Queen Victoria stayed at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight in February 1885. She wanted to return to Windsor Castle to be present when her granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse and By Rhine, expected to give birth to her first child in late February. Ten months earlier, Victoria married Prince Louis of Battenberg, a member of the morganatic branch of the Hesse and by Rhine family. Louis was her father, Grand Duke Ludwig IV's first cousin. In 1851, he married Countess Julie von Hauke, who had served as a lady-in-waiting to his sister, Empress Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, the wife of Emperor Alexander II.
This was a love match, but the marriage was unequal due to Julie's rank. She was six months pregnant with their first child when she and Alexander married in October 1851. After Julie gave birth to a daughter, Marie, in February 1852, her father-in-law, Grand Duke Ludwig III, created her Countess of Battenberg with the style of Illustrious Highness. Her title and rank were shared by her children.
In 1858, the Grand Duke elevated Julie and her children to Princess or Prince of Battenberg with the style of Serene Highness.
Queen Victoria's second daughter, Princess Alice (1843-1978), was Victoria's mother. The Queen was present when Alice gave birth to Victoria in Windsor Castle's Tapestry Room on April 5. Since the death of Alice from typhoid on December 14, 1878. a disease that also took the life of Alice's youngest child, May. Queen Victoria took great interest in her Hesse grandchildren. She wanted to be at Victoria's bedside when the young woman gave birth.
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In his biography of Princess Alice, Hugo Vickers wrote that the Queen "would attend the birth, and such was her domination of her descendants that once this decision was made, what was decided would happen." Victoria "was obliged to stay" with her grandmother, arriving shortly before Christmas at Osborne in December 1884. After the holiday, Victoria stayed at Kent House until February 14, when she traveled to Windsor and "duly took up residence in the Tapestry Room. Her child would be born in the same room where she entered the world.
Queen Victoria "nearly missed the birth" as she remained confined at Osborne, suffering from a "severe neuralgic headache." She did not leave Osborne House until February 19.
The Queen's fourth great-grandchild was born in the late afternoon on February 25, 1885. Princess Victoria suffered through a long labor, and her grandmother spent most of the day with her. The child, a little girl, was not born until 4:40 p.m. "The relief was great for poor Victoria, who had had such a long hard time, which always makes me anxious," the Queen wrote in her diary.
"How strange & indeed affecting, it was, to see her lying in the same room, & the same bed, in which she was born. Good Ludwig [Princess Victoria's husband] was more helpful & attentive, hardly leaving Victoria for a moment. The Baby is very small, thin & dark. I held it for a few moments in my arms."
The Queen also noted that Victoria's daughter shared a birthday with two-year-old Princess Alice of Albany, the daughter of the Queen's late son, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and his wife, Princess Helen of Waldeck & Pyrmont.
After a "short drive" with Lord Southampton and Horatia Stopford, the Queen returned to Victoria's room. Her diary entry described her granddaughter as rested and "quite composed and happy. Ludwig is radiant. "
The Queen's eldest child, Victoria, Empress Friedrich, wrote with a tinge of sadness to her mother, "I cannot think without a pang if this being our darling Alice's 1st grandchild & she was not here to see it & I feel sure this sad thought was uppermost in your mind, when the little one made her appearance!"
A service of Thanksgiving took place to mark Victoria's "recovery from childbirth" shortly before the new parents and their infant daughter returned to Darmstadt. They sailed from Portsmouth to Cherbourg on board the royal yacht, Victoria and Albert. Prince Louis, who joined the Royal Navy at age 14, remained on board the yacht. Princess Victoria and the baby took the train to Maisons Lafitte, where they were met by Louis' younger brother, Prince Henry of Battenberg, the fiance of Queen Victoria's youngest daughter --Princess Victoria's aunt -- Princess Beatrice.
Prince Henry accompanied the family back to Darmstadt. Soon after her return home, Princess Victoria received a letter from her grandmother.
