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Published on April 27, 2021 01:00

April 25, 2021

Cecilie of Greece and Denmark – A tragic destiny (Part one)

Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark was born on 22 June 1911 as the third daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Her elder sisters were Margarita and Theodora. Her younger siblings were Sophie and Philip (later Duke of Edinburgh as the consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom).

As her birth fell on the date of King George V’s coronation, her mother asked the British King to be one of Cecilie’s godparents. The other godparents were her great-uncle Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (coincidentally also her future father-in-law), her uncle Prince Nicholas of Greece and her great-aunt Vera Konstantinovna, Duchess Eugen of Württemberg. Her baptism took place on 2 July, and the ceremony was performed by the Metropolitan of Athens. Her grandmother later said of her that she was a “pretty, healthy & most cheerful little soul, smiling & cooing when awake, in fact as Mr Patterson once said ‘good enough to be a poor man’s child.'”1

Cecilie and her siblings were in the care of a governess, who taught them English and Greek. They also did gymnastics in a long corridor of the palace. In 1917, the family was forced into exile for the first time. Cecilie’s uncle King Constantine I of Greece abdicated in favour of his second son Alexander and Andrew and Alice went to live in St Moritz in Switzerland. Their main base became the Grand Hotel in Lucerne. By 1919, the four daughters were being well-educated but divided into two groups – the older pair and the younger pair. In the summer of 1919, during a holiday break in Vulpera, Cecilie’s great-uncle Ernest Louis came to stay with his sons George Donatus and Louis, and the two made friends with Cecilie and her sisters. At the beginning of 1920, Alice left Margarita and Theodora with their grandmother Queen Olga, while she and Andrew took Cecilie and Sophie to Lugano to recover from influenza, which all four had. On top of that, Cecilie also had a mild case of scarlet fever, but she recovered.

Life changed again when King Alexander died in 1920 and Constantine was restored as King. Cecilie and the family settled at Mon Repos, where Prince Philip was born. In 1922, Cecilie and her sisters were invited to be bridesmaids at the wedding of Edwina Ashley to their uncle Louis (later 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma). Cecilie said of her soon-to-be-aunt, “We have never had such a pretty aunt in the family.”2

More trouble was to come as King Constantine abdicated for a second time in 1922, now in favour of his eldest son George. It was arranged that the King and Queen would leave with Andrew, but he was not with them when they left. Alice and Andrew remained in Corfu with the children for now. Andrew was eventually arrested, leading to much worry. He was banished from Greece, and he gathered the family from Corfu, where Alice had hurriedly packed a few belongings. Baby Philip was carried in a cot made from an orange box. Margarita and Theodora were left in the care of their grandmother in England, while Alice took the younger three siblings to Paris into the care of Andrew’s sister-in-law Princess Marie Bonaparte, the wife of Prince George of Greece and Denmark. She loaned the family a house in France, where they would eventually live with the entire family.

Andrew often took the children for trips to Paris or walks around the Bois de Boulogne. They also enjoyed playing tennis and enjoyed a family lunch with Marie on Sunday. In 1924, the five siblings were all sent to the seaside as Alice recovered from a treatment for varicose veins. In the summer of 1926, Cecilie and Sophie were sent to Kensington Palace, where their grandmother lived. At the end of June 1928, Alice arrived in London to launch Cecilie – now 17 years old – into English society. In early July, the two attended the Countess of Ellesmere’s ball at Bridgewater House and later that summer, Cecilie went to Scotland where she “got spoilt by the King and Queen.”3The family were all back in France in October to celebrate Alice and Andrew’s silver wedding anniversary. After this, Alice’s mental health deteriorated, and she would miss the weddings of all four of her daughters.

Sophie, the youngest of the four daughters, was the first to marry. On 15 December 1930, she married Prince Christoph of Hesse. Cecilie was the next to marry. She was only 18 when she became engaged to her 23-year-old first cousin once removed, George Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. Cecilie happily wrote to her mother, and her mother replied, “Don is such a sensible, dear boy & you also have so much sense & judgement that the latter will always be able to help you with your rather sensitive & capricious temperament, sometimes in very high spirits & sometimes low & depressed & so I think you too will not allow misunderstandings ever to disturb your married happiness seriously.”4

Cecilie and George Donatus were married on 2 February 1931. People lined the streets of Darmstadt, and eventually, such a crowd was around their car that they were forced to walk to the church – shaking hands and hearing cheers of “Hoch der Herr Papa” on their way. It was an unusual outpouring of love for the couple who would have been the heirs to the grand duchy had it not been abolished in 1918. Young Prince Philip was allowed to leave school for a few days to attend Cecilie’s wedding. Margarita married Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburg on 20 April 1931, while Theodora married Berthold, Margrave of Baden on 17 August 1931. Cecilie and George Donatus made their home in Wolfsgarten.

