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Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven. source: Wikipedia

Countess Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby was the wife of Prince George of Battenberg (later George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven). She was born in Cannes, France on March 28, 1896, the second daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia, a grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and Countess Sophie von Merenberg. As her parents’ marriage was morganatic, her father was stripped of his position at the Imperial Court and banished from Russia for the rest of his life. The morganatic marriage also meant that none of Mikhail’s styles or titles passed to his wife or their children. However, shortly after they married, Sophie’s uncle  Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg created Sophie Countess de Torby, a title that also passed down to Nadejda and her two siblings:

Nadejda (left), with her brother, sister, and father. source: Wikipedia

By the time she was four years old, Nadejda’s family had settled in England but they also spent part of the year at their villa in Cannes, France. The family became prominent members of British society and developed friendships with several members of the British Royal Family. Through these friendships, Nadejda met her future husband, Prince George of Battenberg.

George was the eldest son of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (later the 1st Marquess and Marchioness of Milford Haven). Prince Louis’ siblings included Princess Andreas of Greece, Queen Louise of Sweden, and Earl Mountbatten of Burma. His mother was the daughter of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Prince Alice of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria’s second daughter. Nadejda and George married at the Russian Embassy in London on November 15, 1916. They settled at Lynden Manor in Bray, Berkshire, and had two children:

When King George V asked his German relatives to relinquish their German titles in 1917, Nadejda and her husband became simply Mr. and Mrs. George Mountbatten. Several months later, when George’s father was created Marquess of Milford Haven, George assumed his father’s subsidiary title, Earl of Medina. It would only be another 4 years when George’s father died, and he and Nadejda became the 2nd Marquess and Marchioness of Milford Haven. In later years, Nadejda and her husband helped to raise George’s nephew, Prince Philippos of Greece , later The Duke of Edinburg, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

1934 saw Nadejda drawn into the international spotlight during the contentious custody trial of Gloria Vanderbilt. Nadejda was a close friend of the child’s mother  Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt and became part of the story when a former maid of Mrs. Vanderbilt suggested during testimony that her employer and the Marchioness were lovers. After publicly denouncing the allegations as “malicious, terrible lies”, Nadejda considered traveling to New York to testify on her friend’s behalf but was talked out of making the trip by King George V and Queen Mary.

However, one relative who did travel to testify in Mrs. Vanderbilt’s defense was Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who was married to Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, a niece of Nadejda’s husband. Gottfried had briefly been engaged to Mrs. Vanderbilt in the late 1920s and was called to testify on her behalf after scandalous allegations were made in court testimony about their prior relationship.

And here’s another interesting tidbit of information relating to Mrs. Vanderbilt. Her twin sister, Thelma, Viscountess Furness, was the mistress of The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII / Duke of Windsor) in the early 1930s. It was Thelma who introduced the Prince to her good friend, Wallis Simpson. The rest, as they say, is history!

Four years later, Nadejda was widowed when her husband succumbed to bone marrow cancer in 1938. Nada was very close to her sister-in-law, Edwina, and the two often traveled together.

Nada (center) with her son David and his fiancée, Romaine Pierce Simpson, photographed in October 1949. source: Zimbio

The Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven died in Cannes, France on January 22, 1963. She is buried beside her husband in the Bray Cemetery in Bray, Berkshire, England.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven. source: Wikipedia

George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven was born on December 6, 1892, at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. At the time of his birth, he was HSH Prince George Louis Victor Henry Serge of Battenberg, the third child and elder son of Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. George had three younger siblings:

George with his mother, Victoria. Credit – Wikipedia

A remarkably intelligent and clever child, George had his own workshop at his father’s Heiligenberg Castle. By the age of ten, he was designing and building precise working models of steam engines. He enjoyed complex math problems “for relaxation” and was recognized by his superiors at Dartmouth Naval College for being perhaps the most clever cadet the college had ever seen. During his time in the Royal Navy, he devised a system to provide air conditioning in his cabin and invented a device that would brew his morning tea, triggered by an alarm clock.