The Queen acknowledged she missed her granddaughter "very much." She added: "It is very provoking that you shld. have to return alone to Darmstadt without Louis & you will feel the separation much. He is so good & kind & so devoted to you. You must be very good & not stand abt. yet. But walk a little in the garden."
On April 23, 1885, the Queen arrived in Darmstadt by train. She wanted to be present for the confirmation of her grandson, Hereditary Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig, and the christening of her new great-granddaughter, which occurred on April 25. The confirmation was celebrated in the morning in the chapel of the Darmstadt Schloss. The guests wore mourning clothes as Grand Duke Ludwig's mother, Princess Elisabeth, died on March 25.
Ernst Ludwig's memoirs include an entry about the confirmation. He wrote that he was examined before the service "by my father, my grandmother, my uncles Alexander, Heinrich, and Wilhelm." His grandmother was dead and did not attend the confirmation.
After the Confirmation service, the family returned to the Neues Palais for the baby's christening, which was officiated by the Court Chaplain, Dr. Bender. Water from the River Jordan was used for the ceremony.
Dr. Bender officiated in 1863 when Princess Victoria was baptized at Windsor Castle.
Empress Friedrich wrote to her mother: "I imagine she will be called Alice Victoria Louise Julia. Am I right."
The Queen held her great-granddaughter over the font. Later that night, she wrote in her diary: "She received the names Victoria Alice Elisabeth Julia Marie, but she is to be called Alice."
Princess Alice's godparents were the Queen, Grand Duke Ludwig IV (grandfather), Grand Duchess Elizabeth (maternal aunt), Princess Battenberg (paternal great-grandmother), and Countess of Erbach-Schönburg (paternal aunt). In his memoir, Ernie stated he was one of Alice's godparents. He said it was his "first time as a godparent, but his name is not included in the official reports, including the Court Circular.
Queen Victoria mentioned the godparents, adding that Louis' father, Prince Alexander, was also a godfather. However, his name is not included in the Court Circular or the Darmstädter Tagblatt (April 28, 1885).
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| Princess Alice (1843-1878) |
It was not a coincidence that Alice's baptism and Ernie's confirmation were held on April 25. For Queen Victoria, it was a "day of great emotion, Dear beloved Alice's birthday, her darling boy to be confirmed, and the first grandchild christened. But she was not there to see it!"
On October 6, 1905, in Darmstadt, HSH Princess Alice of Battenberg married HRH Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark in a civil ceremony. Two days later, they were married in two religious ceremonies, Lutheran and Greek Orthodox. They had met at King Edward VII's Coronation in 1902. Alice was the king's great-niece, and Andrew was Queen Alexandra's nephew.
The Lutheran service was held in the Schlosskirche, followed by the Greek Orthodox service in the Russian Chapel on Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt.
They had four children: Margarita (Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Theodora (Markgravine of Baden), Cecilie (Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and By Rhine, Sophie (Princess Christoph of Hesse, Princess Georg Wilhelm of Hanover), and Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh.
Alice was deaf and suffered from mental illness. Hugo Vicker's acclaimed biography, Alice: Princess Andrew of Greece, well-documented this.
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| The marriage of Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark and Princess Elizabeth. Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark is next to Queen Mary. |
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| All photos Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection |
Although Alice wore a nun's habit, she never took a nun's vows. In 1949, she founded a Greek Orthodox nursing order, the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary, but the order failed after several years due to the lack of nuns. She died at Buckingham Palace on December 5, 1969. She was initially buried in the royal crypt at St. Geeorge's Chapel. Before her death, Alice wished to be buried near her aunt, Grand Duchess Elisabeth, in Jerusalem at the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene in Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. On August 3, 1988, her wish was granted when her remains were transferred to Jerusalem.
Princess Alice was named by Yad Vashem as Righteous of Nations for her protection of a Jewish family in Athens during the Nazi occupation.
https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/princess-alice.html
2 comments:
have read that Prince Alexander of Hesse was not the son of Grand Duke Louis II of Hesse and by Rhine, but the biological son of Baron August Louis of Senarclens-Grancy. Has there ever been a DNA analysis to see if this is true?
no one has ever done a DNA test
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