Prince Louis of Battenberg, Marquess of Milford Haven

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Louis of Battenberg, Marquess of Milford Haven – photo: Wikipedia

Prince Louis of Battenberg was the husband of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Despite his German roots, he became a naturalized British subject at the age of 16 when he joined the British Royal Navy, where he would spend his entire career. In 1917, King George V asked his extended family to relinquish their German titles. Louis gave up his Battenberg title and took the surname Mountbatten (the anglicized version of Battenberg). The King then created him Marquess of Milford Haven in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Louis was born Count Ludwig Alexander of Battenberg, on May 24, 1854, in Graz, Austria. He was the eldest son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, and Countess Julia Hauke. As his parents’ marriage was morganatic, Louis and his siblings took their titles from their mother, who had been created Countess of Battenberg (later elevated to Princess of Battenberg in 1858). Louis had four siblings:

In October 1868, having been influenced by his cousin’s wife, Princess Alice, and her brother, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Louis joined the British Royal Navy at just 14 years old. The next year, before his training was finished, the Prince of Wales requested Louis to be aboard his ship, the HMS Ariadne, as he and his wife cruised the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and visited Egypt. Upon his return, he served on several ships before again joining the Prince of Wales, this time on the HMS Serapis, in 1875 for the Prince’s tour of India. He then served under Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh aboard the HMS Sultan for the next two years. He served aboard the royal yacht HMY Osborne before being posted to the HMS Inconstant from 1880-1882. Louis was appointed to the royal yacht HMY Victoria and Albert in 1883.

On April 30, 1884, in Darmstadt, Louis married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the daughter of his first cousin, Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine, and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. The couple had four children:

Louis and Victoria with their two eldest children, c. 1890. Photo: Wikipedia

Louis was much loved by his wife’s grandmother Queen Victoria, who along with her son the Prince of Wales, often stepped in to help Louis’ career. These gestures, while well-intended, were not always welcomed by the young Louis. However, through his own efforts and accomplishments, he was raised to the rank of Commander in 1885, and then Captain in 1891. In 1892, he invented the Battenberg Course Indicator, a device used to determine course and speed to steer for changes of position between ships.

Captain Louis Battenberg, 1894. Photo: Wikipedia

Louis’ rank continued to rise, as did his influence in the Royal Navy. In 1902, he was made Director of Naval Intelligence and two years later elevated to Rear Admiral. In 1908, he was made Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. Having served aboard for many years, he returned to the Admiralty in 1911 as Second Sea Lord, and was made Admiral in July 1912. Five months later, Prince Louis was made First Sea Lord.

However, in 1914, with war imminent, there was an intense anti-German sentiment in Britain. Louis, despite his exemplary career in the Royal Navy, was still seen by many as just a German prince. There were false accusations in the media of spying for the Germans. In fact, due to his German relations, he was able to learn much about the German military and share that information with the British. Despite protests from King George V, Louis was asked to resign his position as First Sea Lord in October 1914. King George V appointed him to the Privy Council, in what was deemed to be a public show of support for what he felt was Louis’ mistreatment by the navy. The next few years were spent living quietly at Kent House on the Isle of Wight, England although Louis had been assured that he would be recalled to service after the war.

 

In 1917 King George V asked his family to relinquish their German titles. Prince Louis of Battenberg gave up his royal style and took on the surname Mountbatten, the anglicized version of Battenberg. The King offered him a dukedom but Louis declined because he was unable to maintain the lifestyle accustomed to that level of the peerage. He was the only one of the extended family to be offered a dukedom, indicating the respect and esteem King George V felt for him. Instead, he was created Marquess of Milford Haven.

In late 1918, Louis was informed that he would not be recalled to service, and he formally retired from the Royal Navy on January 1, 1919, after a career lasting nearly 50 years. Louis and Victoria, now facing reduced income, sold Kent House and Schloss Heiligenberg in Hesse, Germany, which Louis had inherited from his father. They took up residence at Fishponds, a home on the grounds of Netley Castle in Hampshire, England. Netley Castle was owned by Lt. Colonel Crichton, whose wife, Nona, had been a lady-in-waiting and close companion of Louis’ wife Victoria.

Following his retirement, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on the retired list and was appointed to the Military Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath by the King. In late August 1921, he was invited to board the HMS Repulse, on which his younger son was serving, and spent a week aboard the ship. It would be his last journey. While aboard, he caught a cold which later turned to pneumonia. On September 11, 1921, Louis fell ill while staying at the Naval & Military Club in London, England. While his wife was out at a pharmacy picking up prescriptions for him, 67-year-old Louis suffered a heart attack and died. Several days later, his remains were brought to the Isle of Wight, where he and his wife had enjoyed some of the happiest years living at Kent House. Following a funeral at Westminster Abbey, he was buried in the grounds of St Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England. His wife, who survived him by 29 years, was buried by his side.

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