Wedding portrait of George and Nadejda

On November 15, 1916, at the Russian Embassy in London, England, George married Countess Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby. Nadjeda was born in Cannes on March 28, 1896, the younger daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia and Countess Sophie von Merenberg. Following their wedding, George and Nadejda settled at Lynden Manor, in Bray, Berkshire, and had two children:

  • Lady Tatiana Mountbatten (1917-1988) – unmarried, was mentally disabled, was placed in St. Andrew’s Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Northampton, England, where she spent the rest of her life.
  • David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven (1919-1970) – married (1) Romaine Pierce, no issue; (2) Janet Bryce, had issue

In 1917, King George V of the United Kingdom asked his relatives to relinquish their German royal titles. On July 14, 1917, the Battenbergs gave up their titles and styles and took on the surname Mountbatten. George, having previously been created a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, became Sir George Mountbatten. Four months later, on November 7, 1917, his father was created Marquess of Milford Haven, and George assumed the courtesy title Earl of Medina. Four years later, in 1921, when his father died, George became the 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven.

In the late 1920s, having lost most of his inheritance to German inflation and having a wife with very expensive tastes, George left the Royal Navy for a business career. He worked for a brokerage house before moving to the British Sperry Gyroscope Company, where he became chairman. He also served as director for several large companies, including Electrolux and Marks & Spencer.

In 1930, George became instrumental in the upbringing of his nephew Prince Philip of Greece. Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, suffered a breakdown that year, and his father, Prince Andreas of Greece, was more or less separated from the family, living with a mistress on the French Riviera. George became Philip’s primary guardian, serving as a surrogate father and arranging and financing Philip’s education.

In 1934, George and Nadejda were brought into the international spotlight during the custody battle for the young Gloria Vanderbilt in New York City. Allegations had been raised that Nadejda and Gloria’s mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, had been lovers. Nadejda traveled to New York to testify in the case, decrying the allegations as “malicious, terrible lies.”

In December 1937, George suffered a fall and broke his femur. A month later, when the injury did not appear to be healing, a further examination found that he was suffering from bone marrow cancer. Fearing that the diagnosis would cause him to decline quite quickly, the doctors chose to withhold it from him, in agreement with the family. George lingered for several months, finally losing his battle on April 8, 1938, in London, England. He is buried at the Bray Cemetery in Bray, Berkshire, England. George had accumulated a large collection of erotic art, which he left on permanent loan to the British Library. The library’s index describes the collection as “prospectuses and catalogs of erotic and obscene books, pictures and instruments, dating from 1889 to 1929. 81 parts. Collected by George Mountbatten.”

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Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, Princess of Hesse, Princess of Hanover

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Sophie of Greece and Denmark, Princess of Hesse, Princess of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the third daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Known in the family as “Tiny”, she was born on June 26, 1914, at Mon Repos on the isle of Corfu, Greece. She had four siblings:

Because of the unstable political situation in Greece, Sophie’s family spent several years living in Switzerland and later settled in France in the early 1920s. However, the family was soon pulled apart. Her mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized in 1930, and her father had given up on his marriage and spent most of his time with a mistress on the French Riviera. So it was no surprise when Sophie, at just 16 years old, became engaged to be married. She would be the first of the sisters to marry, but the others followed within the following year. On December 15, 1930, at Schloss Friedrichshof in Kronberg, Germany, Sophie married Prince Christoph of Hesse, in both Greek Orthodox and Lutheran ceremonies. He was the son of Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse and Princess Margarete of Prussia, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Sophie and Christoph were second cousins once removed through their mutual descent from Queen Victoria.

They had five children:

  • Princess Christina of Hesse (1933-2011) – married (1) Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia, had issue; (2) Robert van Eyck, had issue
  • Princess Dorothea of Hesse (born 1934) – married Prince Friedrich Karl of Windisch-Grätz, had issue
  • Prince Karl of Hesse (1937-2022) – married Countess Yvonne Szapáry von Muraszombath, Széchysziget and Szapár, had issue
  • Prince Rainer of Hesse (born 1939) – unmarried
  • Princess Clarissa of Hesse (born 1944) – married Jean-Claude Derrin (div), had issue

Sophie and Christoph lived in Berlin, Germany where he worked in an insurance company, as well as serving as a reserve officer in the Luftwaffe, the German air force. At the outbreak of World War II, Christoph entered active service, serving as a navigator in a bomb squadron, and later transferred to a fighter squadron in Tunisia and Sicily. In October 1943, Hitler recalled all the German princes from active service. Christoph was en route back to Germany when his plane crashed on October 7, 1943, and he was killed.