Cecilie fell pregnant almost immediately, and their first child – a son named Ludwig – was born on 25 October 1931. A photo of Ludwig and Cecilie was sent to Alice at the Sanatorium in Kreuzlingen, where she had been forcibly admitted, and Alice tore it up angrily.5 A second son – named Alexander – was born on 14 April 1933. A daughter – named Johanna – was born on 20 September 1936. This time photos of little Johanna and Philip were well-received by her mother, Alice. She wrote, “Your little daughter is so sweet and chubby. Philip I barely recognized, he is so changed. Give him my love please.”6

In April 1937, Cecilie and her husband took Philip to see Alice in Bonn. This was their first in-person meeting since 1932. They were “delighted” and found Alice “affectionate, bright & cheerful.”7 In July, Alice was in Salem en Cecilie went to see her mother. She later wrote to her grandmother, “I must write and tell you how well I found Mama in Salem. She seemed to enjoy everything so much and is so interested in anything to do with the family.”8

Part two coming soon.

The post Cecilie of Greece and Denmark – A tragic destiny (Part one) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

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Published on April 25, 2021 22:00

April 24, 2021

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Wallis & Mary, Princess Royal

Mary, Princess Royal was the sister of King Edward VIII, later known as the Duke of Windsor, and as such was the sister-in-law of the Duchess of Windsor. Mary and Edward were close in childhood, and she would be the first royal to visit the former King in exile.

Mary continued to correspond with her brother, but it wasn’t until 1947 that she began to acknowledge Wallis in her letters to her brother and enquired about her health.1 When the Duke and Duchess did not receive an invitation for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947, Mary reportedly felt this was going too far and deliberately stayed away from the ceremony. However, a letter by Mary suggests that this was just gossip, although she remains rather ambiguous. She wrote, “I would like you to know that after all I shall not be coming to London. I felt that the wedding festivities might prove too great a strain. I am very disappointed to miss the wedding. November 17 or 18 the press must announce that I have a chill or something of the sort.”2

She became one of the first members of the royal family to meet the Duchess after the wedding3, although not until 1953. Mary had been on a royal tour when Queen Mary‘s health took a turn for the worst. She cut the tour short and travelled to New York where the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were staying so that she could travel back together with her brother on board the Queen Elizabeth. Wallis was – of course – not invited. It was under these sad circumstances that Mary came face-to-face with Wallis. Mary was reportedly charmed by Wallis, and they even posed for photos.4

The Duke wrote to Wallis from the ship, “The bulletins from Marlborough House proclaim the old lady’s condition to be slightly improved. Ice in place of blood in the veins must be a fine preservative… Mary seems to have become more human with age and has revealed a few interesting family bits of gossip.”5

When the Duke of Windsor was in London in 1965 to have surgery for a detached retina, much was made of the two visits of The Queen, but Mary also visited her brother. She brought flowers with her and spent 45 minutes inside speaking to him and Wallis on 17 March. A newspaper reported that it was hoped that now, “Mary would do much to draw the Duke and Duchess back into the family circle.”6 But tragically, if she had any plans of this nature, she would not have the time.

On 28 March 1965, Mary tripped and fell and apparently had heart thrombosis. Her son later wrote, “I supported her while the boys ran off… There was no apparent crisis, and I had no idea that in the quarter of an hour which intervened before the car came, she had died quite peacefully in my arms.”7

On the same day of the funeral, a memorial service was held for her in Westminster Abbey. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor attended the memorial – their first joint public event in the United Kingdom.

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Wallis & Mary, Princess Royal appeared first on History of Royal Women.

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Published on April 24, 2021 15:00

April 23, 2021

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The death of the Duchess

The Duchess of Windsor was widowed at the age of 76, and from then on, everything in their home at Bois de Boulogne reminded her of him. She remained behind with servants and a few friends. Her family in the United States was scattered, and any contact had long since evaporated. Several servants left her service, as it did not make sense to keep so many people on for just one person.

