Queen Victoria's 9 Children Over The Years

My collage of miniature paintings of Queen Victoria's 9 children from eldest to youngest: Victoria (Vicky), Albert Edward (Bertie), Alice, Alfred (Affie), Helena (Lenchen), Louise (Loosy), Queen Victoria holding Arthur, Leopold (Leo) and Beatrice (Baby). The miniatures of the children were gifts Prince Albert started giving to Queen Victoria.

Many of my readers know I am a history buff. At the moment I'm reading biographies on Queen Victoria's 9 children, one by one. As figures in history and personalities, I like them very much. Yes, they were privileged, but so are we by virtue of living in the 21st century. Overall, the Queen instilled benevolence in her royal children. Each offspring had a strong sense of duty and was devoted to living a life of greater purpose.

From The Royal Collection here

Would you like to see a few images of Queen Victoria's children over the years? If yes ... let's begin with a photograph that was taken for the purpose of connecting with the British public (i.e. her subjects):  

The family portrait was taken at Osbourne in May, 1857, shortly after the Queen's last child, Princess Beatrice, was born. It is followed by a bulletin of the family after a sad event.

The above collage shows Queen Victoria and her children mourning the death of their husband and father, Prince Albert, who died of what historians now think was Crohn's disease on December 14, 1861.

The 9 siblings as children:

In order of their births: Victoria, the Princess Royal, 1840; Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, 1841; Princess Alice, 1843; Prince Alfred, 1844; Princess Helena, 1846; Princess Louise, 1848; Prince Arthur, 1850; Prince Leopold, 1853; and Princess Beatrice, 1857.

And later as adults:

Victoria, the Princess Royal became the Crown Princess of Prussia and later German Empress after marrying Crown Prince Frederick; Edward VII of Great Britain reigned from 1901 - 1910. He married Princess Alexandra (Alix) of Denmark; Alice became the Grand Duchess of Hesse and of the Rhine after marrying Prince Louis of Hesse; Alfred became the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as, Duke of Saxe-Colburg-Gotha by inheriting his father's duchy from his (legitimate) childless uncle, Duke Ernst II, who was Prince Albert's older brother. Prince Alfred married Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, Tzar Alexander II's only surviving daughter. Helena took on the title Princess of Schleswig-Holstein after her marriage to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. Louise became the eventual Duchess of Argyll after marrying aristocrat (and commoner) John Campbell, the Marquis of Lorne and 9th Duke of Argyll; Arthur became the Duke of Connaught and Stratearn. He married Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia; Leopold became the Duke of Albany, as well as, married Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pymount; and youngest child, Beatrice, became a Princess of Battenberg after marrying Prince Henry of Battenberg.

Another collage of Queen Victoria's adult children from Facebook, which I favor since the person who put it together took time to find flattering photos of them around the same age. Not always easy!

Soon after Queen Victoria's and Prince Albert's children married into many of the ruling houses of Europe, they had children (i.e. princes and princesses) of their own. Here's a bonus photo of all Queen Victoria's grandchildren, once again listed from eldest to youngest, in order of their births:

Wilhelm of Prussia (called Willy and William in the family, later Kaiser Wilhelm II), Charlotte of Prussia (at times called Charley), Henry of Prussia, Victoria of Hesse and of the Rhine (the UK's Prince Phillip's grandmother), Albert Victor of Wales, (called Eddy), Sigismund of Prussia, Elisabeth of Hesse (called Ella), George (later Britain's King George V), Victoria of Prussia, (called Moretta in the family), Irene of Hesse, Louise of Wales, Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein (called Christie), Waldemar of Prussia (called Waldie), Victoria of Wales (called Toria), Ernest of Hesse (called Ernie), Albert of Schleswig-Holstein (called Abbie), Maud of Wales (later became the Queen Consort of Norway), Sophie of Prussia (called Sossy, later became the Queen Consort of Greece), Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (called Thora), Frederick (called Frittie of Hesse), Margaret of Prussia (called Mossy), Alix of Hesse (later became the Empress Alexandra of Russia), Marie-Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, Marie of Hesse (called May), Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Colberg-Gortha (called Young Affie), Marie of Edinburgh and S-C-G (called Missy and later became the Queen Consort of Romania), Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and S-C-G (called Ducky, later became the Grand Duchess of Hesse, then after her 2nd marriage a Grand Duchess of Russia), Alexandra of Edinburgh and S-C-G (called Sandra), Margaret of Connaught (called Daisy, later became the Crown Princess of Sweden), Young Arthur of Connaught, Alice of Albany, Beatrice of Edinburgh and S-C-G (called Baby Bee), Charles Edward of Albany (called Charley, then Karl in German in the wake of inheriting the S-C-G duchy from his Uncle Alfred (after Young Alfred, an only son, died tragically), Patricia of Connaught (called Patsy), Alexander of Battenberg (called Drino and after 1917 Lord Mountbatten by edict of George V), Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (called Ena, who became the Queen Consort of Spain), Leopold of Battenberg (called Lord Mountbatten after 1917 by edict of George V) and Maurice of Battenberg.