Meanwhile, Sophie and her five children had been living with her mother-in-law at Schloss Friedrichshof. She was also raising the four children of her brother-in-law Prince Philip of Hesse, who had been imprisoned in 1943. Forced to leave Friedrichshof when the American troops arrived, Sophie and her family moved to Schloss Wolfsgarten, home of the family of the former Grand Dukes of Hesse and by Rhine.

Sophie married a second time on April 23, 1946, in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Her husband was Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover, the son of Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick, a descendant of King George III through his son Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover and Duke of Cumberland, and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor. Sophie and Georg Wilhelm were second cousins. This marriage is the only known case where the British sovereign withheld permission to marry, under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. Although Germany and Britain were at war, the groom’s father still requested consent from King George VI. King George VI wished to let them know that it would be inappropriate to give his consent due to the war but the British government would not allow it. Therefore, the request went unanswered, meaning that the marriage was not recognized under British law.

Sophie and Georg had three children:

Throughout her life, Sophie was very close to her brother Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh. Although not invited to Philip’s wedding because of her German ties, Sophie and her husband paid a private visit shortly after the wedding, spending time with Philip and Queen Elizabeth II at Birkhall in Scotland. Six years later, Sophie, her surviving sisters, and their families were all in attendance for Elizabeth’s coronation. The families visited often, and Sophie was a regular guest at the Windsor Royal Horse Show each year, as well as most private family events. In 1964, she was named one of the godparents of Philip’s youngest son Prince Edward. In 1994, Sophie and Philip traveled to Jerusalem, where their mother was posthumously honored as Righteous Among the Nations for her efforts to help Jewish families during the war.

Sophie and Philip in Jerusalem, 1994.

In her later years, Sophie lived in Schliersee, near Munich, Germany with her husband. She also regularly visited Princess Margaret of Hesse and by Rhine (the wife of Prince Ludwig) who was among her closest friends. In the summer of 2001, with her health failing, Sophie moved to a nursing home in Munich, where she later died on November 24, 2001. She was buried in the cemetery in Schliersee, and a memorial service was held two months later at Schloss Wolfsgarten, attended by her brother The Duke of Edinburgh.

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Princess Cecilie of Greece, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Cecilie of Greece, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine – source: Wikipedia

Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark was born at Tatoi Palace in Greece on June 22, 1911. She was the third daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Cecilie had four siblings:

Cecilie with her husband and two sons, c1933. photo: personal collection

On February 2, 1931, in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany, Cecilie married her first cousin once removed, Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. He was the son of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his second wife Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.

Cecilie and Georg Donatus (known as Don) had three children:

  • Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (1931-1937)
  • Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (1933 -1937)
  • Princess Johanna of Hesse and by Rhine (1936 -1939)

Cecilie’s life came to a tragic end on November 16, 1937. A very pregnant Cecilie, her husband, their two sons, and her mother-in-law, were traveling by plane to London to attend the wedding of her husband’s brother Prince Ludwig and Margaret Geddes four days later. Facing bad weather, the plane was unable to land in Brussels, Belgium as scheduled and instead was diverted to Ostend, Belgium. While attempting to land, the plane clipped a chimney on a factory near the airport and then crashed leaving no survivors.

Having received the news, a private wedding ceremony was hastily arranged for Ludwig and Margaret the following day. They then traveled to Belgium to accompany the bodies back to Darmstadt. A funeral was held a few days later, attended by all of Cecilie’s family. Cecilie and her family were all buried in the burial ground adjacent to the Neues Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt, in Hesse, Germany

Ludwig and Margaret adopted Cecilie’s only surviving child Princess Johanna. Sadly, less than two years later, Johanna contracted meningitis and died. She was buried alongside the rest of her family.