At the end of 1972, Wallis tripped in her home and broke her hip and while in the hospital, she climbed out of bed to show off a dance, fell again and rebroke her hip. The following year, she fell in the bathroom and broke several ribs as she fell against the bathtub. She became more forgetful and became worryingly thin as she often forgot to eat. In 1975, her old stomach ulcers played up again, and she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Lady Mosley recalled, “From then on, she was never quite well again. At times she seemed to be on the point of recovery, but it always eluded her, and her many friends could do little to help.”1 In February 1976, she was admitted to the hospital for a near-total physical collapse. In early 1979, she had surgery to remove an internal blockage and three months later, she had a bacterial infection that kept her in hospital for several months. When she was released on 14 September 1979, she gave a brief wave to waiting reporters, and it was the last time the public would see her.

The presence of Wallis’ lawyer Suzanne Blum during these years remains a topic of controversy. Was she a devoted servant, or was there something more sinister going on? Many valuable objects disappeared during these years and were probably sold by Suzanne to cover costs as the Duchess did not have many liquid assets. After 1979, Wallis’ doctors advised Suzanne Blum that it was unwise to excite the Duchess in any way, and friends were being denied the opportunity to visit her.

From 1980, Wallis spent most of her days alone in a wheelchair. She was cared for by nurses, who bathed her and put her hair in a bun. She often had to be spoon-fed, and periods of lucidity came and went. Eventually, the Countess of Romanones was allowed to visit her, though another friend noted that she believed this was done to placate the other friends. By then, Wallis’ hair had turned white, and she did not recognise the Countess. When the Countess visited again several months later, Wallis had gone completely blind. A friend named Janine Metz never gave up on calling and finally won permission to see Wallis. She said, “She was like a little bird, all shrivelled up. I came up very close to the bed, bent down and kissed her, she seemed to have no idea who I was, or even that I was in the room.” She whispered to Wallis, “I am Janine. I am here with you.”2 She pressed Wallis’ hand, and she pressed back – the only way she could still communicate. Janine would be one of the last of her friends to see Wallis.

By the beginning of 1984, Wallis was completely paralyzed. She was being fed with an intravenous drip, and the doctor visited her regularly. Nurses changed her drip, washed her body and turned her to prevent bedsores.

The Duchess of Windsor died on 24 April 1986 of heart failure following pneumonia – she was 89 years old. Reverend Jim Leo told the press, “Death came round the corner as a very gentle friend, and she was content, she was happy.”3 Her body was washed and dressed in a simple black dress with a jewelled belt before being placed in an oak coffin. On 27 April, the Lord Chamberlain – on Queen Elizabeth II’s instructions – flew to Paris to collect the Duchess’ body. Her funeral took place on 29 April at St. George’s Chapel. Not once was her name mentioned during the 28-minute long funeral. Shortly afterwards, she was laid to rest beside her husband at Frogmore.

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The death of the Duchess appeared first on History of Royal Women.

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Published on April 23, 2021 21:00

April 21, 2021

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Wallis & Queen Elizabeth II (Part two)

Read part one here.

Now that the Queen had visited them, the Duke and Duchess were visited by other family members. Mary, Princess Royal came by, and Princess Marina, The Duchess of Kent, came by with her daughter Princess Alexandra. Princess Marina had known Wallis since before the abdication, but they had not met since then. Wallis curtseyed to Marina, but Marina embraced her, and she and her children became regular visitors to the Duke and Duchess. The main absentee was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who sent flowers but refused to visit.

In 1967, the Duke and Duchess were invited to attend the dedication of a memorial plaque to Queen Mary outside Marlborough House. The Queen Mother at first refused to attend if Wallis was invited, but she eventually relented, and to the public, it appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation. It was the first time since 1936 that Wallis met her sister-in-law. Wallis did not curtsey to the Queen Mother, but they shook hands, and the Queen Mother said, “How nice to see you,” before moving on. When The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived, the Duke of Windsor bowed, and the Duchess curtseyed briefly. Upon their departure, Wallis dropped into a deep curtsey. That afternoon, they had lunch with Princess Marina and her family at Kensington Palace. It had been a tense affair, and they were not mentioned in the court circular as having attended the event.

