Prince Sigismund of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Sigismund of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

The first grandchild of Queen Victoria to die, Prince Sigismund of Prussia (Franz Friedrich Sigismund) was born on September 15, 1864, at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany. He was the fourth of the eight children of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal.

Sigismund had seven siblings:

Sigismund’s mother, known in the family as Vicky, felt a special closeness to her fourth child. Vicky’s first three children had difficulties, and she had always felt more intimate with her five younger children. The first three children were not allowed to be breastfed by their mother. On orders from their paternal grandmother Queen Augusta, they were fed by wet nurses. By the time Vicky had her fourth child, she had enough self-confidence to defy her mother-in-law and breastfeed Sigismund. Perhaps it was the experience of breastfeeding Sigismund that fostered that special closeness.

Two months after Sigismund’s birth, Vicky wrote to one of her mother’s ladies-in-waiting, “My little darling has grown so fat! He has not had a single ache or pain…and sleeps like a top. I cannot say how happy I am with him and what a delight nursing is. I really think that I have never been so happy, and I certainly never loved one of the others so much…” As Sigismund became a toddler, Vicky thought him much cleverer and more intelligent than his three elder siblings and believed he would have great potential in the future.

On June 4, 1866, Vicky’s husband Fritz was on his way to the front of the Austro-Prussian War.  Even before his father left, Sigismund had been fretful, thought to be caused by teething. However, the day after Fritz left, Sigismund was unable to eat or sleep. Twenty-four hours later, he could no longer stand. Because all the doctors normally used by the family had left with the army, Vicky was forced to consult doctors unknown to her who gave her the terrible news that her son had meningitis. At that time, there was no successful treatment for meningitis, and death usually occurred. Sigismund’s convulsions grew increasingly worse until he died in agony on June 18, 1866, only 21 months old. Vicky wrote to her mother Queen Victoria, “Oh to see it suffer so cruelly, to see it die and hear its last piteous cry was an agony I cannot describe, it haunts me night and day!”

Vicky was without her husband to comfort her, and her mother-in-law Queen Augusta personally went to the front to tell Fritz. Fritz’s father gave him permission to come home for the funeral, but Fritz declined. He said, “I am in the service of the fatherland. I would never forgive myself if we were attacked when I was absent from my post.” Understandably, Vicky did not comprehend this and wrote to her husband, “In you, of course, the soldier is uppermost.”

Vicky prepared a small room in the Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, with carpets, cushions, pictures, and flowers to receive the tiny coffin. In great shock, Vicky was the only one who attended Sigismund’s funeral who did not cry.

After Sigismund’s father died in 1888, the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum was added to the Friedenskirche, and Sigismund and his brother Waldemar, who died of diphtheria when he was eleven years old, were re-interred there. German sculptor Reinhold Begas was commissioned to make their marble tombs.

Tomb of Prince Sigismund; Credit – Wikipedia

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Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, Princess of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, Princess of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine was the third daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine. She is often overlooked, as history tends to focus on two of her sisters – Ella and Alix – who both married into the Russian Imperial Family and tragically lost their lives at the hands of the Bolsheviks in 1918. Irene’s obscurity would likely be satisfying to the Princess, who much preferred living her life out of the spotlight. She was born Princess Irene Luise Maria Anna on July 11, 1866, at the New Palace in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, and had six siblings:

Irene was just 12 years old in 1878 when her mother died, following an outbreak of diphtheria in the family which also took the life of her youngest sister, May. Much of the next years were spent, along with her sisters, under the supervision of their grandmother, Queen Victoria. The Queen had taken a particular interest in the children following Alice’s death, overseeing almost every aspect of their lives. Soon, following the marriages of her two elder sisters in 1884, Irene became the eldest daughter living at home and became her father’s companion and often served as hostess for his official events.

Wedding of Irene and Heinrich, 1888. photo: Wikipedia

On May 24, 1888, in the chapel of Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, Irene married her first cousin, Prince Heinrich of Prussia. He was the second son of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia, and Victoria, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom. Like her own mother, Irene was a carrier of hemophilia and passed it to two of her sons. They were two of the nine descendants of Queen Victoria who suffered from the disease. Read more here — Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants.

The couple had three sons:

  • Waldemar (1889-1945) – married Princess Calixta of Lippe-Biesterfeld, no issue; a hemophiliac who died at age 56 in Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany  due to lack of blood transfusion facilities as the Russians and Americans advanced on Germany at the very end of World War II
  • Sigismund (1896-1978) – married Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg, had issue
  • Heinrich (1900-1904) – hemophiliac, died at age 4 from a brain hemorrhage due to a fall

Prince Henry with his wife, Princess Irene, and their two surviving sons Waldemar and Sigismund; Credit – Wikipedia

Irene and her husband gained the nickname “The Very Amiables” because of their quiet, unassuming manner. Perfectly happy to stay home and enjoy their family, they were the least royal of the Prussian royals of the time. Heinrich’s primary focus was his military career, and Irene’s was raising her family. In 1894, they bought Hemmelmark, an estate in Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Germany, as it was close to Heinrich’s military base in Kiel. Hemmelmark would become the family’s primary home, with occasional stays in Potsdam and Berlin when royal duty called.

The Hesse siblings with their spouses gathered in Darmstadt in 1903 for the wedding of Princess Alice of Battenberg. L-R: Ernie, Alix, Nicholas II, Irene, Heinrich, Ella, Serge, Victoria, and Louis

Irene remained very close to her siblings. Irene and her sister Victoria often traveled to Russia to visit their sisters Ella and Alix, and back to Darmstadt to visit their brother Ernie. The families gathered for vacations in Hesse, often staying at Schloss Wolfsgarten.

Irene and her sisters were separated during World War I, with the others being on opposite sides and, for the most part, unable to communicate with each other. It would not be until the end of the war that Irene learned of the murders of her sisters Ella and Alix, as well as Alix’s whole family. Meanwhile, in Prussia, her brother-in-law (and first cousin) Kaiser Wilhelm II, was forced to abdicate, ending the Prussian monarchy. While Wilhelm was banished from the country, Irene and Heinrich could remain and lived the remainder of their days at Hemmelmark.

In 1920, Irene met with Anna Anderson, who claimed to be her niece, Grand Duchess Anastasia. Although Irene held hope that one of her nieces had survived the family’s execution, she quickly found Anderson to be a fake. It was a subject that caused great stress to Irene, with her husband banning Anderson’s name from being brought up in his wife’s presence. Some years later, Irene’s son would pose some questions to Anderson about their childhood and found that Anderson answered them all to his satisfaction. Many years later, Anderson’s claim was proven false thanks to DNA evidence.