Affie, Helena and Alice

I hope you have enjoyed going back in history with me to the era of Queen Victoria. Feel free to search the blog (the "Search Box" is upper left and the "Blog Archive" is on the right) for more on Queen Victoria and her family. I've linked 4 of (several) blogs below. Many people cite Princess Louise as a favorite, so here's her link. 


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Queen Victoria's Family Pictures

All 9 children together at The Rosenau near Colburg to honor their father, Prince Albert, August, 1865. (Back row) Princess Louise, Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales (Bertie); (front row) Prince Leopold (who, lame at the time, leans on a chair), Princess Alice, Princess Beatrice, Princess Victoria (Vicky) of Prussia; (standing) Prince Alfred (Affie), Princess Helena (Lenchen), (sitting cross legged in front) Prince Arthur {Photos: Royal Collection Trust}

In Great Britain Victoria, season 2 returns to television on Sunday August 27, 2017. A Christmas special will follow that I can't wait to see, knowing that Prince Albert, the Queen's husband, introduced the tradition of Christmas trees to his adopted country.

Season 2 won't air in America until February, 2018; but fans can watch it online with the Brits if they search for it. I don't feel naughty for doing so, as I will watch the series again when it airs here on PBS, which after all is free TV. (Why doesn't the series air simultaneously? Is it a matter of business and contracts?)

Standing: Prince Louis of Hesse (husband of Alice), Prince Alfred, Princess Helena, Alexandra, the Princess of Wales (wife of Bertie), Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales (Bertie), Princess Louise, Prince Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (their uncle and Albert's brother), Prince Arthur, Princess Victoria of Prussia. Seated: Princess Alexandrine, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia (husband of Vicky), Prince Leopold (on Fritz's lap) and Princess Alice at The Rosenau near Colburg, August, 1865. 

Louise, Beatrice, Alice, Alfred, Bertie, Arthur, Helena, Leopold and Vicky - at The Rosenau, August, 1865

The screenwriter, Daisy Goodwin, says season 2 is set in the 1840s, with Queen Victoria juggling consecutive pregnancies, young children and her husband with her job of [constitutionally] ruling an empire. In Europe, the 1840s were years of "revolution, famine and unrest." Even in England, there were hostile republican groups in favor of abolishing the monarchy.

Left photo: Bertie (who became King Edward VII), Vicky, Queen Victoria, Alfred, and Alice, 1854; right photo: Helena, Queen Victoria and Louise, 1850.

I adore these photos of Queen Victoria's domestic life. Prince Albert and the Queen took to photography, recognizing its value in getting images of their family out to her subjects, connecting the public to the Crown. They look very middle class, but in reality had a huge staff of nurses, tutors, maids, ladies-in-waiting and equerries to assist them, not to mention palaces and castles to occupy in London, Windsor, the Isle of Wight and Scotland. By royal standards though, the Queen and Prince Consort were involved parents.

Left photo: 1854 - Queen Victoria with her favorite son, Prince Arthur (7th child, born 1850) and 2 of her ladies-in-waiting. As a child Arthur charmed the court and visitors with cute remarks. When younger brother, Leopold, was born in 1853, nurses reported, Arthur "talks to him like an old woman," calling his brother, "my baby." Victoria wrote that Arthur was "more dear than all the rest put together." Right photo: Prince Albert, Princess Alice, Queen Victoria holding Prince Arthur; (Back corner) Crown Prince Frederick (Friz) of Prussia, Princess Victoria (Vicky). In white hats: Princess Helena, Princess Louise, and Prince Alfred, 1857.