Grave of Cecilie and her husband; Photo – www.findagrave.com

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Princess Theodora of Greece, Margravine of Baden

Princess Theodora of Greece, Margravine of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark was born on May 30, 1906, at Tatoi Palace in Greece, the second daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. She had four siblings:

Theodora with her sisters in 1922. (l-r) Margarita, Cecilie, Theodora, Sophie.

Raised primarily in Greece, Theodora and her family had to leave Greece several times due to the political unrest and repeated overthrow of the monarchy.  They spent several years living in Switzerland and later settled outside of Paris.  After her mother suffered a nervous breakdown in 1930, Theodora and her sisters were quickly married, all into former reigning German royal families.

On August 17, 1931, in Baden-Baden, Germany, Theodora married Berthold, Margrave of Baden, the son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden and Princess Marie Luise of Hanover. The couple was second cousins through their mutual descent from King Christian IX of Denmark. They took up residence at Schloss Salem in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Theodora and Berthold  had three children:

Theodora with her husband and two elder children, c1936. source: private collection

In her later years, Princess Theodora spent time with her children and grandchildren and occasionally visited England to see her brother Philip and his family.  At just 63 years old, she died in Büdingen in Hesse, Germany on October 16, 1969, just five weeks before the death of her mother. She was buried alongside her husband in the family cemetery in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

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Princess Margarita of Greece, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.; Photo –  Private Collection

Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark was born on April 18, 1905, at the Royal Palace in Athens, Greece. She was the eldest child of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg and was the first great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Margarita had four younger siblings:

 

During the years 1930 to 1931, Margarita and her three sisters married. Although she was the eldest, Margarita was the third to marry. Her groom was Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. He was the son of Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, a grandson of Queen Victoria’s half-sister Princess Feodora of Leiningen, and Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Margarita and Gottfried were second cousins once removed through their mutual descent from Queen Victoria, and third cousins through Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. They married in Langenburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on April 20, 1931, and had five children:

  • Prince Kraft, titular Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1935 – 2004), married (1) Princess Charlotte of Croÿ, had two daughters and one son, divorced  (2) Irma Pospesch, no children
  • Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1936 – 1997), unmarried
  • Prince Georg Andreas of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (born 1938), married Princess Luise of Schönburg-Waldenburg, had two daughters
  • Prince Rupprecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1944 – 1978), unmarried, twin of Albrecht
  • Prince Albrecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1944 – 1992), married Maria-Hildegard Fischer, had one son

In 1934, Margarita and her husband traveled to New York to testify in the famous custody battle for the young Gloria Vanderbilt. In the past, Gottfried had been in a romantic relationship with her mother, Mrs. Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, and during the custody hearing, a housemaid made some rather salacious allegations about the relationship between the two. Margarita also testified as a character witness for Mrs. Vanderbilt.

Although Margarita and her sisters were not invited to their brother Philip’s wedding due to the strong anti-German sentiment so soon after World War II, she and Philip remained close. In 1950, she was named one of the godparents of Philip’s daughter, Princess Anne. In 1953, Margarita, her surviving sisters, and their mother were prominent guests at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. On April 17, 2021, Margarita’s grandson Philipp, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Head of the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, was one of the thirty guests at the funeral of his great-uncle Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

After being widowed in 1960, Margarita maintained a quiet life in Langenburg, in the German state of  Baden-Württemberg. She visited her children and grandchildren and occasionally visits Philip and his family in the United Kingdom. At the age of 76, Princess Margarita died in Langenburg on April 24, 1981, and was buried beside her husband in the family cemetery.

Margarita’s grave; Photo – www.findagrave.com

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Prince Andreas of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Prince Andreas of Greece – Photo source: The Peerage

Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark (typically known as Andrew) was born February 2, 1882, in Athens, Greece, the son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. At his birth, he was fourth in line to the Greek throne behind his three brothers.  Andreas had seven siblings:

As a child, Andreas was considered more ‘Greek’ than most of his siblings, refusing to speak anything but Greek with his parents, despite also speaking several other languages. His education was mostly in military schools, leading to his joining the Greek forces at the age of 19.