In May 1972, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh were scheduled to visit Paris. By then, the Duke of Windsor was terminally ill. On 18 May, Wallis watched from the steps of their villa as the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Prince Charles arrived. She curtseyed deeply but almost lost her footing. The visit began with tea in the drawing-room before Wallis led the Queen upstairs to the boudoir. He was waiting in a wheelchair against his doctor’s advice. As the Queen entered, the Duke rose and kissed his niece. Wallis later told the Countess of Romanones, “The Queen’s face showed no compassion, no appreciation for his effort, his respect. Her manner as much as states that she had not intended to honour him with a visit, but that she was simply covering appearances by coming here because he was dying and it was known that she was in Paris.”1 The nurse on duty recalled that the Queen spoke amiably with her uncle. The Duke apparently interrogated Prince Charles about life in the navy until he had a coughing fit. Wallis soon escorted everyone downstairs, and as the royals left, Wallis curtseyed to each one. The visit has lasted just 30 minutes.

On 28 May 1972, around 2.20 a.m., the Duke of Windsor died in his sleep. His nurse went to wake up Wallis, who kissed his forehead and cupped his face while saying, “My David, my David… You look so lovely.”2 The news was released by Buckingham Palace, and the text of a telegram sent by the Queen to Wallis was also released. “I know that my people will always remember him with gratitude and great affection and that his services to them in peace, and we will never be forgotten. I am so glad that I was able to see him in Paris ten days ago.”3 The exiled King Umberto of Italy personally came by to express his condolences.

On 31 May, the Duke’s body was brought to England for burial and for the first time, Wallis was invited to stay at Buckingham Palace. She did not go at the same time as the Duke’s body as she felt absolutely devastated and remained secluded in Paris. She followed on 2 June of an aeroplane from the Queen’s flight. She was welcomed by Lord Mountbatten, who helped her down the ladder. The following day, the Court Circular finally recognised her existence as it mentioned her arrival in the country. Wallis would spend four days at Buckingham Palace, and she was received by the Queen in her private sitting-room. Wallis later recalled, “They were polite to me, polite and kind, especially the Queen. Royalty is always polite and kind. But they were cold. David always said they were cold.”4 A courtier recalled, “The Queen didn’t want to have much to do with Wallis. Dinner was given in the Chinese Room – with anybody else, it would have been in the Queen’s own dining room. She preferred to go down to where Wallis was set up. It was okay – everybody behaved decently. Charles was there, and helpful. But there was certainly no outpouring of love between the Queen and the Duchess of Windsor and vice versa.”5

Wallis was determined to remain dignified throughout the visit and told the Countess of Romanones, “In all the time I was there no one in the family offered me any real sympathy whatsoever. They were going to continue to hate me no matter what I did, but at least I wasn’t going to let them see David’s wife without every shred of dignity I could muster.”6 On 3 June, Trooping the Colour went ahead as usual as the Queen refused to cancel it. Instead, she wore a black armband, and a piper’s lament was played. The Duchess of Windsor was caught by a photographer looking down on the event.

Afterwards, the Queen went to Wallis to inform her that the family would be going to Windsor Castle and that she could join them if she wished. Wallis decided against going and remained behind alone at Buckingham Palace. That evening, Wallis visited St George’s Chapel, where the Duke lay in state. That day would have been their 35th wedding anniversary.

On 5 June, Wallis left Buckingham Palace for the funeral of her husband. She joined the other members of the royal family in St George’s Chapel and then joined them in the private apartments for the after-funeral reception. Lord Mountbatten took Wallis to a sofa where she could rest and where she was surprisingly joined by the Queen Mother, who said to her, “I know how you feel. I’ve been through it myself.”7 The actual burial took place immediately after the reception, and Wallis wanted to return to Paris as soon as possible. She was not accompanied to the airport by a member of the royal family.

The following year, on 11 July 1973, the Queen sent a plane to collect Wallis so that she could visit her husband’s grave, and she joined the Queen for tea after the visit. It was the last time that Wallis would visit England. Relations with the royal family soon turned formal again. Christmas cards no longer came from “Lilibet” but from “Elizabeth R”, and only Lord Mountbatten continued to have friendly relations with Wallis.

The Duchess’ health deteriorated during these years, and she became blind, paralyzed and senile. She died on 24 April 1986 of heart failure following pneumonia. Her body was collected on the Queen’s instructions three days later. Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, escorted the body to Windsor. Her funeral took place on 29 April and was attended by The Queen and other members of the royal family. She was laid to rest next to her husband at Frogmore but not once was her name mentioned during the 28-minute long funeral service.