Between 1840-1857 Victoria bore 9 children. She hated being pregnant, but in her era the only effective method of contraception was abstinence. What's more, a dynasty has a duty to produce heirs.

Vicky and Arthur in the Tableau of Dreams, 1854

The cast of Tableau of Dreams dressed as seasons: Princess Alice  (Spring), Arthur with Victoria, the Princess Royal (Summer), Princess Helena (Holding a cross as A Spirit Empress), Prince Alfred with Princess Louise (Autumn), Prince Albert Edward (Winter), May 24, 1854 on the occasion of their mother's birthday.

Prince Albert was a strict, yet loving father. He oversaw the children's education, implementing a rigorous academic curriculum. The oldest child, Vicky, thrived, while her brothers Bertie and Alfred (Affie) less so. The children spoke fluent English, German and French, as well as, studied Greek and Latin. Additionally, the children took lessons in music, painting and drawing, recited poetry and put on plays to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. The girls learned to cook and bake; and all of the children planted their own vegetable gardens. Affie was mechanically minded and skilled at building forts. The boys played soldiers. Queen Victoria thought Prince Albert was perfect and after his death, tried to follow what she interpreted as his plans in raising their children. But the youngsters' world darkened, as they were engulfed in their mother's prolonged period of mourning.

Left photo: 1854 - Prince Alfred (4th child, born 1844) - At his own request his parents let him join the royal navy at age 14. At 17, Affie was away at sea, when Prince Albert died in 1861. Queen Victoria never forgave Affie, her 2nd son, for having affairs as a young man. She was critical of him throughout his life. A boy leaving home at 14 is so very young, though the Prince had a happy naval career. Right photo: September, 1854 - Arthur and Alfred dressed as Skeikh Princes at Osbourne. Four year old Arthur is a little ham! Often visitors to the nursery noticed the 7th child's charisma.

There is no doubt Queen Victoria loved her children (and they loved her), but she was not a natural mother. She was not only their mother, but their sovereign, a trump card she was quick to use when provoked. For all her faults as a mother, she gets cut a little slack. After Albert left her a widow at the young age of 42, she had 8 unmarried children at home. Princess Alice and Prince Albert Edward (Bertie) married within two years, according to the paths their father had sanctioned for them.

Another snap of Arthur and Alfred dressed as Sheikh Princes at Osbourne, 1854

Prince Leopold, Princess Beatrice and Prince Arthur at Osbourne, 1958

Princess Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Leopold and Princess Alice at Balmoral, 1860

It left Queen Victoria with 6 young children to make all the decisions for their well being as a single mother. Granted she had wealth, resources and servants to help her, but still her family's health, education, moral and social development -- their futures rested solely on her shoulders. It had to overwhelm her at times. She was especially fearful when upper-crust boys (i.e., princes) became young men. She believed all too often they grew aimless, reckless and immoral "running up to London" with the wrong set of people. Certainly, only a strong-willed woman could soldier the responsibility of a big brood. According to her biographers, she was a domineering mother. 

Left photo: 1865 - Prince Leopold (8th child, born 1853). Like his sisters Vicky and Alice he was studious and very intelligent. He was a gifted pianist and could paint and draw; right photo: 1866 - Princess Louise (6th child, born 1848). All of Victoria's children could sketch and paint. Louise stood out, becoming a professional sculptress.

Her children hated to disappoint her or incur her wrath. She had a mighty temper and did not like to be contradicted. She had few expectations of Bertie and Affie, who were, in fact, "running up to London," to have a randy good time. Leopold had an independent, feisty nature (but not wild like his brothers). He was miserable to be smothered and criticized as if he did. Helena (Lenchen) and Beatrice (Baby) were the most submissive children. Poor Beatrice (age 4 when Albert died) was raised to submit to her mother's needs over her own. Still ... Victoria loved them, guided them in good faith (if sometimes unfairly or selfishly), selected tutors and caretakers mindfully and allowed each child to marry for love. 