Prince Andreas and Princess Alice, c1903.  source: Wikipedia

At the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom in August 1902, Andreas first met Princess Alice of Battenberg. She was the eldest daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (later the Marquess and Marchioness of Milford Haven). The couple married in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, in a civil ceremony on October 6, 1903, followed by both Lutheran and Greek Orthodox ceremonies. Over the next 18 years, they had five children:

Prince Andreas’ military service was often interrupted by the political turmoil in Greece. He resigned from the army following a coup d’état in 1909. He later returned in 1912 and found in the Balkan Wars. Following the abdication of his brother King Constantine I in 1917, Andreas went into exile along with most of the Greek royal family. Upon Constantine’s return to the throne in 1920, Andreas was reinstated in the Greek Army and saw service in the Greco-Turkish War. Following another coup d’état in 1922, Andreas was arrested and court-martialled. He was found guilty and faced possible death. Through the efforts of King George V of the United Kingdom, arrangements were made for Andreas to be spared, and with his family, he went into exile again. The family settled in Saint-Cloud, on the outskirts of Paris, France.

Prince Andrew and his family in 1928

Prince Andreas and his family in 1928; Credit – Wikipedia

Andreas spent the next several years defending his actions during his military service in Greece, even writing a book in 1930 – Towards Disaster: The Greek Army in Asia Minor in 1921.  By the early 1930s, Andreas had less and less contact with his family.  His wife Alice suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized, his four daughters had all married into former German royal families, and his son was attending school first in Germany and then in the United Kingdom.  Somewhat at a loss, having been forced into a life of retirement, Andreas moved to the French Riviera.  There, he enjoyed a life of leisure, spending much of his time living aboard the yacht of his mistress, Countess Andrée de La Bigne.

Andreas only returned to Greece once, in 1936, after Greece had reversed his exile, and restored assets to the Greek royal family.  The following year, tragedy brought the family together.  In November 1937, Andreas’s daughter Cecilie, along with her husband, two sons, and mother-in-law were killed in a plane crash in Belgium. Andreas attended the funeral in Darmstadt, Germany where he was reunited with his wife Alice and son Philip for the first time in six years.  However, the reunion was short-lived, and Prince Andreas soon returned to his life in France.

The onset of World War II ended the little contact Andreas had with his wife and children.  His wife had returned to Greece, his daughters, having married German princes, were all behind German lines, and his son was fighting for the British forces.  His hopes of once again seeing his children soon came to an end.  Prince Andreas died at the Metropole Hotel in Monte Carlo on December 3, 1944, at the age of 62.  It had been five years since he had seen his wife or son.  Prince Andreas was initially buried at the Russian Orthodox Church in Nice, France, and in 1946, his remains were reinterred in the royal cemetery at Tatoi Palace in Greece.

Grave of Prince Andreas; Photo: www,findagrave.com

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Princess Alice of Battenberg, Princess Andreas of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Princess Alice of Battenberg, Princess Andreas of Greece and Denmark; circa 1967

Princess Alice of Battenberg was the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was born HSH Princess Victoria Alice Elisabeth Julia Maria on February 25, 1885, in the Tapestry Room at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Her parents were Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg, later 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a grandchild of Queen Victoria.

Alice was the eldest child, with three younger siblings:

Alice was christened in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on April 25, 1885, with the following godparents:

As a child, Alice was diagnosed with congenital deafness and learned to lip-read in both English and German. Later, she also learned French and Greek. Her childhood was spent in Darmstadt and Jugenheim, both in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, as well as London, England, and Malta where her father was stationed. The family was very close to their British relatives, and Alice served as a bridesmaid at the 1893 wedding of the future King George V of the United Kingdom and Princess Mary of Teck. Alice’s family was also very close to their Russian relatives. Her aunt was Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, the former Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, and the families often spent holidays together in Darmstadt.