Following her husband’s death in 1929, Irene continued to live at Hemmelmark. More losses would come in the following years. Her brother Ernie died in 1937, followed just weeks later by the horrific plane crash that took the lives of Ernie’s widow, his elder son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons. Then, World War II broke out, once again separating Irene from her only remaining sibling, her sister Victoria.

Following the war, and her sister’s death in 1950, Irene spent her remaining years quietly, often in the company of her granddaughter Princess Barbara of Prussia. On November 11, 1953, Princess Irene passed away at Hemmelmark with Barbara by her side. She was buried beside her husband and youngest son in the chapel on the grounds of Hemmelmark.

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Prince Heinrich of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Heinrich of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Heinrich of Prussia (Albert Wilhelm Heinrich) was Grand Admiral of the German Imperial Navy, a brother of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, and a grandson of Queen Victoria. Heinrich (Albert Wilhelm Heinrich) was born on August 14, 1862, at the Kronprinzenpalais (Crown Prince’s Palace) in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. He was the third of the eight children of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal, the eldest child of Queen Victoria.

Heinrich had seven siblings:

Heinrich’s family; Credit – Wikipedia

As a baby, Heinrich was fretful, and as a toddler, he was unsteady on his legs, crying to be carried around, or just plain crying. When Heinrich was 3 1/2 years old, his mother sent him off to England to spend the winter with his grandmother, Queen Victoria, and sent this warning, “You do not know how much trouble we have had with Henry…He never spoke the truth, roared by hours together if the least thing was refused him…bit, kicked and scratched the maids if they did not instantly do what he chose…”

Five-year-old Heinrich started his lessons with Georg Hinzpeter, who was already the tutor of Heinrich’s elder brother Wilhelm. Hinzpeter complained that Heinrich was “very backward and slow.” When Heinrich was eleven years old, his mother wrote to Queen Victoria, ” Henry is so awfully backward in every thing…is hopelessly lazy, drole, and idle about his lessons – but such a good natured boy – everyone likes him…” Eventually, it was decided that the best thing for Heinrich was to put him in the navy.

In 1877, at the age of 15, Heinrich entered the German Imperial Navy.  His training included a two-year voyage around the world (1878 to 1880), the naval officer examination (Seeoffizierhauptprüfung) in October 1880, and attendance at the German Imperial Naval Academy (1884 to 1886).

Heinrich held various commands:

In 1899, Heinrich became Commander of the East Asia Squadron, and in 1903, he returned to Germany as the Commander of the Baltic Sea Naval Station. From 1906 to 1909, Henry was Commander of the High Seas Fleet. He was promoted to Grand Admiral (Großadmiral) in 1909, the highest rank in the German Imperial Navy.

On May 24, 1888, Heinrich married his first cousin, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, at the chapel in Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. Irene was the daughter of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria’s second eldest daughter. At the time of the wedding, Heinrich’s father and Irene’s uncle by marriage, Friedrich III, German Emperor (known as Fritz), was suffering from cancer of the larynx and would die in less than a month. To honor his son, Fritz wore one of his full-dress uniforms with the Hessian Order and the Order of the Garter Star, entered the chapel leaning heavily on a cane, and although pale and thin, looked quite dignified. He can be seen in the photo below next to his wife, who is to the right of the minister. Among other guests were the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) who was the uncle of both the bride and groom, Grand Duke Serge Alexandrovich of Russia and his wife Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna (born Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, sister of the bride), and Prince and Princess Louis of Battenberg (the princess was born Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, sister of the bride).

Wedding of Heinrich and Irene; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Unfortunately, Irene was a hemophilia carrier, having inherited the gene from her mother, Princess Alice, who had inherited it from her mother, Queen Victoria. Nine of Queen Victoria’s descendants were afflicted with hemophilia, including two of  Heinrich and Irene’s three sons.
Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants

  • Prince Waldemar (1889 – 1945) married Princess Calixta of Lippe-Biesterfeld, no issue; a hemophiliac who died at age 56 in Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany, due to lack of blood transfusion facilities as the Russians and Americans advanced on Germany at the very end of World War II
  • Prince Sigismund (1896 – 1978) married Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg, had one son and one daughter
  • Prince Heinrich (1900 – 1904), a hemophiliac, died at age 4 from a brain hemorrhage due to a fall

Prince Henry with his wife, Princess Irene, and their two surviving sons, Waldemar and Sigismund; Credit – Wikipedia

At the beginning of World War I, Heinrich was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Baltic Fleet. He was charged with preventing the Russian Navy from attacking the German coast and was successful. At the end of World War I, and with the abdication of his brother, Wilhelm, German Emperor and King of Prussia, Heinrich left the navy.

 

After the dissolution of the German monarchies, Heinrich and his family lived at Hemmelmark, an estate in Eckernförde in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Heinrich bought the estate in 1894 because it was near his residence in the naval port city of Kiel. He continued participating in motorsports and sailing and was successful in sailing regattas even in his old age. Heinrich popularized the Prinz-Heinrich-Mütze (“Prince Henry cap”), still worn by some sailors.

Hemmelmark; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Heinrich died of throat cancer at the age of 66, at his home Hemmelmark on April 20, 1929. He was buried in a Russian-style chapel surrounded by trees, built on a field at Hemmelmark. Princess Irene died in 1953 at the age of 87 and was interred with her husband.

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Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, Credit: Wikipedia

Grand Duke Sergei “Serge” Alexandrovich of Russia was the husband of Princess Elisabeth “Ella” of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. He was born on May 11, 1857, at the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia, the son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine.

Sergei had seven siblings:

Serge (left) with his mother and brother Paul; Credit – Wikipedia

From an early age, Serge exhibited a passion for languages, music, and the arts, and his early studies focused strongly on these areas. However, he was destined for a career in the Russian military. Following his education, he took the oath of allegiance to the Emperor on his 20th birthday and served in the Imperial Guard during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. He continued his military service and traveled around the world representing his father. In June 1880, his mother died of tuberculosis while he was on a trip to Italy, and the following March, his father was assassinated. His elder brother, to whom he was very close, became Emperor Alexander III.

In June 1881, Grand Duke Serge, along with his younger brother Paul, traveled to Palestine and Jerusalem, where he established and served as president of  The Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, an organization devoted to the preservation and upkeep of the Orthodox shrines, as well as providing services to the Russian pilgrims who visited the lands. This is one of the projects that gave him the most pleasure and satisfaction, and that he held very dearly for the remainder of his life. The following year, his brother appointed him to the Preobrazhensky Life Guard Regiment, the most senior military group in the Russian forces. Serge eventually reached the rank of Colonel and served as regiment commander until 1891.