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Wallis & Queen Elizabeth II (Part two) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

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Published on April 21, 2021 22:00

April 20, 2021

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Wallis & Queen Elizabeth II (Part one)

There is no denying that the Duchess of Windsor changed the course of history when she met the future King Edward VIII. Had he married another woman and had children with her, we would have never seen the accession of either King George VI or his daughter Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth was just ten years old when her uncle abdicated, and her father became King. Her first meeting with the woman that would change the course of her destiny was probably in late April 1936.

Wallis and the King had been staying at Fort Belvedere when a new station wagon he had ordered from the United States arrived. They drove the new station wagon to Royal Lodge where the then Duke and Duchess of York were staying with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Wallis had met the Duke and Duchess before but not the Princesses. The two joined them for tea and were accompanied by their governess Marion Crawford. Wallis later wrote, “They were both so blonde, so beautifully mannered, so brightly scrubbed that they may have stepped straight from the pages of a picture book.” Princess Elizabeth turned to her governess as they were leaving and asked, “Crawfie, who is she?”1 They would not meet again until many years later.

The following abdication crisis was bewildering for the young Princess. A servant overheard a conversation between the ten-year-old Elizabeth and six-year-old Margaret in the week of the abdication. “What’s happening?” Margaret had asked her sister, to which Elizabeth replied, “I don’t know really, but I believe uncle David wishes to get married. I think he wants to marry Mrs Baldwin – and Mr Baldwin doesn’t like it!”2

The Duke of York became King George VI after his brother’s abdication, and Princess Elizabeth became the heiress presumptive. Any contact with Elizabeth herself did not come up again until Elizabeth became engaged to Philip Mountbatten. Their engagement was announced on 9 July 1947, with the wedding set for November. The Duke of Windsor made it clear that he would not attend the wedding without Wallis, but neither he nor the Duchess would be receiving an invitation to their niece’s wedding. Elizabeth’s mother even declared that she would not attend the wedding if the Duke and Duchess were invited. Not all members of the family agreed with this, and Mary, Princess Royal, deliberately stayed away from the wedding out of protest.3 . However, a letter by Mary suggests that this was just gossip, although she remains rather ambiguous. She wrote, “I would like you to know that after all I shall not be coming to London. I felt that the wedding festivities might prove too great a strain. I am very disappointed to miss the wedding. November 17 or 18 the press must announce that I have a chill or something of the sort.”4 It is not clear what Princess Elizabeth’s opinion was.

The early death of Elizabeth’s father on 6 February 1952 made her Queen at the age of 25. Elizabeth’s mother would continue to blame the Duchess of Windsor – while reportedly never openly blaming the Duke – for the shortening of her husband’s life, and this made any chance of reconciliation very unlikely indeed.5 While the Duke immediately made plans to return to London upon hearing of his brother’s death, he was informed that Wallis would not be welcome to attend the funeral and that all three Queens (Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II) would not receive her. He came to London alone and stayed at Marlborough House. Wallis was afraid he might try to use the situation to press the HRH issue and wrote to her husband, “Do not mention or ask for anything regarding recognition of me. I am sure you can win her over to a more friendly attitude.”6

On 26 February 1952, the new Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip hosted the Duke for lunch, and he wanted to discuss the possibility of a job for him, and he did want to press the HRH issue. Unsurprisingly, she was advised against offering him a job. The issue of receiving Wallis and granting her HRH was difficult. Elizabeth had grown up with her mother’s hatred for the Duchess, and perhaps she feared that granting the request would not only be disrespectful to her mother but would also dishonour her father’s memory. There was even some discussion about his annual payment, which was eventually settled but not before the Duke wrote to Wallis, “It’s hell to be even this much dependent on these ice-veined bitches, important for WE as it is.”7

A similar tense family reunion occurred the following year when Queen Mary was dying. Mary, Princess Royal, had been on a royal tour when the news arrived and she travelled to New York where the Duke and Duchess were staying so they could travel home together and once again, there was no question of Wallis joining them. The Duke and Princess Mary sailed from New York to Southampton while Wallis remained behind in the Waldorf Towers. She reportedly burst into tears upon learning that Queen Mary had died on 24 March. The Duke was allowed to attend the funeral but not the following family dinner. It was no surprise that the Duke and Duchess were also not invited to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation that June. Nevertheless, the Duke and Duchess made a private visit to London in November 1953, and as the news leaked out, they were met with cheering crowds. Although the private visits continued over the years, they were always careful.

