Prince Philip will soon become the longest living descendant of Queen Victoria.
The Duke of Albany, a hemophiliac, died at Cannes on March 28, 1884, following a fall. The Duchess of Albany was expecting a second child at the time. She gave birth posthumously to a son, Charles, Edward, on July 19, 1884. The infant prince succeeded immediately to his father's peerages.
Princess Alice married HSH Prince Alexander of Teck, her second cousin once removed, at St. George's Chapel on February 10, 1904. Following her marriage, the princess was styled as HRH Prince Alexander of Teck.
The second cousin once removed relationship is due to their descent from George III's granddaughters, Queen Victoria (daughter of the Duke of Kent) and Mary Adelaide (daughter of the Duke of Cambridge), who were first cousins. Prince Leopold and Prince Alexander were second cousins, thus making Alice and Alexander second cousins once removed.
Alexander's older sister, Mary, was married to Alice's first cousin, King George V. This meant that Alice and George were in-laws as well as first cousins.
In 1917, Alexander, with other collateral members of the British royal family, who had German titles (and who were not affected by the George V's July 17, 1917 declaration establishing the House of Windsor and the renouncement of all German titles) . He and his family relinquished the Teck princely title and the style of Serene Highness. George V created Alexander as Earl of Athlone and Viscount Trematon. (His older brother, Adolphus, relinquished his titles, too, and was created Marquess of Cambridge.)
As a Princess of Blood Royal, Alice resume the use of her own as part of her title, HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.
The family name for Adolphus and Alexander became Cambridge, as their mother was born a Princess of Cambridge.
Alice and Alexander had three children: HSH Princess May (Lady May Cambridge (January 26, 1906- May 29, 1994) who married Sir Henry Abel Smith), HSH Prince Rupert (Viscount Trematon (August 24, 1907-April 15,1928)) and HSH Prince Maurice of Teck (March 29, 1910- September 14, 1910.)
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The Earl of Athlone died at Kensington Palace in 1957. Princess Alice died at Kensington Palace on January 3, 1981 at the age of 97 (and 313 days.) She was the oldest living blood member of the British Royal Family, having surpassed the record held by her husband's aunt, Princess Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1822-1916). Augusta lived for 94 years, 4 months and 16 days.
Princess Alice broke the British record on July 15, 1977. Although Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother lived longer than Princess Alice, she remains the longest living blood member of the British royal family, as well as the longest living descendant of Queen Victoria.
HRH Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark (now HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh) will tie the the record on April 18, 53 days before his own birthday. The record will be broken on the following day, April 19.
35,741 for Alice and Philip will achieve 35,742 days on April 19, 2019.
Philip will celebrate his his 98th birthday on June 10.
This is a interesting achievement as May 24th will be the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria.
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Wouldn't Princess Alice have been Princess Alexander of Teck after her marriage until the time George V issued his new Letters Patent in 1917?
ReplyDeleteNo. Her title changed when her husband was created an earl. She was not affected by Letters patent
ReplyDeletetypo bader thanks for letting me know
ReplyDelete