Sergei with his wife Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit –  Wikipedia

Serge was enamored with his first cousin once removed, Princess Elisabeth “Ella” of Hesse and by Rhine. Ella was the daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the second daughter of Queen Victoria. They were both descended from Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine, and often saw each other at family gatherings. Queen Victoria was strongly against the marriage, primarily due to her strong distaste for all things Russian. Despite the misgivings of the two families, Serge was intent on making Elisabeth his bride. In 1883, during a visit to Wolfsgarten, Serge proposed, and Ella accepted. The engagement was announced publicly the following February when Serge was again visiting Darmstadt.

The couple married on June 15, 1884, at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ella had not yet converted to Orthodoxy, so there were two ceremonies, one Lutheran and one Russian Orthodox. The wedding was attended by many royals from around Europe, with the noticeable exception of Queen Victoria. Instead, she was represented by two of her sons, The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (Serge’s brother-in-law). Following the wedding, the couple spent their honeymoon at Ilinskoye, Serge’s country estate outside of Moscow, and then settled at the Sergeivsky Palace in St. Petersburg. In addition to these two homes, they also had a home on the grounds of Peterhof and a house on the bank of the Moskva River. Serge and Ella did not have any children of their own. However, they later took in Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the younger) and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, the children of Grand Duke Paul, Serge’s brother.  The children’s mother had died in 1891, and they spent much time with Serge and Ella. In 1902, when Paul entered into a morganatic marriage and was banished from Russia, he was not permitted to take the children, and they were formally put under the guardianship of Serge and Ella.

The couple was very close to Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna and often represented them at royal events elsewhere in the world. In 1887, they represented the Emperor at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, and the following year attended the consecration of the church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, which was built in memory of their mother, the late Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

Serge, 1892. photo: Wikipedia

In 1891, Emperor Alexander III appointed Serge Governor-General of Moscow, and in the following years, he was appointed to the Imperial State Council and made Commander of the Moscow military district. When Emperor Alexander III died in 1894, he was succeeded by his son, Emperor Nicholas II. As Governor-General, Serge was responsible for major activities and events in Moscow, including the 1896 Coronation of his nephew, Emperor Nicholas II. As part of the events surrounding the coronation, a large event was held at the Khodynka Field just outside of Moscow. Unprepared for such a large number of people and with minimal police presence, over 1,300 people were killed when the crowds surged forward, hoping to come closer to the activities. Serge, as Governor-General, bore the ultimate responsibility for the tragedy but refused to accept blame, instead passing it on to others.

Over the next years, Serge would eventually become disenchanted with the policies and decisions of his nephew. Finally, after massive losses in the Russo-Japanese War, Serge resigned as Governor-General of Moscow on January 1, 1905.

Having been targeted by assassins, as were most of the Imperial family, Serge moved to the Nicholas Palace within the walls of the Kremlin. Often more concerned with others’ safety than his own, he began to travel without any of his aides. It was on one of these outings, with just his carriage driver, that his life would come to a tragic end.

The remains of the carriage in which Serge was killed; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 17, 1905, Grand Duke Serge left the Nicholas Palace in his carriage, en route to the Governor General’s mansion, where he was in the process of clearing out his office. He had just come through one of the gate towers when an assassin threw a nitroglycerin bomb into the carriage from just a few feet away. The bomb landed in Serge’s lap and exploded. The Grand Duke was killed instantly, his body literally blown to pieces. The assassin Ivan Kalyayev, injured in the attack, was promptly arrested and later executed. Serge’s wife, having heard the blast from the Nicholas Palace, rushed to the scene and began to gather what was left of Serge’s body.

Serge was buried in a crypt at the Chudov Monastery within the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. The monastery had been demolished in 1928, and it was not until 1990 that Serge’s grave was discovered. In 1995, his remains were exhumed and reburied in a crypt at the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow, Russia.

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.

Bibliography of Royal Biographies: Queen Victoria and Family

The Family of Queen Victoria in 1887 by Laurits Regner Tuxen; Credit – The Royal Collection Trust

We have used many of the books below from our own personal libraries as resources in our articles about Queen Victoria and her family.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

General

  • Ask Sir James – Michaela Reid (about Sir James Reid, Queen Victoria’s personal physician)
  • Childhood At Court, 1819-1914 – John Van der Kiste
  • Grandmama of Europe: The Crowned Descendants of Queen Victoria – Theo Aronson
  • Life at the Court of Queen Victoria – Barry St. John-Nevill
  • Purple Secret – Genes, Madness and the Royal Houses of Europe – John C.G. Rohl, Martin Warren, and David Hunt
  • Queen Victoria’s Descendants – Marlene A. Eilers
  • Queen Victoria’s Family: A Century of Photographs – Charlotte Zeepvat
  • Queen Victoria’s Gene: Hemophilia and the Royal Family – D.M. Potts
  • Queen Victoria’s Jubilees: 1887 and 1897 – Caroline Chapman
  • Serving Victoria: Life in the Royal Household – Kate Hubbard

Biographies of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

  • Becoming Queen Victoria: The Unexpected Rise of Britain’s Greatest Monarch – Kate Williams
  • Dear Papa, Beloved Mama: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as Parents – Christina Croft
  • Farewell to Splendor: The Passing of Queen Victoria – Jerrold Packard
  • Her Little Majesty – Carolly Erickson
  • Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy – A. N. Wilson
  • Queen Victoria – Walter L. Arnstein
  • Queen Victoria: A Life of Contradictions – Matthew Dennison
  • Queen Victoria: A Personal History – Christopher Hibbert
  • Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life (US edition)/Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow (UK edition) – Lucy Worsley
  • Queen Victoria’s Highland Journals – Queen Victoria, edited by David Duff
  • Queen Victoria’s Secrets – Adrienne Munich
  • Shooting Victoria – Paul Thomas Murphy
  • Twilight of Splendor: The Court of Queen Victoria During Her Diamond Jubilee Year – Greg King
  • Uncrowned King: The Life of Prince Albert -Stanley Weintraub
  • Victoria: A Life – A. N. Wilson
  • Victoria R.I. – Elizabeth Longford
  • Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire – Julia Baird
  • We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners and Rivals – Gillian Gill

Quee Victoria’s Children

General

  • Queen Victoria’s Children – John Van der Kiste
  • Victoria’s Daughters – Jerrold M. Packard

Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress

  • A Mere Passing Shadow: The Tragedy of Frederick III, German Emperor – John Van der Kiste
  • An Uncommon Woman – Hannah Pakula
  • Beloved and Darling Child – edited by Agatha Ramm (letters of Queen Victoria and her daughter Victoria)
  • Dearest Vicky, Darling Fritz: The Tragic Love Story of Queen Victoria’s Eldest Daughter and the German Emperor – John Van der Kiste

King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

  • Edward and Alexandra: Their Private and Public Lives – Richard Alexander Hough
  • Edward VII: The Last Victorian King – Christopher Hibbert
  • King Edward VII – Philip Magnus
  • Queen Alexandra – Georgina Battiscombe
  • The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, The Playboy Prince – Jane Ridley
  • The Marlborough Set – Anita Leslie

Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse of Hesse and by Rhine

  • Alice, The Enigma – A Biography of Queen Victoria’s Daughter – Christina Croft
  • Alice: Biographical Sketch and Letters – Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine
  • Princess Alice: Queen Victoria’s Forgotten Daughter – Gerard Noel

Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

  • Dearest Affie: Alfred, Queen Victoria’s Second Son – John Van Der Kiste

Princess Helena, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein

  • Helena: A  Princess Reclaimed – S. Chomet
  • Helena: Queen Victoria’s Third Daughter – John Van der Kiste and Bee Jordaan

Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll

  • Darling Loosy: Letters to Princess Louise (1856-1939) – Elizabeth Longford
  • Princess Louise: Queen Victoria’s Unconventional Daughter – Jehanne Wake
  • The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victoria’s Rebellious Daughter – Lucinda Hawksley

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught

  • Witness of a Century: Life and Times of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (1850-1942) – Noble Frankland

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany

  • Queen Victoria’s Youngest Son: The Untold Story of Prince Leopold – Charlotte Zeepvat

Princess Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg

  • The Last Princess: The Devoted Life of Queen Victoria’s Youngest Daughter – Matthew Dennison
  • The Shy Princess – David Duff

Queen Victoria’s Grandchildren

General

  • Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria – Julia P. Gelardi
  • Edward VII’s Children – John Van der Kiste
  • King, Kaiser, Tsar – Catrine Clay
  • Queen Victoria’s Granddaughters: 1860-1918 – Christina Croft
  • Queen Victoria’s Grandsons: 1859-1918 – Christina Croft
  • The Four Graces: Queen Victoria’s Hessian Granddaughters – Ilana D. Miller
  • The Prussian Princesses: The Sisters of Kaiser Wilhelm II – John Van der Kiste
  • The Royal Mob – Theresa Sherman

Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia

  • Kaiser Wilhelm II: Germany’s Last Emperor – John Van der Kiste
  • The Last German Empress: A Life of Empress Augusta Victoria, Consort of Emperor Wilhelm II –
  • Wilhelm II, Volume 1: Prince and Emperor 1859-1900 – Lamar Cecil
  • Wilhelm II, Volume 2: Emperor and Exile, 1900-1941 – Lamar Cecil

Princess Charlotte of Prussia, Princess of Saxe-Meiningen

  • Charlotte and Feodora: A Troubled Mother-Daughter Relationship in Imperial Prussia – John Van der Kiste

Prince Albert Victor of Wales (Eddy)

  • Prince Eddy: The King Britain Never Had – Andrew Cook

King George V of the United Kingdom

  • King George V – Kenneth Rose
  • King George V: His Life and Reign – Harold Nicolson

Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven

  • Advice to My Grand-daughter: Letters from Queen Victoria to Princess Victoria of Hesse – compiled by Richard Hough

Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia

  • Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Russia – Hugo Mager
  • The Life and Death of Ella, Grand Duchess of Russia: A Romanov Tragedy – Christopher Warwick

Princess Alix of Hesse of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia

  • A Lifelong Passion – Sergei Mironenko and Andrei Maylunas
  • Nicholas and Alexandra – Robert Massie
  • The Last Empress: The Life and Times of Alexandra Feodorovna, Tsarina of Russia – Greg King

Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia

  • A Fatal Passion – Michael John Sullivan
  • Princess Victoria Melita: Grand Duchess Cyril of Russia 1876-1936 – John Van der Kiste

Princess Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania

  • The Last Romantic: A Biography of Queen Marie of Romania – Hannah Pakula
  • The Story of My Life – Queen Marie of Romania

Princess Marie Louise (of Schleswig-Holstein)

  • My Memories of Six Reigns – Princess Marie Louise

Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone

  • For My Grandchildren: Some Reminiscences of Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone  – Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
  • Princess Alice: Countess of Athlone – Theo Aronson

Prince Louis of Battenberg, Marquess of Milford Haven

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Louis of Battenberg, Marquess of Milford Haven – photo: Wikipedia

Prince Louis of Battenberg was the husband of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Despite his German roots, he became a naturalized British subject at the age of 16 when he joined the British Royal Navy, where he would spend his entire career. In 1917, King George V asked his extended family to relinquish their German titles. Louis gave up his Battenberg title and took the surname Mountbatten (the anglicized version of Battenberg). The King then created him Marquess of Milford Haven in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Louis was born Count Ludwig Alexander of Battenberg, on May 24, 1854, in Graz, Austria. He was the eldest son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, and Countess Julia Hauke. As his parents’ marriage was morganatic, Louis and his siblings took their titles from their mother, who had been created Countess of Battenberg (later elevated to Princess of Battenberg in 1858). Louis had four siblings:

In October 1868, having been influenced by his cousin’s wife, Princess Alice, and her brother, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Louis joined the British Royal Navy at just 14 years old. The next year, before his training was finished, the Prince of Wales requested Louis to be aboard his ship, the HMS Ariadne, as he and his wife cruised the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and visited Egypt. Upon his return, he served on several ships before again joining the Prince of Wales, this time on the HMS Serapis, in 1875 for the Prince’s tour of India. He then served under Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh aboard the HMS Sultan for the next two years. He served aboard the royal yacht HMY Osborne before being posted to the HMS Inconstant from 1880-1882. Louis was appointed to the royal yacht HMY Victoria and Albert in 1883.

On April 30, 1884, in Darmstadt, Louis married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the daughter of his first cousin, Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine, and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. The couple had four children:

Louis and Victoria with their two eldest children, c. 1890. Photo: Wikipedia

Louis was much loved by his wife’s grandmother Queen Victoria, who along with her son the Prince of Wales, often stepped in to help Louis’ career. These gestures, while well-intended, were not always welcomed by the young Louis. However, through his own efforts and accomplishments, he was raised to the rank of Commander in 1885, and then Captain in 1891. In 1892, he invented the Battenberg Course Indicator, a device used to determine course and speed to steer for changes of position between ships.