In February 1965, the Duke and Duchess travelled to London so that the Duke could have surgery for a detached retina, and they stayed at Claridge’s Hotel and their significantly older and frail appearance led to questions from the press why the two had not been invited to stay at Buckingham Palace. In the following six weeks, Queen Elizabeth visited her uncle and aunt twice though she had to be persuaded by her private secretary to do so. The sympathetic press now rallied for the Duke and Duchess, and the Queen had to make a gesture of some kind.

The first visit happened on 15 March 1965, and it was the first time Wallis came face-to-face again with Elizabeth since that day in 1936 at Royal Lodge. Wallis curtseyed to Elizabeth, and the Queen stayed for a half-hour. The Duke apparently asked his niece if he could take a walk in the garden of Buckingham Palace; Elizabeth agreed but only if he came without Wallis. He also inquired if he and Wallis would be permitted to eventually be buried together at Frogmore near where Prince George, Duke of Kent, was buried and if they could both have a service in St. George’s Chapel. Elizabeth gave no definitive answer but said she would look into the matter. On her second visit ten days later, on 25 March, she agreed that they could both have the service and be buried at Frogmore.

Part two coming soon.

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Wallis & Queen Elizabeth II (Part one) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

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Published on April 20, 2021 22:00

April 19, 2021

Alice of Battenberg – A life well lived (Part seven)

Read part six here.

Alice’s wish to found a sisterhood had begun to form long ago and was inspired by her aunt Elizabeth. She was given a piece of land on Tinos by the Church of the Virgin and on 17 July 19481, she ‘withdrew from the world’ and wrote to Philip, “I think I told you about the religious sisterhood of Martha & Mary I want to start along to lines of Aunt Ella’s foundation in Moscow. Now that the last of my children is married & has a home, I feel the need of a whole-time job to keep me occupied.”2 It was probably around this time that Alice travelled to Jerusalem, where Elizabeth had been buried.

Alice never actually became a nun, but her dressing like one had a practical purpose. Her sisterhood was often in need of money, and dressing like a nun rather than a princess helped with the fundraising. It also meant that she did not have to worry about her clothes or having her hair done. Her mother rather mockingly said, “What can you say of a nun who smokes and plays Canasta?”3 By 1949, she was having trouble on Tinos, and she decided to move the sisterhood to just outside Athens. She also travelled to the US to advise the new archbishop on the establishment of a similar sisterhood outside New York.

In September 1950, Alice’s mother Victoria passed away. Alice was there, and she wrote to Philip, “She was practically sitting up to ease the breathing & so we had a good view of her with such a calm & peaceful expression, as one who is having a good sleep & the breast rising & falling so evenly & gently, until it quietly stopped at 8 a.m., a beautiful end.”4

Alice was in the United States to raise money for her sisterhood when King George VI died in February 1952. She immediately wrote to Philip telling him that Andrew was with him in spirit and that he should commune with him. Alice and her three surviving daughters were invited to the coronation of the new Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Alice sat behind Elizabeth’s mother in the royal box and drew some press attention in her nun’s clothes. It was the last major public function for Alice, and she occasionally appeared in the country for family events.

In February 1955, Alice celebrated her 70th birthday in Salem, and just two years later, she became a great-grandmother when Sophie’s daughter Christina gave birth to a daughter named Tatiana. Alice had plenty of surviving grandchildren, and the family continued to grow. The Prince of Wales said of her, “She used to come and have lunch with us in the nursery, I remember. We were terrified if we were late. She was very strict.”5

Despite her age, Alice refused to slow down, and in January 1960, she visited India at the invitation of the Minister of Health. Unfortunately, the trip had to be cut short after Alice became ill. Alice later claimed to have had an out-of-body experience. Queen Elizabeth II had given birth to her third child in February 1960, and Alice was thrilled that he was named Andrew. She wrote to Philip, “I am so happy about Papa’s name being given to the baby. The people’s delight here about this is really touching. Unknown people waved to me in the streets, calling out Andreas. He is not forgotten here & still very much loved.”6

In December 1964, Alice’s sister Louise suffered a heart attack, and Alice was soon by her sister’s side. Louise appeared to be doing well, but on 3 March, she was in some pain and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. She had an operation to remove a blood clot in the main artery to her heart, and she survived the initial operation. However, she fell unconscious three days later and died on 7 March. Alice joined her brother-in-law for the funeral on 13 March. When Alice returned to Athens, she wrote, “Both she & I knew it was our last meeting, but we were determined to ignore that. So, we had such a peaceful & truly happy week together, for which I thank God with all my heart.”7

Over the years, Alice had begun to have bouts of illness, but she always managed to recover. However, as she grew older, many of her friends and family passed away, and she was also concerned for the health of her daughter Theodora and the political situation in Greece. Philip invited his mother to come live at Buckingham Palace, which she initially declined. The situation in Greece deteriorated, and a second invitation was issued by Philip’s wife, Queen Elizabeth. Alice then said, “Lilibet said that? We go this afternoon.”8 This was easier said than done, and she finally left Greece in May 1967.