Princesses Alice (3rd child, born 1843) and Helena (5th child, born 1846), 1860. Both sisters played the piano beautifully (like Leopold, Beatrice and their parents).

When the Queen's children persisted in something they desired to do, if they took their mother on with tact and patient diplomacy, she would listen and at times relent (always with a written list of her conditions); however give in she would do, if the child strongly wished to pursue an interest or purpose. Thus Princess Louise attended a public art school (the first royal to do so and married a subject over a foreign prince); Prince Leopold (despite his setbacks with hemophilia and mild fits) was allowed to attend Oxford University, plus marry; and youngest child, Beatrice, (who Victoria groomed to stay unmarried at home with her) was also permitted to marry after a 7-month battle of silence and wills. With the shock announcement that Princess Beatrice had fallen for Prince Henry of Battenberg, Queen Victoria stopped speaking to her most devoted daughter. Written notes were passed between them during the feud at the breakfast table! Moreover, Princess Beatrice continued (as required!) to work as her mother's private secretary. It seems cruel to a modern reader.

Prince Leopold, Princess Louise, Prince Alfred, Princess Alice, Princess Helena at Buckingham Palace, February 29, 1960.

Vicky and the Queen, 1857

When the Queen clashed with one of her children, she wrote detailed letters, explaining her disapproval and anxieties not only to the child who challenged her, but to other members of the family such as eldest daughter, Crown Princess Victoria of Prussia; the child's tutors and doctors; chaplains (and depending on the issue, a college dean or prime minister!) who's consuls {and consoles} she sought in the matter. She sent them copies of the letters: the child's request and her replies. Victoria was always upfront about what she thought!

Fortunately, the Queen was surrounded by many well-intentioned retainers; and the other children who were sympathetic to their siblings.

For all the upset over Beatrice's wedding, Queen Victoria grew to love Prince Henry of Battenberg. The Queen's new son-in-law gave up his military career to marry his English Princess; and the couple had to agree to live permanently with the Queen. Eventually, they gave her 4 more grandchildren.

Left photo: 1862 - Queen Victoria with her favorite and most devoted daughter, Princess Beatrice (9th child, born 1857). Right photo: 1864 - As an adult, Princess Beatrice was shy, but confident and determined if she had to be. She didn't seek nor crave her role as a sidekick to the center of power; it's what the Queen wished. Although Victoria was more maternal with Beatrice than she had been with her older children, it was a double-edged sword. From the age of 4, Beatrice was conditioned to put her mother's needs and happiness first. The Queen expected her two youngest children, Leopold and Beatrice, to live out their days unmarried as her companions. Prince Leopold was too spirited and independent and was unhappy until he was permitted to marry. Beatrice got married but complied. As selfish as Victoria appears to a modern reader, it was more common in Victorian times for one child in a family to remain home to care for parents.

It is not easy for offspring of a mother born to be a ruler ... as she will rule! Despite her maternal shortcomings, I mostly like Queen Victoria because on balance: her children were likable, responsible, respectable adults. They were instilled with a sense of duty and a desire to do good. All of them were gracious, humble and kind.

Even Bertie turned out to be a diplomat and good king. (King Edward VII loved his wife and mistresses, but that's another blog!) Affie, who became the Duke of Saxe-Colburg-Gotha in 1893, won over his subjects also. Mostly the siblings got along and were warm and open toward one another. Princesses Louise and Beatrice had squabbles, which were mended. Beatrice celebrated a happy 80th birthday with sister Louise, her next door neighbor, at Kensington Palace.* Bertie (Victoria's spurned heir) and Beatrice (her beloved confidante) were not close. Queen Victoria treated her oldest son and youngest daughter so differently, and some resentment stayed with the heir. Princess Beatrice was not part of the new King's inner circle (as was Princess Louise), but "remained a presence at court."* Bertie always invited her on the King's yachting trips; and his youngest sister was among the family who gathered as Bertie lay dying in 1910.* Unlike other dynasties, there were no ugly intrigues, plotting, nor backstabbing in Victoria's family. 