At the 1902 coronation of her great-uncle, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Alice met Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark. They quickly fell in love and were married in a civil ceremony in Darmstadt on October 6, 1903. The following day, two religious ceremonies were held, one Lutheran and one Greek Orthodox. Their wedding was one of the last large gatherings of European royals before World War I. The couple settled into a wing of the Royal Palace in Athens, Greece, and had five children:

While Andreas pursued his military career, Alice raised her family and became involved in charity work in Greece. However, the political situation in Greece was often tenuous, and the family was forced into exile several times. They lived in Switzerland for several years before King Constantine II was restored to the Greek throne in 1920. Their return to Greece was short-lived. In 1922, King Constantine II was forced to abdicate and Prince Andreas was arrested and charged with treason. He was court-martialed and convicted and would have probably been executed had it not been for the intervention of Alice’s cousin, King George V of the United Kingdom. King George sent a British cruiser HMS Calypso to take Andreas, Alice, and their children into exile.

The family settled in Saint-Cloud, outside of Paris, France in a small house owned by Andreas’s sister-in-law Princess George of Greece (the former Marie Bonaparte). Alice worked in a charity shop for Greek refugees and became very religious. On October 20, 1928, she very quietly converted to the Greek Orthodox Church. Soon, Alice began to show signs of mental illness. In 1930, following a nervous breakdown, Princess Alice was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. She was institutionalized in a sanatorium in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, under the care of Dr. Ludwig Binswanger. After two years in Kreuzlingen and a brief stay at a clinic in Merano, Italy, she was released. It would be another four years before she had contact with her children, having only maintained ties with her mother.

During her absence, all four of her daughters had married and begun their own families. Sadly, it was a tragic event that brought Alice back into contact with her children. On November 16, 1937, Alice’s daughter Cecilie, along with her husband, two children, and mother-in-law were killed in a plane crash in Belgium. Alice attended the funeral in Darmstadt, reconnecting with her surviving children, and meeting her husband for the first time in six years.

In 1938, Alice returned to Greece, continuing her work with the poor. Along with her sister-in-law Princess Nicholas of Greece (the former Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia), Alice worked with the Red Cross during World War II to organize shelters and nurses in the poor neighborhoods of Athens. Alice and Elena had been the only two members of the Greek Royal Family to remain in the country, while the rest had gone into exile in South Africa. In 1943, after the German Army occupied Athens, and while most Jews were being deported to concentration camps, Alice hid a Jewish widow Rachel Cohen and two of her children in her home. Thirty years earlier, Mrs. Cohen’s husband had come to the aid of King George I of Greece, and the King had offered to someday repay him if there was ever anything he could do for him. Mrs. Cohen remembered this promise and reached out to Princess Alice. Alice, who saw both the opportunity to repay the debt and help save their lives, took the family in, risking her own life in doing so. The following year, she was widowed when Prince Andreas died in Monte Carlo. The two had not seen each other since 1939.

In November 1947, Alice returned to the United Kingdom for her son’s wedding. Some of her jewels were used to create Elizabeth’s engagement ring and a bracelet that Philip designed for her as a wedding gift. On November 20, 1947, Alice attended the wedding, although none of her daughters had been invited due to their marriages to Germans, and the still-strong anti-German sentiment after the war. In the group photo from the wedding above, Princess Alice is seen in the front row on the left, standing next to Queen Mary. Alice’s mother, the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven is seen on the far right, next to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Just over a year later, Princess Alice founded a nursing order of nuns, the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary. She established a home for the order just north of Athens and trained on the Greek island of Tinos. Alice made two tours of the United States to raise funds to support the order. Many people were perplexed by this venture, none more so than Alice’s mother, the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, who reportedly said: “What can you say of a nun who smokes and plays canasta?” Unfortunately, the order did not last very long, due to a limited number of applicants. However, Alice continued her work supporting those in need and dressed as a nun for the rest of her life.

Alice leading her family’s procession at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, June 1953

On June 2, 1953, Princess Alice attended the coronation of her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey in London. Wearing a gown designed to look like a nun’s habit, she led the formal procession of Philip’s family, including his three surviving sisters and his uncle Prince George of Greece.

photo: Hello!

