Princess Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, (1 September 1878 – 16 April 1942) was the fourth child and third daughter of
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred (Alfred Ernest Albert; 6 August 184430 July 1900) was the sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1893 to 1900. He was the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was known as the Duke of Edinburgh from ...
, and
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. As the wife of
Ernst II Ernest II may refer to:
* Ernest II, Duke of Swabia (died in 1030)
* Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1745–1804)
* Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1818–1893)
* Ernest II, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1842–1904)
* Ernst II, P ...
, she was Princess consort of
Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Hohenlohe-Langenburg () was a German county and later principality in the Holy Roman Empire. It was located in the current northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, around Langenburg. Since the medieval times this small state was ruled by the Hous ...
. She was a granddaughter of both
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
of the United Kingdom and Tsar
Alexander II of Russia.
Early life
Alexandra was born Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh on 1 September 1878 at Rosenau Castle,
Coburg
Coburg () is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it ...
.
[Zeepvat, p. 258] Her father was
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh
Alfred (Alfred Ernest Albert; 6 August 184430 July 1900) was the sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1893 to 1900. He was the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was known as the Duke of Edinburgh from 1 ...
, the second-eldest son of
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
and
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the consort of Queen Victoria from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his death in 1861.
Albert was born in the Saxon duch ...
. Her mother was
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, the only surviving daughter of
Alexander II of Russia and
Marie of Hesse and by Rhine
Maria Alexandrovna ( rus, Мария Александровна), born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (8 August 1824 – 3 June 1880), was Empress of Russia as the first wife and political adviser of Emperor Alexander II. She was one of th ...
.
She was baptised ''Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria'' on 2 October 1878 at Edinburgh Palace, Coburg, presumably by her mother's chaplain. Her godparents included her maternal uncle
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia (russian: Алексе́й Алекса́ндрович; in St. Petersburg – 14 November 1908 in Paris) was the fifth child and the fourth son of Alexander II of Russia and his first wife Maria Alex ...
.
During Alexandra's formative years, her father, occupied with his career in the Navy and later as a ruler in Coburg, paid little attention to his family. It was Alexandra's mother who was the domineering presence in their children's life.
Alexandra had four siblings:
Alfred
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
,
Marie
Marie may refer to:
People Name
* Marie (given name)
* Marie (Japanese given name)
* Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973
* Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...
,
Victoria Melita
Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , later Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia (25 November 1876 – 2 March 1936), was the third child and second daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and of Grand Duchess ...
, and
Beatrice (her only younger sibling). Throughout her life, Alexandra was usually overshadowed by her elder sisters; she was considered less beautiful and more subdued than Marie and Victoria Melita.
Nicknamed 'Sandra' by her family, Alexandra spent her childhood first in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, then from 1886 to 1889 in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, where her father was serving with the
British Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...
. In 1889 the family moved to
Coburg, Germany
Coburg () is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it ...
, as her father was the heir apparent to the duchy of
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (german: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha), or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (german: Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha, links=no ), was an Ernestine, Thuringian duchy ruled by a branch of the House of Wettin, consisting of territories in the present- ...
. She was a bridesmaid at the 1885 wedding of her aunt
Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom
Princess Beatrice (Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore; 14 April 1857 – 26 October 1944), later Princess Henry of Battenberg, was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Beatrice was also the last of Qu ...
to
Prince Henry of Battenberg
Prince Henry of Battenberg (Henry Maurice; 5 October 1858 – 20 January 1896) was a morganatic descendant of the Grand Ducal House of Hesse. He became a member of the British royal family by marriage to Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdo ...
, and at the wedding of the
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
and
Duchess of York in 1893. That year, her great-uncle,
The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (brother of her paternal grandfather, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) died without issue. As Prince Albert had passed away, and her uncle
The Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers o ...
had renounced his claim to the duchy, the ducal throne fell to the Duke of Edinburgh. Following her father's succession, though Alexandra remained a
British princess
The use of the title of Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is entirely at the will of the Monarch, sovereign as expressed in letters patent. Individuals holding the title of princess are styled "Royal Highness, ...
, she took the title of Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Marriage
![Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria (1878-1942) + Fürst Ernst (II) von Hohenlohe-Langenburg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Alexandra_Louise_Olga_Victoria_%281878-1942%29_%2B_F%C3%BCrst_Ernst_%28II%29_von_Hohenlohe-Langenburg.jpg)
Alexandra's mother, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, believed in marrying her daughters young, before they began to think for themselves.
[Zeepvat, p. 260] At the end of 1895, she arranged Alexandra's engagement to
Ernst, Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (13 September 1863 – 11 December 1950). Alexandra's grandmother, Queen Victoria, complained that she was too young. Alexandra's father objected to the status of his future son-in-law, who would become the 7th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.
The House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was
mediatized Mediatization or mediatisation may refer to:
* German mediatisation
German mediatisation (; german: deutsche Mediatisierung) was the major territorial restructuring that took place between 1802 and 1814 in Germany and the surrounding region by ...
— a formerly ruling family who had ceded their sovereign rights to others while (in theory) retaining their equal birth;
it was not considered a brilliant match. The couple were also related: Ernst was a grandson of
Princess Feodora of Leiningen
Princess Feodora of Leiningen (Anna Feodora Auguste Charlotte Wilhelmine; 7 December 1807 – 23 September 1872) was the only daughter of Emich Carl, Prince of Leiningen (1763–1814), and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1786–1861) ...
, Queen Victoria's half-sister.
The wedding took place on 20 April 1896 in
Coburg
Coburg () is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Alexandra was 17 and Ernst 32.
They had five children:
*
Prince Gottfried, 8th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (24 March 1897 – 11 May 1960); married
Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark
Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark ( el, Μαργαρίτα; 18 April 1905 – 24 April 1981) was by birth a Greek and Danish princess as well as Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg by marriage. A sister-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II of the Un ...
, the eldest sister of the future
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
, and had issue.
*
Princess Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
, succession = Duchess consort of Schleswig-Holstein
, reign =21 January 1934 – 10 February 1965
, reign-type = Tenure
, house = Hohenlohe-Langenburg
, spouse =
, issue = Hans Albrecht, Hereditary Prince of Schleswig-HolsteinPr ...
(18 January 1899 – 8 November 1967); married
Wilhelm Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein ''
, title = Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
, reign = 21 January 1934 – 10 February 1965
, reign-type = Tenure
, predecessor = Friedrich Ferdinand
, successor = Peter II
, succession = Head of the House of Schleswig-Hols ...
and had issue.
* Princess Alexandra Beatrice Leopoldine of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (2 April 1901 – 26 October 1963)
* Princess Irma Helene of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (4 July 1902 – 8 March 1986)
* Prince Alfred Christian of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (16 April 1911 – 18 April 1911)
Later life
Alexandra lived for the rest of her life in Germany. At the death of her father in 1900, Alexandra's husband was appointed regent of the duchy of Saxe-Coburg during the minority of
the new Duke, who was her first cousin. Alexandra's only brother, Alfred, had died in 1899.
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, she worked as a
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...
nurse. In February 1916 her eldest daughter Marie Melita was married in Coburg to
Prince Wilhelm Friedrich, the future Duke of
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...
, and Alexandra became a grandmother when the couple's first child
Prince Hans was born in May 1917.
[Zeepvat, p. 261] On her thirty-fifth wedding anniversary in April 1931, her eldest son Gottfried married
Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark
Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark ( el, Μαργαρίτα; 18 April 1905 – 24 April 1981) was by birth a Greek and Danish princess as well as Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg by marriage. A sister-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II of the Un ...
, elder sister of
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
and future sister in law to future Queen
Queen Elizabeth II.
In the years preceding
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Alexandra was an early supporter of the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
, which she joined on 1 May 1937, together with several of her children. She died in Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg, Germany in 1942.
Archives
Princess Alexandra's personal papers (including family correspondence and photographs) are preserved in the Hohenlohe-Langenburg family archive (Nachlass Fürstin Alexandra, HZAN La 143), which is in the Hohenlohe Central Archive (Hohenlohe-Zentralarchiv Neuenstein) in Neuenstein Castle in the town of
Neuenstein, Baden-Württemberg
Neuenstein is a town in the Hohenlohe district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 12 km southwest of Künzelsau, and 27 km east of Heilbronn.
The 16th century castle, home to H.S.H. the prince of Hohenlohe-Oehringen, is ...
, Germany, and it is open for researchers.
Arms
Alexandra's personal coat of arms was that of the British monarch, with an inescutcheon of the shield of Saxony, all differenced, as a male-line grandchild, with a label argent of five points, the central point bearing a cross gules, the inner pair anchors azure, and the outer pair fleurs-de-lys azure. In 1917, the inescutcheon was dropped by Royal Warrant from
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
.
Ancestry
Notes
Bibliography
* Petropoulos, Jonathan, ''Royals and the Reich'', Oxford University Press, New York, 2006,
* Zeepvat, Charlotte, "The other one: Alexandra of Hohenlohe- langeburg", in ''Royalty History Digest''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexandra Of Saxe-Coburg And Gotha, Princess
1878 births
1942 deaths
British princesses
British people of Russian descent
Companions of the Order of the Crown of India
German people of Russian descent
House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (United Kingdom)
Ladies of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert
People from Coburg
Princesses of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Princesses of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Royalty in the Nazi Party