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

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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