They were privileged royals, yes ... but spoiled, no. When looking at results, you understand, Queen Victoria was fundamentally a good person. So were her adult children. As a parent, she must have done many things right. 

Now for the countdown to season 2 of Victoria! Will you watch?

*The Last Princess: The Devoted Life of Queen Victoria's Youngest Daughter by Matthew Dennison here

Blogger changed something so writing captions for pictures messes up the format of a paragraph, therefore, I will identify the Royals in the last photo (above) in this spot: Standing: Alice, Louis of Hesse, Bertie, Helena. Sitting: Louise, Queen Victoria, Beatrice, Alexandra (Bertie's bride), and kneeling: Leopold. Poor Alexandra. It's her wedding and she holds a photo of the dearly departed Prince Albert, as her in-laws surround his statue, 1863.



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German Empress Victoria: A Book Review And More

After marriage at age 17, Queen Victoria insisted her daughter maintain her Englishness, which made her an easy target for her adversaries in Germany. Since Bismarck could not criticize the Crown Prince directly, he planted unflattering and untrue newspaper stories about his "English" wife. As 2nd in line of a conservative dynasty, Fritz was powerless to dismiss Bismarck, who feared the progressive Crown Prince's ascendancy.

As some of you know, I'm reading bios on the children of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Recently I finished one on her eldest child: Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa, who was born on November 21, 1840, 9 months after her parents' wedding. Soon styled "The Princess Royal," historians consider Vicky the brightest and most precocious of Queen Victoria's 9 children. Starting as a toddler, she received many of her school lessons from her brilliant father, Prince Albert, who also doted on her. The child spoke fluent French at 18 months of age.

Vicky fell in love with the husband her parents selected for her, the liberal, university-educated Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia, and it was hoped their union would bring a liberal, democratic Germany and England close together.

Victoria with Wilhelm (II) and Charlotte

The bio, Uncommon Woman, is thoroughly researched. Its author, Hannah Pakula, knows the era's, as well as, the Prussian Court's complicated history and intrigues; and she uses primary sources, as opposed to, relying on what others have said, to write it, which is a strength. Since Prussia's ultra-conservative politician, Bismarck, methodically plotted to rob Vicky and her liberal-minded husband, Fritz of their rightful places in history (and his Realpolitik diplomacy made the world ripe for WWI) I understand why the author needs to include the German Chancellor as part of the storytelling, but sometimes Crown Princess Victoria gets lost in the book because of it.

Vicky is holding Sigismund.

Relationships you the reader, want to know more about in a Vicky bio get abridged: Prince Albert's love for his eldest daughter; her happy marriage to Fritz; her sometimes challenging relationships with her 3 oldest children: Wilhelm (1859), Charlotte (1860) and Henry (1862); her easier relationships with her 3 youngest daughters: Victoria (1866), Sophia (1870) and Margaret (1872); and the devastating deaths of her two youngest sons {and middle children}: Sigismund (1864) and Waldemar (1868), are all reported, yet are surprisingly not that intimate, lacking the details. Sometimes Vicky's more personal affairs are mentioned in a paragraph, while entire chapters on Bismarck and the diplomacy of foreign countries (France, Russia, and England) go on for several chapters in full detail. 

Victoria, an excellent rider, here with Wilhelm, 1861

Also, I know from other books, Crown Princess Victoria saw her siblings over the years, but the visits and sibling relationships are barely mentioned in this book. And too, her remarkable intelligence, talents, kindness, and perseverance are touched upon, but again leave a reader wanting.

Still Uncommon Woman is a must-read because it's probably the best, most comprehensive, and scholarly book on Empress Victoria to-date.

6 of Fritz and Vicky's 8 children: Waldemar, Sophie, Charlotte, Victoria, Wilhelm and Henry. Margarite was still to be born. Sigi, who died as a toddler, is also missing.

Sadly, after 30 years as heir, Frederick III came to the German throne terminally ill, dying of throat cancer (in 1888) after ruling for only 99 days. Bless him, he devoted himself to signing as many bills as he could prudently push through in his 3 months as Emperor, yet the dream of a democratic Germany was not to be. What might have been had his wait been shorter and his reign longer?