Alice moved into two rooms on the first floor of Buckingham Palace, which overlooked the Mall. Eventually, there were two full-time nurses to care for her as her health deteriorated further. Her daughter Theodora died in October 1969, and Alice would only live for two months more – she had lost the will to live. Her brother Louis saw her the evening before she died and later said, “I saw her at 6.15 on the night she died, and she was very peaceful and seemed happy and talked of recollections of the past.”9 She died in her sleep on 5 December 1969.

Alice’s funeral took place on 10 December at St George’s Chapel. Alice had requested to be buried in Jerusalem near her aunt. For years, her coffin remained in the royal vault, and it wasn’t until 3 August 1988 that Alice was buried in Jerusalem. Her coffin stands on a marble bier, covered with the Greek royal standard.

The post Alice of Battenberg – A life well lived (Part seven) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

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Published on April 19, 2021 22:00

April 18, 2021

Alice of Battenberg – The duty of a Princess (Part six)

Read part five here.

King George II had returned to the Greek throne in 1935 after a referendum, but the situation was still not very stable. Alice’s sister Louise wrote, “One is so happy for her starting again a simple, normal life on her own. I feel that none of us who have not gone through what Alice has can [know] what it must mean coming back after so many years & to fit in again to the average person’s life.”1 Philip visited her briefly and in May, he entered the British Navy as a cadet. In June, more tragedy followed as Cecilie’s only surviving child Johanna died of meningitis. Alice later wrote to Philip, “For we had such a sweet picture before our eyes of a lovely sleeping child with golden curls, looking for me so very like Cécili at that age that it was like losing my child a second time.”2

Then came the outbreak of the Second World War. Once more, Alice found herself in the middle of family loyalties, with her daughters all being married to Germans and her son being in the British navy. Alice returned to Athens and received a brief visit from Andrew. It would be the last time they saw each other. Alice spent much of the war in Greece though she was able to travel around a bit – like a holiday in Switzerland in August 1940. In April 1941, Germany invaded Greece, and most of the royal family left to avoid becoming captives. Only Alice and her sister-in-law Elena (Princess Nicholas) remained behind in Greece. Alice felt that she could be useful with her charity work.

The situation soon became dire due to food shortages, and many people died of starvation. Alice was mostly cut off from her family but was able to communicate messages through her sister Louise in Sweden. She moved out of her flat and into a house in the centre of Athens, and she occasionally received food parcels from Louise. She began to work in the soup kitchen, and she stayed mostly under the radar. In May 1942, she obtained a visa to visit Louise.

Once back in Athens, Alice also took care of orphans, and she organised nursing sisters. In addition, Alice also took in a Jewish family named the Cohens, for which she was later recognised as Righteous Among the Nations. Alice was sometimes questioned by the Gestapo, but she would then pretend not to be able to hear their questions, and they soon gave up.

In October 1944, Greece was liberated from the German occupation, but Athens remained chaotic. In early December, Alice received the news that her husband had died on 3 December without any further information. He had spent his final years living in Cannes and Monte Carlo, and he had died in Monte Carlo following a cardiac arrest. Later that month, Alice wrote to her mother, “As it was impossible to go to church, we had a priest to say the funeral mass & panichida for Andrea in the big drawing-room here (the girls will know it) & a few of Andrea’s friends managed to come to it.”3 By then, Elena had moved in with Alice as her house was in an area protected by British troops.

