Closely examines a generation of royal women who were dominated by their mother, married off as much for political advantage as for love, and finally passed over entirely with the... more...accession of their brother Bertie to the throne.
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In Britain, the law of primogeniture has meant that, whilst the sons of monarchs have retained a prominent position in the country (particularly, of course, the male heir) royal daughters, conversely, have usually faded into genteel obscurity, like as not married off for political purposes to some minor princling, count or duke.
It would be doing a great disservice to the five daughters of Queen Victoria to allow History to write them off so easily. In their own way, each of these Royal Princesses has left a legacy which has helped to shape the Europe of today. This excellent book, factual as well as entertaining, takes a sympathetic look at the lives and characters of the sisters, and explores their often uneasy relationship with their august mother, a relationship which has had far-reaching consequences.
PRINCESS VICTORIA THE PRINCESS ROYAL (Vicky)
Born in 1840,the eldest child of Victoria and Albert, The prince Consort, Vicky was a clever, confident and enchanting child, the apple of her father’s eye. Indeed, none of his other children ever came as close to his heart as Vicky.The Queen was more distant with her child, as she was with all of them. Quite simply, Victoria was not a natural mother and intensely disliked the state of being pregnant and giving birth, though in the days before pain relief was widely available and where labour was often prolonged and agonising, perhaps that is not surprising.
When the time came for the vivacious Vicky to consider marriage, it was her German father’s wish for her to form an alliance with his homeland. It was decided that Vicky should marry the Hohenzollern Prince Frederick William, heir to the throne of Prussia.Fritz was immediately taken with the charming British Princess, helped by the fact that, whilst his English was poor, Vicky was fluent in German.Two years after their official betrothal Vicky and Fritz were married and the new Princess of Prussia left for her new life.
Mindful of her duty to produce an heir for her new country, the Princess was soon pregnant. Following an excruciating and botched-up delivery, which the book describes in stomach-turning detail, Vicky was delivered of a Prince, Wilhelm.Regrettably, because of the hideous manner of his arrival, the baby was born with a deformed arm. Evidence also suggests that for some minutes after his birth the baby was starved of oxygen. This child, arriving into the world in such a traumatic way, was the future Kaiser Wilhelm II (Kaiser Bill).
PRINCESS ALICE MAUD MARY
Born at Buckingham Palace in 1843,not long after the birth of her brother and the Queen’s Heir, Prince Albert Edward, Alice’s arrival was given a muted welcome. Although the British people were happy enough that their Queen had been safely delivered, they would have preferred another Prince, just in case. (The Heir and The Spare!)
Although she would never replace her sister Vicky in their father’s affections, Alice was close to Albert, and he undertook to conduct her schooling, as he had done with Vicky.It was Alice who first noticed the signs of her father’s impending ill health.
When Alice became of marriageable age, it was deemed advantageous for her to form an alliance with the son of another German state, Prince Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt.The Princess declared herself in favour, and the marriage was set to go ahead. Sadly, the sudden death from typhoid fever of Prince Albert, and the Queen’s subsequent collapse into uncontrollable grief, meant that the marriage had to be put on hold. It did go ahead, however, and Alice soon gave birth to her first child, Victoria Alberta Elizabeth Matilda Marie.
With one daughter on the throne of Prussia and a second installed as Grand Duchess of Hesse-Darmstadt, attention was turned to the Queen’s third daughter….
PRINCESS HELENA (Lenchen)
Born in 1846,Helena was always know to the Family by the Germanised pet name of Lenchen.By the time of her birth, the baby Princess’s status was somewhat reduced, as there were now enough heirs…by now another son, Prince Alfred.Regrettably, the young Princess soon became aware of her unimportance, and this led to a lack of confidence which almost overwhelmed her. She was not as pretty as her sisters. Lenchen comfort-ate to relieve the stifling boredom of life at Court post-Albert, and grew increasingly stocky. She was not clever and was rather timid. But she was kind-hearted and loyal.
Her eventual suitor was the much older Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg.He had little to commend him…older than Lenchen, he was also staid, not ambitious, not possessing of much intelligence, and, worse, in royal terms, well nigh penniless. Lenchen, however, was taken with him…maybe she thought that she could not expect any better. Despite some Family disapproval, the wedding went ahead in 1866 at Windsor.Their first child, a son, was born a year later.
Known affectionately by the Family as “Loo-Loo”, this Princess was born in 1848,and had been expected to be a boy. Perhaps this was an early sign of her nature, as Louise continued to do those things not expected of her throughout her life. Louise shared the rest of the Family’s artistic talent, but in her case it was much more developed. The young Princess was a remarkable artist, certainly good enough to turn professional, which was her desire. The Queen, however, was against this. Royal Princesses did not pursue careers…it was unheard of. Louise was to marry, not, this time, for any dynastic reason, but just because it was expected.
But the Princess persisted, and her mother did finally relent and allow her daughter to attend Art School, a considerable indulgence on the Queen’s part. Nevertheless, after a period of time and some disquiet on the part of the British people that this Princess remained unmarried (what was wrong with her?), a suitable husband was sought for Louise.None of the eligible foreign princes appealed to Louise, and so a rather daring idea crossed the Queen’s mind…what about a non-royal husband?
The Queen’s eyes alighted on the 25-year-old John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, marquess of Lorne, and heir of the 8th Duke of Argyll.He was handsome, the Princess was beautiful and there was an undoubted physical attraction, if not true love. The couple married in 1871.
Which left….
PRINCESS BEATRICE MARY VICTORIA FEODORE
The baby of the Family, born in 1857,and the child on whom the aging Queen decided to depend, Beatrice’s life seemed to be mapped out, as the companion and support of the widowed Queen.It did not occur to Victoria that Beatrice might wish for a life of her own. And for many years, Beatrice accepted this, probably she regarded it as an honour to be chosen as her sovereign mother’s closest companion.
It seemed likely that the Queen’s youngest child was destined to remain an old maid. By the age of twenty-seven, she had become matronly, heavy-set and with a near permanent scowl. It was rumoured that the Princess was, in fact, frigid.
Then she met Prince Henry of Battenberg, a year and a half her junior, and was instantly smitten. She informed her furious mother that she had fallen in love. The Queen refused to speak to her daughter until she had given up the ridiculous idea of marriage to Henry.For a full six months the Queen and the Princess did not communicate, except by hand written notes. Finally, the Queen, aware perhaps that she might end up losing Beatrice altogether, agreed to the marriage, provided that Henry agreed to live under the Queen’s roof at Windsor, Balmoral and Osbourne.The couple married in 1885,and a son, Alexander, was born a year later, Victoria’s thirty-seventh grandchild.
This youngest child of Victoria Regina died in 1944 and was buried at Windsor.Her funeral was attended by members of most of the European Royal Houses.Beatrice’s daughter, the exiled Queen of Spain, Victoria Eugenia was led to the coffin by Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), whilst the King and his young daughter Princess Elizabeth (our future Queen) looked on. The last of Victoria’s daughters was finally at rest.
This remarkable book is full of historical fact, interspersed with human element and a great degree of drama. It is not “dry” as some history books are, because the author shows real empathy for his subjects, and treats them as people rather than historical figures. We can see how the Europe we know today was shaped by the alliances of Victoria’s children. Most importantly, the book serves as a fitting tribute to these Royal women, who, by their sense of duty in both their marriages and motherhood, have left us such a great legacy.
Victoria's Daughters is published in hardback by Sutton Publishing and is priced at £19.99 and should be widely available.
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