Alice remained in Greece, working to help the poor and those in need. However, as the political situation worsened, and with her children’s growing concern for her safety, it soon became obvious that she would need to leave the country she had grown to love so much since first arriving in 1903. She left Greece in 1967 following the Colonels’ Coup and was invited by her son and daughter-in-law to live at Buckingham Palace in London, England. She died there on December 5, 1969, at the age of 84. Following her funeral, her remains were placed in the Royal Crypt at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. Alice had previously expressed her wish to be buried near her aunt Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia, born Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, at the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. On August 3, 1988, nearly 19 years after her death, her remains were moved to Jerusalem and placed in a crypt below the church.

On October 31, 1994, Princess Alice was posthumously recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for her sheltering of persecuted Jews during World War II. In 2010, she was named a Hero of the Holocaust by the British Government.

King Charles III visiting his grandmother’s tomb in September 2016. photo: Clarence House/PA

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Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz: The Duchy of Mecklenburg was divided and partitioned a number of times over the centuries.  In 1701, the last division created the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz as grand duchies. Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz became the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

On, February 23, 1918, Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI of Mecklenburg-Schwerin died by suicide. The heir presumptive was serving with the Russian military and had made it known that he wished to renounce his rights of succession. Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, served as Regent for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The regency lasted only nine months, as on November 14, 1918, Friedrich Franz IV was forced to abdicate as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as well as the Regent of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Today the territory encompassing the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz is in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

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source: Wikipedia

Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – source: Wikipedia

Adolf Friedrich VI was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was born on June 17, 1882 in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, the elder son of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt.

Adolf Friedrich had three siblings:

At his christening on July 19, 1882, he was given the names Adolf Friedrich Georg Ernst Albert Eduard. He had twelve godparents:

Adolf Friedrich was educated privately at home, and tutored for several years by the Protestant theologian Carl Horn.  He then attended the Vitzthum-Gymnasium in Dresden with his relative and close friend Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1902, Adolf Friedrich moved to Munich to study law.

During this time, he was made a Lieutenant in the Prussian Army’s Grand Ducal Mecklenburg Grenadier Regiment No. 89.  However, his active military career did not begin until after he had finished his studies when he joined the Prussian Army’s 1st Uhlan Guards Regiment in Potsdam.  Two years later, he became Hereditary Grand Duke upon his grandfather’s death and his father’s accession to the grand ducal throne.

Hereditary Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich, c1909. source: Wikipedia

Hereditary Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich, c1909. source: Wikipedia

In 1911, Adolf Friedrich resigned his army commission and returned to Neustrelitz to prepare for his future role.  He spent several summers living in the United Kingdom, having developed a strong love for the country, likely influenced by his grandmother, who was born Princess Augusta of Cambridge, and was a granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom.  Adolf Friedrich took every opportunity to visit the United Kingdom. He often represented his father and grandfather at official functions, including the funerals of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, and the coronations of King Edward VII and King George V.

Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI, c1912. source: Wikipedia

Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI, c1912. source: Wikipedia

Upon his father’s death in June 1914, he became the reigning Grand Duke as Adolf Friedrich VI. He had little time to adjust to his role as World War I was breaking out in Europe.  He was given a commission as a colonel on the staff of the German 17th Division and served on the Western front through much of the war.  In 1917, he was promoted to Major General.

After years of being linked to various princesses throughout Europe including Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Patricia of Connaught, and Mary, Princess Royal, Adolf Friedrich’s close friend, Princess Daisy of Pless, set out to find him a bride.  Soon it was settled that he would marry Princess Beninga Reuss of Köstritz, and negotiations began.  However, a scandal brewing that needed to be dealt with first.  Years earlier, when based in Potsdam, Adolf Friedrich had a relationship with a woman named Margit Höllrigl.  Allegedly, he had proposed to her so that he could renounce his succession rights in favor of his younger brother.  But his brother had since died, and he attempted to pay off Höllrigl to release him from any obligation of marriage. Höllrigl, however, had other plans.  She claimed to have correspondence that linked Adolf Friedrich to “certain homosexual circles” and threatened to release them to the public unless he gave in to her demands for more money.