Wilhelm with Vicky (1859) and Queen Victoria (1864)

As a Dowager Empress, Vicky had little influence, and her relationship with her more autocratic and conservative son, Kaiser Wilhelm II, was polite, yet strained and guarded, thanks again in part to Bismarck (along with Bismarck's diabolical son, Herbert) who worked for years to turn young Wilhelm's loyalty away from his parents. Kaiser Wilhelm II both loved and resented his mother. Although certainly not the villain and warmonger that history makes him out to be, according to this book, at times he was a thoughtless son.

Sophia, Victoria, Wilhelm II, Empress Victoria, Charolette, Henry and Margarite

Empress Victoria retreated to Kornberg in Taunus and built a castle, called Friedrichshof, after her beloved husband. There she lived with her 3 youngest daughters (shortly thereafter arranging their marriages), staying in close contact with liberal thinkers and devoting herself to painting.

I wrestle with whether or not to call Emperor and Empress Frederick III a tragic couple. They didn't get to rule long enough to fulfill Prince Albert's great hope of establishing a politically progressive and constitutional Germany, which was, indeed, tragic and with consequences. But since they had a happy marriage and lived an interesting, enlightened life as Crown Prince and Crown Princess, I stop short of it.

Fritz is not given the credit he deserves for turning the Germanies into one unified Germany (due to Bismarck's evil manipulation of the press). Nonetheless, husband and wife were soul mates; both intellectuals and accomplished; and they lived with a sense of great purpose. 

[Christina Croft, the author of several books on Queen Victoria's family, thinks Victoria, the Princess Royal, would have made a great British Queen, and I agree. A pity the era did not give Queen Victoria's most gifted and firstborn child the chance.]

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1887: In the carriage are Queen Victoria with her daughter Crown Princess Victoria of Prussia. Sitting opposite are Princess Beatrice and Prince Alfred.

Twelve years after her husband, German Empress Victoria died at age 60 on August 5, 1901, of breast cancer. For history, she left behind a lifetime of insightful correspondence with her mother, Queen Victoria. (Her brother, Edward VII on a visit to his dying sister, arranged via his private secretary to smuggle her letters out of Germany into England. The royal family was afraid the new Kaiser Wilhelm II might destroy them.)  

In the 20th and 21st centuries, Empress Victoria's descendants became kings and queens of Spain, Greece, Romania, Yugoslavia and of course, Germany.

At age 14, Victoria, the Princess Royal designed and hand-painted this fan for her mother, Queen Victoria's birthday.  Click the image to see the amazing details.

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Princess Alice Of The United Kingdom

Photo by Camille Silvy: Princess Alice, June, 1861

Recently I read the biography of another of Queen Victoria's nine children, her 3rd child, Princess Alice Maud Mary, who was born on April 25, 1843. The Queen's 2nd daughter inherited her father, Prince Albert's keen intellect, musical talent, organizational genius and desire to live a life of worth. 

Princess Alice, Prince Alfred (Affie), Queen Victoria (hidden by her hat), Prince Albert Edward, Princess Royal Victoria and Princess Helena with her head on her mother's lap in 1850

Moreover from a young age, Princess Alice showed a flair for nursing. It was Alice who's bedside manner got the royal family through the illnesses and deaths of her maternal grandmother and (nine months later) her father, when she was only 18 years old. Royal attendants and doctors alike were amazed by her composure, maturity and deftness as a hospice caregiver. For hours she played the piano for her granny and "dear papa," slept nearby and wrote letters they dictated, all the while comforting her distraught mother. It was to Alice (not Queen Victoria) that Prince Albert confided, he was dying. It was also Princess Alice who sent her older brother, Prince Albert Edward (Bertie), heir to the British throne, the telegram telling him to hurry home from school (in Cambridge) to see their father for the last time.

After Prince Albert's death on December 14, 1861, Alice was the strength that her mother, Queen Victoria, relied upon to face her overwhelming grief. A daunting undertaking at any age, Alice acted as her mother's console(r) and unofficial private secretary managing government and family matters.