Alice continued her social work, often breaking curfew. A visitor wrote, “I told Princess Alice that it was very dangerous and that she might well be shot, at which she replied: ‘Well, they tell me that you don’t hear the shot that kills you and in any case I am deaf, so why worry about that? I wouldn’t know, would I?’ She added: ‘It’s my duty. What else was I born to do?'”4

In February 1945, Alice travelled to England and saw her mother for the first time in 5 years. Alice later wrote to her brother, “I am ashamed to say that at the beginning I was sometimes rather abrupt & sharp in my answers & I am now trying my best to remember her great age & that I must sadly renounce so much of the old Mama & let her talk on as she likes.”5

By then, it was also quite clear that one day Philip would marry into the British Royal Family, and he indeed proposed to Princess Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of King George VI, in the summer of 1947. Alice too began to spend more time in England, and she stayed with her mother at Kensington Palace. After the engagement, she went to tea with King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Elizabeth. On 9 July 1947, the engagement was officially announced. Alice was able to retrieve her jewels from the bank in Paris where they had been deposited since 1930, and some of the diamonds were used in Princess Elizabeth’s engagement ring.

None of Alice’s daughters were invited to the wedding due to them being married to Germans. Alice sat beside her mother in Westminster Abbey during the wedding on 20 November 1947. She later wrote to Philip, “How wonderfully everything went off & I was so comforted to see the truly happy expression on your face & to feel your decision was right from every point of view.”6 Once back in Athens, Alice wrote a 22-page description of the wedding to her daughters.

In November 1948, she received the news of the birth of Philip’s son Charles and wrote to him, “I think of you so much with a sweet baby of your own, of your joy and the interest you will take in all his little doings.”7 By 1949, Alice was living on the island of Tinos to help the sisterhood she was founding and she also bought a flat in Athens with two rooms and a bathroom. She was finally able to meet her grandson in July 1949, and by then, Alice was basically living as a nun – and dressing like one too.

Part seven coming soon.

The post Alice of Battenberg – The duty of a Princess (Part six) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

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Published on April 18, 2021 22:00

April 17, 2021

The Funeral of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – Live

The post The Funeral of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – Live appeared first on History of Royal Women.

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Published on April 17, 2021 05:29

The Queens and Princesses in St George’s Chapel’s Royal Vault

St George’s Chapel at Windsor is known for being one of the royal burial sites. So which Queens and Princesses can we find in its Royal Vault?

Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom

(public domain)

Princess Amelia was the daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom and his wife, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She never married and died at the age of 27.

Princess Augusta of Great Britain, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

(public domain)

Princess Augusta was the daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. She married Charles William Ferdinand, the future Duke of Brunswick, in 1764, and they had seven children together, though not all survived to adulthood. She was widowed in 1806 and finally allowed back home in 1807. She died in 1813 at the age of 75.

Princess Charlotte of Wales

(public domain)

Princess Charlotte was the only child and heir of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom and Caroline of Brunswick. She married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in 1816 but tragically died in childbirth the following year. Her stillborn son was buried with her.

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of the United Kingdom

(public domain)

Queen Charlotte was the daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She married King George III of the United Kingdom, and they had 15 children together, though not all survived to adulthood. She died in 1818 at the age of 74.

Unnamed Princess

The stillborn and unnamed daughter of Ernest Augustus, the future King of Hanover, and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was buried in the vault in 1818.

Princess Elizabeth of Clarence

(public domain)

Princess Elizabeth was the daughter of the future King William IV and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. She lived for just three months.

Princess Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom

(public domain)

Princess Augusta Sophia was the daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte. She never married and died in 1840 at the age of 71.

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen of the United Kingdom

(public domain)

Queen Adelaide was the daughter of George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. She married the future King William IV in 1818. They went on to have five children together, though none of them survived to adulthood. She died in 1849 at the age of 57.

Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck

(public domain)

Princess Mary Adelaide was the daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. She married Francis, Duke of Teck, in 1866, and they had four children together, including the future Queen Mary. She died in 1897 at the age of 63.

Princess Frederica of Hanover

(public domain)

Princess Frederica was the daughter of the future King George V of Hanover and Marie of Saxe-Altenburg. In 1880, she married Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen, and they had one short-lived daughter (who was buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel also in St George’s Chapel). She died in 1926 at the age of 78.

Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge

(public domain)

Princess Augusta was the daughter of Landgrave Frederick of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen. She married Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, in 1818, and they had three children together, including Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck. She died in 1889 at the age of 91. She was originally buried at St Anne’s Church in Kew, but her remains were later transferred to the vault in 1930.

These are just the burials in the Royal Vault. St George’s Chapel is also the burial place of Elizabeth Woodville, Princess Louise of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Alexandra of Denmark, Queen of the United Kingdom, Maria, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, Princess Sophia of Gloucester, Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, Jane Seymour, Queen of England, and Mary of Teck, Queen of the United Kingdom.

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