Captain Louis Battenberg, 1894. Photo: Wikipedia

Louis’ rank continued to rise, as did his influence in the Royal Navy. In 1902, he was made Director of Naval Intelligence and two years later elevated to Rear Admiral. In 1908, he was made Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. Having served aboard for many years, he returned to the Admiralty in 1911 as Second Sea Lord, and was made Admiral in July 1912. Five months later, Prince Louis was made First Sea Lord.

However, in 1914, with war imminent, there was an intense anti-German sentiment in Britain. Louis, despite his exemplary career in the Royal Navy, was still seen by many as just a German prince. There were false accusations in the media of spying for the Germans. In fact, due to his German relations, he was able to learn much about the German military and share that information with the British. Despite protests from King George V, Louis was asked to resign his position as First Sea Lord in October 1914. King George V appointed him to the Privy Council, in what was deemed to be a public show of support for what he felt was Louis’ mistreatment by the navy. The next few years were spent living quietly at Kent House on the Isle of Wight, England although Louis had been assured that he would be recalled to service after the war.

 

In 1917 King George V asked his family to relinquish their German titles. Prince Louis of Battenberg gave up his royal style and took on the surname Mountbatten, the anglicized version of Battenberg. The King offered him a dukedom but Louis declined because he was unable to maintain the lifestyle accustomed to that level of the peerage. He was the only one of the extended family to be offered a dukedom, indicating the respect and esteem King George V felt for him. Instead, he was created Marquess of Milford Haven.

In late 1918, Louis was informed that he would not be recalled to service, and he formally retired from the Royal Navy on January 1, 1919, after a career lasting nearly 50 years. Louis and Victoria, now facing reduced income, sold Kent House and Schloss Heiligenberg in Hesse, Germany, which Louis had inherited from his father. They took up residence at Fishponds, a home on the grounds of Netley Castle in Hampshire, England. Netley Castle was owned by Lt. Colonel Crichton, whose wife, Nona, had been a lady-in-waiting and close companion of Louis’ wife Victoria.

Following his retirement, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on the retired list and was appointed to the Military Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath by the King. In late August 1921, he was invited to board the HMS Repulse, on which his younger son was serving, and spent a week aboard the ship. It would be his last journey. While aboard, he caught a cold which later turned to pneumonia. On September 11, 1921, Louis fell ill while staying at the Naval & Military Club in London, England. While his wife was out at a pharmacy picking up prescriptions for him, 67-year-old Louis suffered a heart attack and died. Several days later, his remains were brought to the Isle of Wight, where he and his wife had enjoyed some of the happiest years living at Kent House. Following a funeral at Westminster Abbey, he was buried in the grounds of St Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England. His wife, who survived him by 29 years, was buried by his side.

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.

Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven. photo: Wikipedia

Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven, is often overlooked in history due to the accomplishments and fame of her family members. Two sisters became Russian royalty and were killed during the Russian Revolution, a son became one of the most decorated military heroes in British history, and a grandson married the future Queen Elizabeth II. However, Victoria herself is quite fascinating in her own right.

Princess Victoria Alberta Elisabeth Mathilde Marie of Hesse and by Rhine was born in the Tapestry Room at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, on April 5, 1863, in the presence of her grandmother and namesake Queen Victoria. The two Victorias shared a very close bond that would last their entire lives. The younger Victoria was the eldest child of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine. It is through Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine that the British Royal Family is not only the descendants of Queen Victoria’s son King Edward VII, but also of her daughter Princess Alice. Princess Alice of the United Kingdom → Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine → Princess Alice of Battenberg → Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh → King Charles III of the United Kingdom

Princess Alice holding the young Princess Victoria

On April 27, 1863, in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, Victoria was christened in the arms of her grandmother and namesake by the Lutheran Hessian court chaplain who had come to Windsor Castle for the occasion.

Her godparents were:

Victoria had six younger siblings:

Victoria was quite intellectual and, as was typical for the times, educated privately with her sister Elisabeth, who was close in age and shared a room with her. They would remain extremely close until Elisabeth’s tragic death in 1918. As a child, Victoria developed a love of books, becoming an avid reader and kept a record of all the books she read. This continued for the rest of her life.

Princess Victoria and her three surviving sisters mourning their mother, 1879; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

In November 1878, Victoria fell ill with diphtheria. The illness quickly spread to most of her family, with some of them dangerously sick. On November 16, 1878, her youngest sister May succumbed to diphtheria and died. Less than a month later, her mother, who had nursed the family back to health, also fell victim and died on December 14, 1878. Alice’s death devastated the family, and Victoria found herself suddenly placed in the role of surrogate mother to her younger siblings. She also began to serve as a companion to her father and later became the hostess for many of his official duties.

On April 30, 1884, in the chapel of the Old Palace in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, Victoria married her father’s first cousin, Prince Louis of Battenberg, the son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, and Princess Julia of Battenberg (born Countess Julia Hauke). Victoria’s father was personally against the marriage, primarily because he would be losing his eldest daughter and companion, and also because his cousin did not have the financial resources that most other royal husbands would be able to provide. Victoria, however, would have none of the reservations her father had, and being fiercely independent, made it clear that she intended to marry with or without her father’s blessing. Ludwig decided to put his daughter’s happiness ahead of his own. The wedding, which had been postponed a few weeks due to the death of Victoria’s uncle, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, was attended by many extended family members from Europe, including Queen Victoria, and The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Prussia (Victoria’s maternal aunt). The couple honeymooned for a week at Heiligenberg before returning to England, where Louis was serving in the Royal Navy. Prince Louis had become a naturalized British subject in 1868, having joined the British Navy. They leased Sennicotts, a country home in Chichester, England, as their first home.

Standing: Princess Alice, Prince George; Sitting L to R: Princess Louise, Prince Louis, Princess Victoria holding Prince Louis; Credit – Wikipedia

Victoria and Louis had four children:

Victoria and Louis moved around quite a bit,  taking up residence in different places based on his Navy assignments. In 1896, at her husband’s urging, she brought on Cecil Nona Kerr as a lady-in-waiting. The two became close companions and friends, and Nona helped with raising the children. Nona stayed with Victoria until she married in 1915, but the two remained lifelong friends.