At the time Alice was engaged to Louis of Hesse, her handsome, straightforward and good natured German prince. Fortunately, the marriage had already been sanctioned and arranged by Prince Albert (before his illness), taking place on July 1, 1862. But since Queen Victoria was wrapped up in grief, the event resembled more a funeral than a wedding. It was held in the dinning room at Osbourne House, not a church. Although Princess Alice was allowed to change into a white wedding gown, she had to wear black before and after the service, with the wedding party dressed in half-mourning. Without the usual fanfare, this significant day in the young royal's life was over by 4 PM. 

Louis, Alice with Victoria & Ella 1865

Princess Alice meet with several challenges in her new home. Unlike her sister, the Princess Royal Victoria who married Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia, life in Darmstadt, Hesse was more modest by royal standards. The newlyweds exhausted their savings to build a new palace. Running way over budget, it was "heavily subsidized by the British Queen, who harbored strong feelings about the proper settings for her children."* Meanwhile they lived in Darmstadt's "Old Quarter" in a house with thin walls pierced through by the noises of "carts rumbling along the cobbled streets,"* which Alice didn't mind. However, she acutely missed the cultural and intellectual stimulation of London.

Even so, the Princess made the most of her life in Hesse. She had a sensibility and drive to improve the lives of poor people in practical ways that made a difference. Considering her youth, it's mind-boggling to think of all her accomplishments, which still impact Germany today. 

Prince Louis, Princess Alice, Princess Marie (in Louis' arms), Ella, next to her father (Princess Elisabeth, later Grand Duchess of Russia), Alix (later Empress Alexandra of Russia), Victoria, next to her mother (grandmother of Philip), Prince Ernst and Princess Irene in May, 1875.

Alice devoted much of her time to bringing Florence Nightingale's procedures for military hospitals to Darmstadt during the Austro-Prussian War (1866). All the while, the Princess was pregnant with her 3rd daughter, Irene. Not only did she visit and roll bandages for wounded soldiers, her organization, the Princess Alice Women's Guild, ran the day-to-day operations of the state's field hospitals.

The Alice Hospital in Hesse-Darmstadt, which still exists, was named after the Princess. She also spearheaded better maternity care. 

Queen Victoria was alarmed by Alice's directness in medical subjects, especially in the area of gynecology. Biographers of mother and daughter cite an 1871 letter in which the Queen wrote to her newly married younger daughter, Princess Louise, warning her: "Don't let Alice pump you. Be very silent and cautious about your interior!"*

Left photo: Princess Alice with her older sister, Vicky, 1850; Right photo: Bertie, Helena (in the cart), Vicky, Affie, (baby) Louise held by their nurse, Mrs. Thurston and Alice (sitting in front of cart), 1848.

Queen Victoria loved, but was not as kind and motherly to her children as she sometimes should have been. At heart, Alice was a peacemaker, and yet the Princess' tendency to speak her mind, strained her relations with the Queen who did not like to be contradicted. When Alice breast feed baby Ella, herself, Victoria disapproved, naming a cow "Alice" after her daughter.* At first Alice objected to her sister, Helena's fiancé, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. He was an older, poor, Danish born German prince. Alice knew he was chosen primarily to keep Helena close to home. In response, Victoria called Alice "Mischief-Maker,"* claiming that she was, "the real devil in the family!"* After Alice understood the match was what Helena desired too, she supported the union, getting another family dissenter, Bertie's acceptance. Still the Queen's resentment lingered.

Princess Helena, Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria, Princess Alice, and Princess Louise, August, 1860

Princess Alice worked diligently to upgrade the health, education and everyday life of women in Darmstadt. She initiated programs to train nurses who could work in hospitals. The Princess was also interested in opening "technical, industrial and trade schools"* for women. The Alice Society paired women with teachers and commerce, which could pay them for their sewing and knitting, letting women earn income for their families. Alice often visited the homes of the impoverished in Hesse, as well as, English social agencies on visits home, whose methods she studied in order to develop similar hospitals, group homes and agencies to address social needs. Another interest was to provide a place where prostitutes could turn their lives around. "Prostitute" was not a word used by Victorians in polite society. Furthermore, entering the homes of the poor in the Grand Duke's Kingdom (often "unannounced and unrecognized with just a lady-in-waiting"*) was rare for a princess. And, sometimes criticized by high born tongues.

