambrook, Wellington College and Magdalen College at the University of Oxford, before entering the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He showed a high level of skill at cricket, and served as captain of the cricket teams at Wellington, Magdalen, and Sandhurst, and even played for I Zingari (cricket club) in 1887.

Upon leaving Sandhurst in 1888, he became a subaltern in the King’s Royal Rifles. He participated in the Hazara and Miranzi expeditions in 1891, the Isazi expedition in 1892, and the Ashanti expedition in 1895. Upon his return, he was elevated to the rank of Major and then served under Lord Kitchener in the Battle of Omdurman in 1898. The following year, he saw duty in the Second Boer War, participating in the Relief of Ladysmith under General Sir Redvers Buller and then in Pretoria under Lord Roberts.

“Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig Holstein Church Street Cemetery in Pretoria 056” by PHParsons – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Prince Christian Victor died of enteric fever in Pretoria, South African Republic, also known as the Transvaal Republic, now in South Africa, on October 29, 1900, having also fallen ill with malaria. He was just 33 years old. His death shocked his family, and in particular, his grandmother Queen Victoria, with whom he had been very close. Although preparations were made to return his body to the United Kingdom, he was buried in a soldier’s grave in Pretoria, now in South Africa, at the wishes of his grandmother.

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