Victoria (far right) with her siblings and their spouses at the wedding of her daughter Alice to Prince Andrew of Greece, 1903. Photo: Wikipedia

In addition to moving around with her husband, Victoria was constantly on the move, visiting relatives and friends around the world. She made extended visits back to Darmstadt, visiting her brother Ernie, as well as visiting her sister Irene in Prussia, and her sisters Ella and Alix in Russia. It was on one of these Russian visits in 1914 that Victoria received an urgent telegram from her husband, instructing her to come home immediately, as World War I was breaking out in Europe. Accompanied by her daughter Louise and Nona Kerr, Victoria quickly made arrangements to return home, and assuming Russia would be safe, left all of her jewels with Alix for safekeeping. Sadly, it would be the last time she would see either Ella or Alix, as both were killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

Victoria returned home to Kent House, on the grounds of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, England. The property had been inherited by her aunt Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll upon Queen Victoria’s death. In 1913, Louise gave the home to Victoria and Louis. Having leased properties for their entire marriage, Kent House was the only home in the United Kingdom that the couple ever owned.

1914 saw more changes for the couple. Prince Louis, who had spent his entire life in the British Royal Navy and had earned the rank of First Sea Lord, was forced to resign due to widespread anti-German sentiment. Despite protests from King George V, Louis resigned from the position in October 1914. While remaining in the Royal Navy, Louis spent his remaining years in retirement at Kent House, having been assured a return to service following the war that  never happened.

Due to anti-German sentiment, in 1917, King George V changed the name of the royal house to Windsor and asked all his relatives to relinquish their German titles. Giving up their Battenberg titles, the couple took on the surname Mountbatten, the anglicized version of Battenberg. Victoria was offered the option to retain her style of Princess Victoria (without the Hesse and by Rhine), but she declined this, stating that her husband’s title, whatever it was, was good enough for her. Louis was created Marquess of Milford Haven, having initially been offered a Dukedom, but declining as he felt unable to meet the financial requirements and lifestyle of the title. He was the only one of the relatives offered a dukedom, most likely in recognition of King George V’s deep respect for both Louis and Victoria. Victoria, however, was disappointed with her cousin for bringing about the name change. To her, it was just another slap in the face to her husband, who had devoted his life to the United Kingdom. They would remain close, but she never fully forgave him.

 

The new Marquess and Marchioness continued to live a quiet retirement at Kent House. However, after the war, Louis was informed that he would not be recalled to service, and formally retired from the Royal Navy in January 1919. Soon, due to financial reasons, Victoria sold Kent House. They were also forced to sell Schloss Heiligenberg, which Louis had inherited from his father, earning just a fraction of its value. Nona Kerr’s husband, Lt Col Crichton, offered them a home called Fishponds on the grounds of his home Netley Castle in Netley, Hampshire, England. They settled there for the next several years.

Prince Louis, Marquess of Milford Haven died suddenly on September 11, 1921, in London, England. Victoria was devastated. Their marriage had truly been a love match. Concerned for her financial position, King George offered Victoria Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, but she declined, having already paid up the lease on Fishponds until 1922. At that point, she did accept his offer of apartments in Kensington Palace in London, England. After extensive renovations overseen by Victoria and Queen Mary (the space was formerly the Chapel Royal until 1901), Victoria moved into Apartment 7 in the winter of 1922 and would remain there until her death.

By the 1930s, Victoria had become a surrogate mother to her grandson Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, the future husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Her daughter Alice had suffered several breakdowns and spent many years institutionalized. Victoria and her two sons, took over the care of the young Philip, overseeing his education and social ventures. Victoria continued her travels, seemingly always off visiting some relative or another. She continued to spend time in Darmstadt with Ernie and his family, often accompanied by her sister Irene.

The late 1930s would see more tragic losses in Victoria’s life. 1937 saw the death of her brother Ernie, followed weeks later by the tragic plane crash that killed Ernie’s widow, their elder son, his wife (also Victoria’s granddaughter), and their two young sons. The following year, Victoria’s son George died of bone cancer. The losses took a heavy toll on Victoria.

When World War II came, Victoria spent much of her time at Windsor Castle with King George VI and his family after Kensington Palace had been bombed. During this time, her grandson Philip made frequent visits, allowing him to spend time with his future wife. It was with great pleasure that Victoria welcomed the announcement of the engagement of her grandson Philip to Princess Elizabeth in 1947. Despite the loss of her titles and the hardships she had endured in life, she found great satisfaction in knowing that her descendants would one day occupy the throne of the United Kingdom.

Christening of the future King Charles III with his parents and godparents: Seated left to right: Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (born Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine), the then Princess Elizabeth holding the infant Charles, and Queen Mary. Standing left to right: Patricia Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (representing godparent Prince George of Greece), King George VI, David Bowes-Lyon, Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (representing godparent King Haakon of Norway), and Princess Margaret

On December 15, 1948, Victoria served as one of the godparents to her great-grandson, the future King Charles III. Once a vibrant woman, she appears quite tiny and frail in the photos. It would be one of the last official functions that she attended. Over the next two years, Victoria’s health began to diminish. She spent most of her time at Kensington Palace or Broadlands, her son Louis’ home in Hampshire. During the summer of 1950, while at Broadlands, Victoria developed bronchitis and suffered a heart attack. Sensing the end was near, she insisted on returning home to Kensington Palace. It was here, on the morning of September 24, 1950, that she passed away, surrounded by her three surviving children. Four days later, she was buried beside her husband on the grounds of St Mildred’s Church in Whippingham on the Isle of Wight.

St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham. photo: Wikipedia

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Recommended Book

  • Advice to My Grand-daughter: Letters from Queen Victoria to Princess Victoria of Hesse – compiled by Richard Hough

Who Are The Battenbergs?

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

The Battenbergs were a morganatic branch of the Grand Ducal family of Hesse and by Rhine. The name began when Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, the youngest son of Grand Duke Ludwig II, entered into a morganatic marriage in 1851. Later, the name would be anglicized to Mountbatten, a name very familiar to the British Royal Family.

Ten years earlier, Prince Alexander had accompanied his younger sister, Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, to Russia where she was married to the Tsarevich (the future Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia). Prince Alexander remained there after the wedding, establishing himself in the Russian military and becoming a prominent member of the Imperial court. Emperor Alexander II was even considering Alexander as a possible spouse for one of his daughters. However, Alexander had other plans. In fact, he had fallen in love with one of his sister’s ladies-in-waiting, Countess Julia Hauke.

Julia Hauke was the orphaned daughter of Count Johann Mauritz Hauke, a lifelong soldier, and Deputy Minister of War of Congress of Poland. He and his wife were killed in an assassination attempt on Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, and their children became wards of  Alexander I, Emperor of all Russia. She later became a lady-in-waiting to the new wife of the Tsarevich, the former Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Alexander’s sister.

Alexander and Julia. Photo: Wikipedia

Alexander and Julia were in love, and despite being banned from marrying by the Emperor, the couple eloped and left the Russian court. Prince Alexander was stripped of his Russian honors and military appointments, basically leaving him as a deserter from the Russian Army. The couple managed to get away, and married on October 28, 1851, in Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław in Poland).

By this time, Alexander’s brother was the reigning Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, Ludwig III. The Grand Duke allowed the couple to settle in Hesse. Although he recognized their marriage, it was considered morganatic, meaning that none of their children would be in the line of succession to the grand ducal throne. It also meant that neither Julia nor their children would receive any titles from Alexander. Instead, the Grand Duke granted Julia the hereditary title Countess of Battenberg, with the style Illustrious Highness. This is the title that would pass to the couple’s children. Later, in 1858, the Grand Duke would elevate Julia and her children to the title of Prince/Princess of Battenberg, with the style Serene Highness. The origin of the title came from the small town of Battenberg in northwestern Hesse, and its castle Schloss Battenberg.

The couple had five children:

Prince Alexander served with the Austrian army and held a command position in Hesse’s forces. Following Prussia’s defeat of Austria in 1866, he retired from the military and the family lived a quiet life. They split their time between the Alexander Palace (also known as the Battenberg Palace) in Darmstadt, and their country residence, Heiligenberg Castle in Seeheim-Jugenheim.

Because of the unequal marriage between Alexander and Julia, their children were often overlooked by other royal families when searching for prospective spouses. At the time, many monarchies would not even consider the idea of someone of a “lesser birth” marrying into their family. Fortunately, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom had no such misgivings.  Eventually, all five of the Battenberg children made successful marriages.

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Princess Marie. photo: Wikipedia

Princess Marie of Battenberg

Marie married Count Gustav of Erbach-Schönberg in 1871. Gustav was later elevated to Prince by the Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine in 1903. They had four children.

Prince Ludwig (“Louis”). photo: Wikipedia

Prince Louis of Battenberg

Louis married his first cousin once removed, Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Louis served as First Sea Lord before stepping down at the onset of World War I due to anti-German sentiment. Louis and Victoria relinquished their German titles in 1917 and were created Marquess and Marchioness of Mountbatten – the anglicized version of Battenberg. They had four children:

Prince Alexander. photo: Wikipedia

Prince Alexander of Battenberg

Alexander (known as ‘Sandro’) was elected Prince of Bulgaria and held the throne from 1879-1886. He later married Johanna Loisinger and took the style Count of Hartenau. The couple had two children who took on the surname ‘von Hartenau’.

Prince Heinrich (“Henry”). photo: Wikipedia

Prince Henry of Battenberg

Henry married Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. The family lived in the Queen’s household where Beatrice served as her mother’s secretary and companion. Having convinced his mother-in-law to allow him to serve with British forces in the Ashanti War, Henry died of malaria on the journey. He was just 37 years old. In 1919, his wife and children relinquished their German titles and took on the surname Mountbatten. Henry and Beatrice had four children:

Prince Franz Joseph. photo: Wikipedia

Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg

Franz Joseph married Princess Anna of Montenegro, the daughter of King Nicholas I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić. He served as an officer in the Bulgarian army during his brother Alexander’s reign. He was a favorite of Queen Victoria and met his wife at a dinner party held by The Queen while on holiday in Cimiez, Nice. The couple had no children.

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In 1917, King George V of the United Kingdom asked all of his family, and extended family to relinquish their German titles due to the anti-German feelings in the United Kingdom. For the Battenbergs, this affected Prince Louis and the family of Prince Henry, who had died 21 years earlier.  They gave up their Battenberg titles and took on the surname Mountbatten, the anglicized version of Battenberg.

Prince Louis became Louis Mountbatten and was created Marquess of Milford Haven.  His elder son took the courtesy title of Earl Medina, and his younger son became Lord Louis Mountbatten.  His daughter Louise became Lady Louise Mountbatten.  His elder daughter, Alice, was already married and had become Princess Andrew of Greece.

Prince Henry’s two surviving sons both took the surname Mountbatten as well.  His eldest son, Prince Alexander became Alexander Mountbatten and was created Marquess of Carisbrooke. His younger son, Prince Leopold, became Lord Leopold Mountbatten.  Henry’s daughter Victoria Eugenie was already Queen of Spain, and his youngest son Maurice had been killed in action before the title changes had occurred.

The Mountbatten name continues today through the descendants of Prince Louis. Although his daughter Alice never took on the Mountbatten name, her son did. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, was born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark. He gave up his royal titles upon joining the British Royal Navy and took on the name Philip Mountbatten. In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II issued an Order in Council declaring that her descendants, when needing a surname, would use Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Mountbatten name also continues through Prince Louis’ two sons, both as a surname and a title. His elder son George succeeded him as Marquess of Milford Haven and that title continues today with Louis’ great-grandson, also named George Mountbatten. Louis’ younger son, Lord Louis Mountbatten, later served as First Sea Lord like his father before him and became the last Viceroy, and first Governor-General, of India. He was later created Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a title which passed down to his elder daughter, Patricia Mountbatten Knatchbull.  Countess Mountbatten passed away in 2017, and the title passed to her son Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

The name ceased in Prince Henry descendants in the following generation.  Henry’s eldest son, Alexander, had just one daughter Iris.  Upon her marriage in 1941, the surname ceased in this branch of the family.  Lord Leopold Mountbatten died unmarried, with no children.

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Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen: On March 26, 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. On February 24, 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Meinigen and Bernhard, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Meinigen.

On November 9, 1918, Wilhelm II abdicated as German Emperor and King of Prussia in the wake of the November Revolution. Bernhard III, the last Duke of Saxe-Meiningen abdicated the next day due to pressure from the Meininger Workers and Soldiers Council. His half-brother Ernst waived his succession rights on November 12, 1918, officially ending the monarchy of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen is in the German state of Thuringia.

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Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen; Credit – Wikipedia

Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, a scholar, and a Field Marshal in the Prussian army, was the husband of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Charlotte of Prussia. He was born on April 1, 1851, in Meiningen, the capital of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, now in Thuringia, Germany. Bernhard was the eldest son of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his first wife Princess Charlotte Frederica of Prussia.  Bernhard’s parents had three other children:

On January 27, 1855, Bernhard’s younger brother died. Three months later, his mother died of childbirth complications, along with her newborn son. Bernhard’s father was inconsolable, but in 1858, he married Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg to provide a mother to his remaining children. Feodora’s mother, Feodora of Leiningen, was an older half-sister of Queen Victoria, making the younger Feodora a niece of the Queen.

Bernhard’s father and stepmother had three sons:

  • Prince Ernst Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen (1859 – 1941), married morganatically to Katharina Jensen; had issue
  • Prince Frederick Johann of Saxe-Meiningen (1861 – 1914), married Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld; had issue; killed in action during World War I in Tarcienne, France; grandfather of Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen, wife of Otto von Habsburg, last Crown Prince of Austria
  • Prince Viktor of Saxe-Meiningen (born and died 1865), died as an infant

Bernhard began serving as a second lieutenant in the Saxe-Meiningen Infantry Regiment in 1867. In 1869, he enrolled at Heidelberg University to study classical philology, the study of literary texts and written records to establish their authenticity and original form, and to determine their meaning. His education was interrupted by the Franco-Prussian War as he served as an aide with the 6th Thuringian Infantry Regiment Nr. 95 and the 6th Cavalry. After the war, he resumed his studies in Heidelberg and then studied in Leipzig. After graduating in 1873, Bernhard trained with the Fusilier Guards Regiment of the Prussian Army in Berlin.

Bernhard was interested in the Greek language and was the author and translator of several works. Between 1873 and 1894, he made numerous study trips to Greece and Asia Minor, where he visited archaeological sites and worked with well-known archaeologists. In 1889, for his work in archaeology, the University of Athens gave Bernard the title “Philhellene,” lover of Greece and Greek culture, and in 1912, the University of Breslau awarded him an honorary doctorate.

On February 18, 1878, in Potsdam, Bernhard married Princess Charlotte of Prussia, the eldest daughter of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal, and the sister of Wilhelm II, German Emperor.

Bernhard and Charlotte had one child:

Bernhard and Charlotte in 1877; Credit – Wikipedia

Bernhard was transferred to the General Staff of the Prussian Army in 1882 and moved to Charlotte’s apartments at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin. In 1889, he was appointed Major General and then Lieutenant General in 1891. The German Archaeological Institute appointed him an honorary member in 1892. In December 1893, Bernhard and Charlotte took up permanent residence in Meiningen because Bernhard’s father Georg suffered from acute deafness and had retired from active life.

Bernhard’s rank and responsibility in the Prussian Army kept increasing. He became General of the Infantry and from 1896-1903 was Commanding General of the VI Army Corps in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland). On September 15, 1903, he was appointed Inspector-General of the II Army Inspectorate and was stationed in Meiningen. Bernhard and his wife Charlotte undertook numerous road trips throughout the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen and the German Empire. In 1909, Bernhard received the rank of Field Marshal. Bernhard ended his military career in 1912 and moved back permanently to Meiningen.

Bernhard’s father died on June 25, 1914, just three days before the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, and Bernhard became the reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Bernhard’s conservative Prussian views made him unpopular in the liberal Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. After the start of World War I, Bernhard transferred his governing duties to his wife Charlotte and went to the front to visit Meiningen troops and military installations.

Bernhard with some other royalty circa 1913-1915; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

On November 9, 1918, his brother-in-law, Wilhelm II, abdicated as German Emperor and King of Prussia in the wake of the November Revolution.  Bernhard abdicated the next day due to pressure from the Meininger Workers and Soldiers Council. His half-brother Ernst waived his succession rights on November 12, 1918, officially ending the monarchy of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen.

On October 1, 1919, Bernhard’s wife Charlotte died at the age of 59 while taking a cure in Baden-Baden. Bernhard lived his remaining years at Schloss Altenstein in Bad Liebenstein, now in Germany. After his death on January 16, 1928, at the age of 76, Bernhard’s coffin lay in state at the Große Palais (Great Palace) in Meiningen. On January 20, 1928, with great interest from the local population, a funeral procession brought his coffin to the train station for the journey to Schloss Altenstein, where he was buried on January 21, 1928, next to his wife Charlotte in the castle park.

Burial site of Bernhard and his wife Charlotte; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Saxe-Meiningen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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March 1915: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer


Brabourne Family Connections

Brabourne

Wyndham Knatchbull-Hugessen, 3rd Baron Brabourne; Photo Credit – www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com

On March 11, 1915, 29-year-old Wyndham Knatchbull-Hugessen, 3rd Baron Brabourne was killed in action in World War I. On March 10, 1915, during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards took up reserve positions near Neuve Chapelle, France. On March 11, 1915, the battalion sustained heavy casualties while crossing the Rue Tilleloy. The battalion’s war diary recorded the death of Lord Brabourne together with 15 other officers and 325 other soldiers. Lord Barbourne has no known grave, but his name appears on the La Touret Memorial in Bethune, France. His family erected a memorial for him in the parish church in Smeeth, England.

As the 3rd Baron Brabourne was unmarried and had no heir, his first cousin Cecil Knatchbull-Hugessen succeeded him as the 4th Baron Brabourne. The peerage continued to be inherited from father to son until Norton Knatchbull, 6th Baron Brabourne, who was captured and executed by the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) during World War II. The 6th Baron Brabourne’s brother John then became the 7th Baron Brabourne as his brother had died unmarried.
Wikipedia: Baron Brabourne

The names Brabourne and Knatchbull may sound familiar to many British royal family enthusiasts. The current Baron Brabourne, Norton Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne, is the son of John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne and Patricia Mountbatten, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma. His mother Patricia is the elder daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma who was a great grandson of Queen Victoria. Patricia is also a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The family’s descent from Queen Victoria comes from her third child Princess Alice who married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.

Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha → Princess Alice married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine  → Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine married Prince Louis of Battenberg (later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) →  Prince Louis of Battenberg (later of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma) married Edwina Ashley → Patricia Mountbatten, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma married John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne → Norton Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma was killed in 1979 by a Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb placed in his fishing boat. Also killed was Nicholas Knatchbull, a son of Lord Mountbatten’s elder daughter Patricia, Patricia’s mother-in-law the Dowager Lady Brabourne, and Paul Maxwell, a 15-year-old crew member.
Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August (scroll down to Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma)

Upon his father’s death in 2005, Norton Knatchbull became the 8th Baron Brabourne. He will become 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma upon the death of his mother Patricia, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Patricia was able to succeed to her father’s title because the peerage had been created with special remainder to the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma’s daughters and their heirs male.
Wikipedia Earl Mountbatten of Burma

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Timeline: March 1, 1915 – March 31, 1915

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A Note About German Titles

Most of the royals who died in action during World War I were German. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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March 1915 – Royals/Nobles/Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

The Honorable William Eden

Prince Alexander of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prince of Ratibor-Corvey

Howard Stonor

Wyndham Knatchbull-Hugessen, 3rd Baron Brabourne

George Douglas-Pennant