Left photo: Alice with Louis in uniform, mid 1860s; Right photo: Ella, Victoria, Alice holding Marie, Alix, Ernie and Irene, 1877 or 1878?

Throughout their marriage, Alice and Louis remained devoted to each other. Prince Louis was a good man, a caring husband and adored father. But due to different temperaments, Alice was not happy in later years. She felt lonely. Louis was accepting and easygoing, while Alice had her father's brain, passions and seriousness. 

Louis responded as best he could, and Alice came to realize she had to accept him for who he was. She wrote: 

"You were made for a smooth cheerful, happy life -- and so your wife must want that too. She can share your joys with you, and your worries too, but she may not or rather cannot, expect you to enter into hers ... my mistake is to forget that sometimes. I can share with you -- but you not with me."* Sadly, the spouses were not soul mates, despite there being much love and tenderness in the marriage.

Left photo: Alice with 2nd daughter Ella (1864); Right photo: Alice with son Ernst 1877 or 78

Another trait Alice shared with her father was taking on complicated responsibilities and feeling the effects of overwork resulting in fatigue and running herself down.

Alice's bedroom from where 2 year old Frittie and 4 year old Ernie played when tragedy struck. 

In 1877 Alice and Louis became the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse. By this time, 7 children had been born. Tragically, 2 children died young. Alice was a carrier of

Son Frittie, November, 1871

hemophilia B. One of her sons, 2 year old Frittie, died of the disease (in 1873) after a fall of 20 feet from a window in his mother's bedroom that a normal child would likely have survived. Then 5 years later in November, 1878, nearly everyone in the family came down with diphtheria. Their second daughter, Ella, escaped the illness and was sent away to her Hessian grandmother. For a month Alice nursed her family who had to convalesce in separate rooms. Their youngest child, 3 year old Marie, died on November 15 of the disease; however Alice kept the news from their young son, Ernst, for several weeks. When finally told of his youngest sister's death, the 10 year old boy was so upset, his mother let her guard down to comfort him with a hug and kiss. 

It was a kiss of death. For a few weeks Alice was fine, but on December 14, 1878, the same day Prince Albert had died 17 years earlier, Grand Duchess Alice succumbed to diphtheria. "Dear Papa" were the last words she spoke.

Queen Victoria in mourning with the Hesse family at Windsor Castle, 1879.

Transforming life in her new home for the better, Alice turned out to be her father's daughter. As Prince Albert left his mark on England, Alice mirrored him by leaving hers on Germany. She also died young at 35 years old.

It was desvasting news for the royal family, especially for brother, Bertie and his wife Alexandra, who came to the British throne after Queen Victoria in 1901. Likewise younger brother, Prince Leopold, had grown close to his sister.

The Hesses (+spouses) gather in 1894 for the wedding of Prince Ernst Ludwig of Hesse to Princess Victoria Melita, Affie's daughter 

Grand Duke Ernst of Hesse and by Rhine, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Princess Irene of Prussia, Prince Henry of Prussia, Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna of Russia, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, Princess Victoria of Battenberg, and Prince Louis of Battenberg

In later years two of Alice's daughters, Ella (known as Grand Duchess Elisabeth) and Alix (who became Empress Alexandra) married into the Romanov Royal family of Russia to be violently murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Son Ernst Ludwig became the Grand Duke of Hesse, after his father, reigning from 1892 until 1918. World War I ended his rule, though he was allowed to keep the family estate. The 3rd daughter, Irene of Hesse, married her first cousin, Henry of Prussia (Vicky's younger son and the brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II). Princess Irene was a hemophilia carrier also. Alice's oldest daughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse, married Prince Louis of Battenberg. They are the grandparents of Prince Philip the current Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, which makes the UK's Princes Charles, William and George direct descendents of both Princess Alice and King Edward VII (Bertie).

*Quotes from "Princess Alice" by Gerald Noel. (This is an out of print book. I bought it used on Amazon.) here
*Quotes from "Victoria's Daughters" by Jerrold M. Packward. here
*Quotes from a BBC documentary on the Letters of Victoria


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