The descendants of Queen Victoria

Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection

January 19, 1901

The Chicago Daily Tribune today published an article about the descendants of Queen Victoria.  She has seventy-three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Victoria succeeded to the throne in 1837.  The newspaper noted that the direct line of succession had "dwindled to meager proportions," and was centered on the 18-year-old Victoria.  (Well, this was actually correct.  By 1837, Victoria had four first cousins,  Prince George of Cumberland, Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Augusta of Cambridge and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge.)
But today, the Queen has seventy-three living descendants, and she has lived to see the third generation of direct heirs to her throne.

Among the Queen's grandsons and grandsons-in-law are the reigning Emperor of Russia, the German Emperor, and the Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.  Her eldest daughter is the Dowager Empress of Germany, the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm II.   Victoria's descendants will "in time wear the crowns of Great Britain, Greece and Roumania."

The marriage of Victoria and her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha produced nine children, forty grandchildren, and thirty-five great grandchildren. 

 Death "has removed eleven of these - two sons and one daughter, one granddaughter and seven grandsons."

Victoria has been on the throne for sixty-three years.  She is eighty-two years old. 

[Perhaps one day, an American woman will write several books about the descendants of Queen Victoria ... oh ... talk about a shameless plug!]