With World War I still raging, and the possibility of these letters being made public, Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI left his home in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, on the evening of February 23, 1918, to take his dog for a walk. The following morning, his body was found in a nearby canal with a gunshot wound to his head. He left behind a suicide note suggesting that a woman was attempting to smear his name. However, his close friend Princess Daisy of Pless suggested that he had developed severe depression over the war and the loss of his beloved grandmother.

In his will, he had requested that Duke Christian Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the son of his good friend Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV, become the new Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The heir presumptive Duke Carl Michael of Mecklenburg lived in Russia and had previously indicated that he wished to renounce his rights to the grand ducal throne. However, before the matter could be resolved, Germany became a republic and the various German sovereigns lost their thrones.

The Tomb of Adolf Friedrich VI Von Niteshift (talk) - Eigenes Werk (photo), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9970644

Tomb of Adolf Friedrich VI Von Niteshift – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9970644

Following his funeral, Adolf Friedrich VI was buried on Love Island, a small island off Castle Island in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.  Castle Island is the site of the Grand Ducal Palace and the Johanniterkirche, the traditional burial place of the Mecklenburg-Strelitz grand ducal family.

Below are some suicide prevention resources.

In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. Anyone in the United States can text or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to reach trained counselors who can help them cope with a mental health emergency. National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention is also a United States resource.

Other countries also have similar resources. Please check the resources below.

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Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Elisabeth of Anhalt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

source: Wikipedia

Elisabeth of Anhalt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz source: Wikipedia

Princess Elisabeth Marie Friederike Amalie Agnes of Anhalt was born on September 7, 1857, at the Wörlitz Palace near Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, to Hereditary Prince Friedrich of Anhalt (later Duke Friedrich I of Anhalt) and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. She had five siblings:

Elisabeth’s christening was held on October 1, 1857, at the Wörlitz Church. She had the following godparents:

Her childhood was spent at the Hereditary Princely Palace in Dessau and the Wörlitz Palace, where she was educated privately by the family’s tutor and her governess. In 1871, her father succeeded as reigning Duke of Anhalt, and the family moved to the Residence Palace in Dessau.

Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. source: Wikipedia

Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz source: Wikipedia

Several years later, in 1876, she first met her future husband, the future Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was the son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. The two were second cousins once removed through their mutual descent from Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They met again later that year when Adolf Friedrich was visiting some mutual relatives, and they became engaged on December 29, 1876. They married at the Dessau Palace in the Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, on April 17, 1877, and had four children:

Quickly adapting to her role as Hereditary Grand Duchess, Elisabeth found a great ally in her mother-in-law, with whom she shared many interests. The two often hosted musical concerts and promoted numerous artists and musicians. She used her public profile to bring attention to causes that were important to her, including nature and flowers, becoming an honorary member of the Association for the Protection of Birds. After becoming Grand Duchess in 1904 following her father-in-law’s death, Elisabeth continued to support her causes while taking on a much more public role. Following the death of her youngest son in 1910, she established the Duke Karl Borwin Memorial Home in Neustrelitz, to provide a home for orphans and children in need.

Following her husband’s death in 1914, she remained the first lady of Mecklenburg-Strelitz during the reign of her unmarried son and became very active with the Red Cross during World War I. Following the abolition of the monarchy in 1918, Elisabeth remained in Neustrelitz, taking up residence in the Park House which she had inherited earlier that year from her son. After the new government took over Neustrelitz Palace, Elisabeth continued to fight for compensation for the loss of the family’s property. Remaining active right up until her death, Elisabeth remained in Neustrelitz, often hosting visits from her daughters and grandchildren, and staying in close contact with relatives throughout Europe. Her last public appearance was on July 19, 1933, when she attended a ceremony at the Hohenziertz Palace commemorating the death of Queen Luise of Prussia, who had been born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The following day, on July 20, 1933, Grand Duchess Elisabeth died in Neustrelitz, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Following her funeral, her remains were placed in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, alongside her husband and sons.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty