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Alexandra of Denmark

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Several terms redirect here. For other uses, seeQueen Alexandra (disambiguation),Princess Alexandra of Denmark (disambiguation),andAlexandra of the United Kingdom (disambiguation).

Alexandra of Denmark(Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) wasQueen of the United Kingdomand theBritish Dominions,andEmpress of India,from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife ofEdward VII.

Alexandra of Denmark
Photograph of Alexandra aged about 45
Photographc. 1889
Tenure22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910
Coronation9 August 1902
Imperial Durbar1 January 1903
BornPrincess Alexandra of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
(1844-12-01)1 December 1844
Yellow Palace, Copenhagen,Denmark
Died20 November 1925(1925-11-20)(aged 80)
Sandringham House,Norfolk,England
Burial28 November 1925
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Spouse
​
​
(m.1863;died1910)​
Issue
Names
Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia
HouseGlücksburg
FatherChristian IX of Denmark
MotherLouise of Hesse-Kassel
SignatureSignature of Queen Alexandra

Alexandra's family had been relatively obscure until 1852, when her father,Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg,was chosen with the consent of the major European powers to succeed his second cousinFrederick VIIasKing of Denmark.At the age of sixteen, Alexandra was chosen as the future wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the son andheir apparentofQueen Victoria.The couple marriedeighteen months later in 1863, the year in which her father became king of Denmark as Christian IX and her brother William was appointedking of GreeceasGeorge I.Alexandra wasPrincess of Walesfrom 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has ever held that title, and became generally popular; her style of dress and bearing were copied by fashion-conscious women. Largely excluded from wielding any political power, she unsuccessfully attempted to sway the opinion of British ministers and her husband's family to favour Greek and Danish interests. Her public duties were restricted to uncontroversial involvement in charitable work.

On thedeath of Queen Victoriain 1901, Albert Edward became King-Emperor as Edward VII, with Alexandra as queen-empress. She becamequeen motheronEdward VII's deathin 1910, at which point their sonGeorge Vacceded to the throne.Alexandra diedaged 80 in 1925.

Early life

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Princess Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia, or "Alix", as her immediate family knew her, was born at theYellow Palace,an 18th-century town house at 18Amaliegade,immediately adjacent to theAmalienborg Palacecomplex inCopenhagen.[1]Her father wasPrince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburgand her mother was PrincessLouise of Hesse-Kassel.[2]She had five siblings:Frederick,William(later George I of Greece),Dagmar(later Empress of Russia),ThyraandValdemar.

Her father's family was a distantcadet branchof the Danish royalHouse of Oldenburg,which was descended fromKing Christian III.Although they were of royal blood,[a]the family lived a comparatively modest life. They did not possess great wealth; her father's income from an army commission was about£800 per year, and their house was a rent-freegrace and favourproperty.[3]Occasionally,Hans Christian Andersenwas invited to call and tell the children stories before bedtime.[4]

In 1848,Christian VIII of Denmarkdied and his only sonFrederickacceded to the throne. Frederick was childless, had been through two unsuccessful marriages, and was assumed to be infertile. A succession crisis arose because Frederick ruled in both Denmark andSchleswig-Holstein,and the succession rules of each territory differed. InHolstein,theSalic lawprevented inheritance through the female line, whereas no such restrictions applied in Denmark. Holstein, being predominantly German, proclaimed independence and called in the aid ofPrussia.In 1852, the major European powers called aconference in Londonto discuss the Danish succession. An uneasy peace was agreed, which included the provision that Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg would be Frederick's heir in all his dominions and the prior claims of others (who included Christian's ownmother-in-law,brother-in-lawand wife) were surrendered.[5][6]

Christian IX of Denmark with his wife and their six children, 1862. Left to right:Dagmar,Frederick,Valdemar,Christian IX,Queen Louise,Thyra,William,and Alexandra.

Prince Christian was given the title Prince of Denmark and his family moved into a new official residence,Bernstorff Palace.Although the family's status had risen, there was little or no increase in their income; and they did not participate in court life at Copenhagen, for they refused to meet Frederick's third wife and former mistress,Louise Rasmussen,because she had an illegitimate child by a previous lover.[7]Alexandra shared a draughty attic bedroom with her sister,Dagmar,made her own clothes, and waited at table along with her sisters.[8]Alexandra and Dagmar were given swimming lessons by the Swedish pioneer of women's swimming,Nancy Edberg.[9]At Bernstorff, Alexandra grew into a young woman; she was taught English by the English chaplain at Copenhagen and wasconfirmedinChristiansborg Palace.[10]She was devout throughout her life, and followedhigh churchpractice.[11]

Marriage and family

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Main article:Wedding of Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra
See also:Wedding dress of Princess Alexandra of Denmark
The Landing of HRH The Princess Alexandra at Gravesend, 7 March 1863,byHenry Nelson O'Neil
Princess Alexandra of Denmark and the Prince of Wales, 1863

Given that Albert Edward, thePrince of Wales,would reach the age of twenty in November 1861, his parentsQueen Victoriaand her husband,Prince Albert,were taking steps to find a bride for him. They enlisted the aid of their eldest (and already-married) daughter,Crown Princess Victoria of Prussia,in seeking a suitable candidate. Alexandra was not their first choice because the Danes were at loggerheads with the Prussians over theSchleswig-Holstein Question,and most of theBritish royal family's relations were German. Eventually, after rejecting other possibilities, they settled on her as "the only one to be chosen".[12]

On 24 September 1861, Crown Princess Victoria introduced her brother Albert Edward to Alexandra atSpeyer.Almost a year later on 9 September 1862 (after his affair withNellie Clifdenand the death of his father Prince Albert), Albert Edward proposed to Alexandra at theRoyal Castle of Laeken,the home of his great-uncle, KingLeopold I of Belgium.[13]

A few months later, Alexandra travelled from Denmark to Britain aboard the royal yachtVictoria and Albertand arrived inGravesend, Kent,on 7 March 1863.[14]SirArthur Sullivancomposed music for her arrival andPoet LaureateAlfred, Lord Tennyson,wrote an ode in Alexandra's honour:

Sea King's daughter from over the sea,
Alexandra!
Saxon and Norman and Dane are we,
But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee,
Alexandra!

— A Welcome to Alexandra,Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Thomas Longley,theArchbishop of Canterbury,married the couple on 10 March 1863 atSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.The choice of venue was criticised. As the ceremony took place outside London, the press complained that large public crowds would not be able to view the spectacle. Prospective guests thought it awkward to get to and, as the venue was small, some people who had expected invitations were disappointed. The Danes were dismayed because only Alexandra's closest relations were invited. The British court was still in mourning for Prince Albert, so ladies were restricted to wearing grey, lilac, or mauve.[15]As the couple left Windsor for their honeymoon atOsborne Houseon theIsle of Wight,they were cheered by the schoolboys of neighbouringEton College,includingLord Randolph Churchill.[16]

By the end of the following year, Alexandra's father had acceded to the throne of Denmark, her brother William had becomeKing George I of Greece,her sister Dagmarwas engaged toNicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia,[b]and Alexandra had given birth to her first child. Her father's accession gave rise tofurther conflict over the fate of Schleswig-Holstein.TheGerman Confederationsuccessfully invaded Denmark, reducing the area of Denmark by two-fifths. To the great irritation of Queen Victoria and the Crown Princess of Prussia, Alexandra and Albert Edward supported the Danish side in the war. ThePrussianconquest of former Danish lands heightened Alexandra's profound dislike of the Germans, a feeling which stayed with her for the rest of her life.[17]

Alexandra with her firstborn child,Albert Victor,1864

Alexandra's first child,Albert Victor,was born two months premature in early 1864. Alexandra showed devotion to her children: "She was in her glory when she could run up to the nursery, put on a flannel apron, wash the children herself and see them asleep in their little beds."[18]Albert Edward and Alexandra had six children in total: Albert Victor, George,Louise,Victoria,Maud,andAlexander.All of Alexandra's children were apparently born prematurely; biographerRichard Houghthought Alexandra deliberately misled Queen Victoria as to her probable delivery dates, as she did not want the Queen to be present at their births.[19]During the birth of her third child in 1867, the added complication of a bout ofrheumatic feverthreatened Alexandra's life and left her with a permanent limp.[20]

In public, Alexandra was dignified and charming; in private, affectionate and jolly.[21]She enjoyed many social activities, including dancing and ice-skating, and was an expert horsewoman andtandem driver.[22]She also enjoyedhunting,to the dismay of Queen Victoria, who asked her to stop, but without success.[23]Even after the birth of her first child, she continued to socialise much as before, which led to some friction between the Queen and the young couple, exacerbated by Alexandra's loathing of Prussians and the Queen's partiality towards them.[17]

Princess of Wales

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Albert Edward and Alexandra visited Ireland in April 1868. After her illness the previous year, she had only just begun to walk again without the aid of two walking sticks, and was already pregnant with her fourth child.[24]The royal couple undertook a six-month tour taking inAustria,EgyptandGreeceover 1868 and 1869, which included visits to her brotherGeorge I of Greece,to theCrimeanbattlefields and, for her only, to the harem of theKhedive Ismail.InTurkeyshe became the first woman to sit down to dinner with the Sultan (Abdulaziz).[25]

The Waleses madeSandringham Housetheir preferred residence, withMarlborough Housetheir London base. Biographers agree that their marriage was in many ways a happy one; however, some have asserted that Albert Edward did not give his wife as much attention as she would have liked and that they gradually became estranged, until his attack oftyphoid fever(the disease which was believed to have killed his father) in late 1871 brought about a reconciliation.[26][27]This is disputed by others, who point out Alexandra's frequent pregnancies throughout this period and use family letters to deny the existence of any serious rift.[28]Nevertheless, the prince was severely criticised from many quarters of society for his apparent lack of interest in her very serious illness withrheumatic fever.[29]Throughout their marriage Albert Edward continued to keep company with other women, including the actressLillie Langtry,Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick,humanitarianAgnes Keyser,and society matronAlice Keppel.Alexandra knew about most of these relationships and later permitted Alice Keppel to visit her husband as he lay dying.[30]Alexandra herself remained faithful throughout her marriage.[31]

Portrait byFranz Xaver Winterhalter,1864

An increasing degree of deafness, caused by hereditaryotosclerosis,led to Alexandra's social isolation; she spent more time at home with her children and pets.[32]Her sixth and final pregnancy ended with the birth of a son in April 1871, but the infant died the next day. Despite Alexandra's pleas for privacy, Queen Victoria insisted on announcing a period of court mourning, which led unsympathetic elements of the press to describe the birth as "a wretched abortion" and the funeral arrangements as "sickening mummery", even though the infant was not buried in state with other members of the royal family at Windsor, but in strict privacy in the churchyard at Sandringham, where he had lived out his brief life.[33]

For eight months over 1875–76, the Prince of Wales was absent from Britain on a tour of India, but to her dismay Alexandra was left behind. The prince had planned an all-male group and intended to spend much of the time hunting and shooting. During the prince's tour, one of his friends who was travelling with him,Lord Aylesford,was told by his wife that she was going to leave him for another man,Lord Blandford,who was himself married. Aylesford was appalled and decided to seek a divorce. Meanwhile, Lord Blandford's brother,Lord Randolph Churchill,persuaded the lovers against an elopement. Now concerned by the threat of divorce, Lady Aylesford sought to dissuade her husband from proceeding, but Lord Aylesford was adamant and refused to reconsider. In an attempt to pressure Lord Aylesford to drop his divorce suit, Lady Aylesford and Lord Randolph Churchill called on Alexandra and told her that if the divorce was to proceed they would subpoena her husband as a witness and implicate him in the scandal. Distressed at their threats, and following the advice ofSir William Knollysandthe Duchess of Teck,Alexandra informed the Queen, who then wrote to the Prince of Wales. The prince was incensed. Eventually, the Blandfords and the Aylesfords both separated privately. Although Lord Randolph Churchill later apologised, for years afterwards the Prince of Wales refused to speak to or see him.[34]

Alexandra spent the spring of 1877 in Greece recuperating from a period of ill health and visiting her brother King George of Greece.[35]During theRusso-Turkish War,Alexandra was clearly partial against Turkey and towards Russia, where her sister was married to the Tsarevitch, and she lobbied for a revision of the border between Greece and Turkey in favour of the Greeks.[36]Alexandra spent the next three years largely parted from her two sons as the boys were sent on a worldwide cruise as part of their naval and general education. The farewell was very tearful and, as shown by her regular letters, she missed them terribly.[37]In 1881, Alexandra and Albert Edward travelled toSaint Petersburgafter the assassination ofAlexander II of Russia,both to represent Britain and so that Alexandra could provide comfort to her sister, who had becometsarina.[38]

Alexandra, photographed byAlexander Bassano,1881

Alexandra undertook many public duties; in the words of Queen Victoria, "to spare me the strain and fatigue of functions. She opens bazaars, attends concerts, visits hospitals in my place... she not only never complains, but endeavours to prove that she has enjoyed what to another would be a tiresome duty."[39]She took a particular interest in theLondon Hospital,visiting it regularly.Joseph Merrick,the so-called "Elephant Man", was one of the patients whom she met.[40]Crowds usually cheered Alexandra rapturously,[41]but during a visit to Ireland in 1885, she suffered a rare moment of public hostility when visiting theCity of Cork,a hotbed ofIrish nationalism.She and her husband were booed by a crowd of two to three thousand people brandishing sticks and black flags. She smiled her way through the ordeal, which the British press still portrayed in a positive light, describing the crowds as "enthusiastic".[42]As part of the same visit, she received a Doctorate in Music fromTrinity College Dublin.[43]

Alexandra was deeply saddened by the death of her eldest son, Prince Albert Victor, in 1892. His room and possessions were kept exactly as he had left them, much as those of his grandfather Prince Albert were left after his death in 1861.[44]Alexandra said, "I have buried my angel and with him my happiness."[45]Surviving letters between Alexandra and her children indicate that they were mutually devoted.[46]In 1894, her brother-in-lawAlexander III of Russiadied and her nephewNicholas II of RussiabecameTsar.Alexandra's widowed sister, the Dowager Empress of Russia, leant heavily on her for support; Alexandra, who had gone to Russia accompanied by her husband, the Prince of Wales, slept, prayed, and stayed beside her sister for the next two weeks until Alexander's burial.[47]Alexandra and her husband stayed on for the wedding of Nicholas to their niecePrincess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine,who had taken the Russian name Alexandra Feodorovna and became the new tsarina.

Queen and empress consort

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Portrait byLuke Fildes,1905

With thedeath of her mother-in-law,Queen Victoria, in 1901, Alexandra became queen-empress with her husband's accession as Edward VII. Just two months later, her son George and daughter-in-lawMaryleft on an extensive tour of the empire, leaving their young children in the care of Alexandra and Edward, who doted on their grandchildren. On George's return, preparations forEdward and Alexandra's coronationinWestminster Abbeywere well in hand, but just a few days before the scheduled coronation in June 1902, the King became seriously ill withappendicitis.Alexandra deputised for him at a military parade and attended theRoyal Ascot raceswithout him, in an attempt to prevent public alarm.[48]Eventually, the coronation had to be postponed and Edward had an operation performed byFrederick Trevesof theLondon Hospitalto drain the infected appendix. After his recovery, Alexandra and Edward were crowned together in August: the King by theArchbishop of Canterbury,Frederick Temple,and the Queen by theArchbishop of York,William Dalrymple Maclagan.[49]

Alexandra (right) was an enthusiastic amateur photographer.[50]This photograph of her with her daughter Victoria is fromQueen Alexandra's Christmas gift book,which was published in 1908 to raise money for charities.

Despite being queen, Alexandra's duties changed little, and she kept many of the same retainers. Alexandra'sWoman of the Bedchamber,Charlotte Knollys,the daughter of Sir William Knollys, served Alexandra loyally for many years. On 10 December 1903, Knollys woke to find her bedroom full of smoke. She roused Alexandra and shepherded her to safety. In the words ofGrand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,"We must give credit to old Charlotte forreallysaving [Alexandra's] life. "[51]

Alexandra again looked after her grandchildren when George and Mary went on a second tour, this time toBritish India,over the winter of 1905–06.[52]Her father, Christian IX of Denmark, died that January. Eager to retain their family links, both to each other and to Denmark, in 1907 Alexandra and her sister, the Dowager Empress of Russia, purchased a villa north of Copenhagen,Hvidøre,as a private getaway.[53]

Alexandra was denied access to the King's briefing papers and excluded from some of his foreign tours to prevent her meddling in diplomatic matters.[54]She was deeply distrustful of Germans, particularly her nephew German EmperorWilhelm II,and she invariably opposed anything that favoured German expansion or interests. For example, in 1890 Alexandra wrote a memorandum, distributed to senior British ministers and military personnel, warning against the planned exchange of the BritishNorth Seaisland ofHeligolandfor the German colony ofZanzibar,pointing out Heligoland's strategic significance and that it could be used either by Germany to launch an attack, or by Britain to contain German aggression.[55]Despite this,the exchangewent ahead. The Germans fortified the island and, in the words ofRobert Ensorand as Alexandra had predicted, it "became the keystone of Germany's maritime position for offence as well as for defence".[56]TheFrankfurter Zeitungwas outspoken in its condemnation of Alexandra and her sister, the Dowager Empress, saying that the pair were "the centre of the international anti-German conspiracy".[57]Alexandra despised and distrusted Emperor Wilhelm, calling him "inwardly our enemy" in 1900.[58]

In 1910, Alexandra became the first queen consort to visit theBritish House of Commonsduring a debate. In a remarkable departure from precedent, for two hours she sat in the Ladies' Gallery overlooking the chamber while theParliament Bill,to remove the right of theHouse of Lordsto veto legislation, was debated.[59]Privately, Alexandra disagreed with the bill.[60]Shortly afterwards, she left to visit her brother George inCorfu.While there, she received news that King Edward was seriously ill. Alexandra returned at once and arrived only the day beforeher husband died.In his last hours, she personally administered oxygen from a gas cylinder to help him breathe.[61]She toldFrederick Ponsonby,"I feel as if I had been turned into stone, unable to cry, unable to grasp the meaning of it all."[62]Later that year she moved out ofBuckingham PalacetoMarlborough House,but she retained possession of Sandringham.[63]The new king, Alexandra's son George V, soon faced a decision over the Parliament Bill. Despite her personal views, Alexandra supported her son's reluctant agreement to Prime MinisterH. H. Asquith's request to create sufficient Liberal peers after a general election if the Lords continued to block the legislation.[64]

Queen mother

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Queen Alexandra, 1923

From Edward's death, Alexandra wasqueen mother,being adowager queenand the mother of the reigning monarch. She did not attendthe coronation of her son and daughter-in-law in 1911since it was not customary for a crowned queen to attend the coronation of another king or queen, but otherwise continued the public side of her life, devoting time to her charitable causes. One such cause wasAlexandra Rose Day,where artificial roses made by people with disabilities were sold in aid of hospitals by women volunteers.[65][c]During theFirst World Warthe custom of hanging the banners of foreign princes invested with Britain's highest order of knighthood, theOrder of the Garter,inSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle,came under criticism, as the German members of the Order were fighting against Britain. Alexandra joined calls to "have down those hateful German banners".[66]Driven by public opinion, but against his own wishes, the King had the banners removed; but to Alexandra's dismay, he had taken down not only "those vilePrussianbanners "but also those of herHessianrelations who were, in her opinion, "simply soldiers or vassals under that brutal German Emperor's orders".[66]On 17 September 1916, she was at Sandringham during aZeppelinair raid,[67]but far worse was to befall other members of her family. In Russia, her nephewTsar Nicholas IIwas overthrown and he, his wife and their children werekilled by revolutionaries.Alexandra's sister, the Dowager Empress, was rescued from Russia in 1919 byHMSMarlboroughand brought to England, where she lived for some time with Alexandra.[68]

Last years and death

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Main article:Death and funeral of Alexandra of Denmark

Alexandra retained a youthful appearance into her senior years,[69]but during the war her age caught up with her.[70]She took to wearing elaborate veils and heavy makeup, which was described by gossips as having her face "enamelled".[8]She made no more trips abroad, and her health worsened. In 1920, a blood vessel in her eye burst, leaving her with temporary partial blindness.[71]Towards the end of her life, her memory and speech became impaired.[72]She died on 20 November 1925 atSandringham Housefrom a heart attack. Queen Alexandralay in stateatWestminster Abbeyand was interred on 28 November next to her husband inSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.[1][73]

Legacy

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Detail of theQueen Alexandra Memorial,oppositeSt James's Palace
Wall-mounted plaque for Queen Alexandra inSt Ninian's Chapel, Braemar,where her eldest daughter is buried

TheQueen Alexandra MemorialbyAlfred Gilbertwas unveiled onAlexandra Rose Day8 June 1932 at Marlborough Gate, London.[74]An ode in her memory,"So many true princesses who have gone",composed by the thenMaster of the King's MusickSirEdward Elgarto words by thePoet LaureateJohn Masefield,was sung at the unveiling and conducted by the composer.[75]

Alexandra was highly popular with the British public.[76]Unlike her husband and mother-in-law, Alexandra was not castigated by the press.[77]Funds that she helped to collect were used to buy a river launch, calledAlexandra,to ferry the wounded during theSudan campaign,[78]and to fit out a hospital ship, namedThe Princess of Wales,to bring back wounded from theBoer War.[79]During the Boer War, Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, later renamedQueen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps,was founded under Royal Warrant.

Alexandra had little understanding of money.[80]The management of her finances was left in the hands of her loyalcomptroller,SirDighton ProbynVC,who undertook a similar role for her husband. In the words of her grandson,Edward VIII(later the Duke of Windsor), "Her generosity was a source of embarrassment to her financial advisers. Whenever she received a letter soliciting money, a cheque would be sent by the next post, regardless of the authenticity of the mendicant and without having the case investigated."[81]Though she was not always extravagant (she had her old stockings darned for re-use and her old dresses were recycled as furniture covers),[82]she would dismiss protests about her heavy spending with a wave of a hand or by claiming that she had not heard.[83]

Alexandra hid a small scar on her neck, which was probably the result of a childhood operation,[84]by wearingchokernecklaces and high necklines, setting fashions which were adopted for fifty years.[85]Alexandra's effect on fashion was so profound that society ladies even copied her limping gait, after her serious illness in 1867 left her with a stiff leg.[86]This came to be known as the "Alexandra limp".[87][88]She used predominantly the London fashion houses; her favourite wasRedfern's,but she shopped occasionally atDoucetand Fromont of Paris.[82]

Alexandra has been portrayed on television byDeborah GrantandHelen RyaninEdward the Seventh,Ann FirbankinLillie,Maggie SmithinAll the King's Men,andBibi AnderssoninThe Lost Prince.[89][90][91][92]She was portrayed in film by Helen Ryan again in the 1980 filmThe Elephant Man,Sara Stewartin the 1997 filmMrs Brown,andJulia Blakein the 1999 filmPassion.[93][94][95]In a 1980 stage play byRoyce Ryton,Motherdear,she was portrayed byMargaret Lockwoodin her last acting role.[96]Also, in 1907, theRoyal Alexandra Theatrewas built inToronto,Canada,as North America's first royal theatre. The venue was named after her, after a patent letter was granted by the King, her husband Edward VII.[97]

Honours

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British

She was the first woman since 1488 to be made aLady of the Garter.[99]

Foreign

Arms

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Queen Alexandra's arms upon theaccessionof her husband in 1901 were theroyal coat of arms of the United Kingdomimpaled with the arms of her father, the King of Denmark.[110][111]The shield is surmounted by the imperial crown, and supported by the crowned lion of England and a wild man or savage from theDanish royal arms.[110]

Coat of arms of Alexandra, Princess of Wales Coat of arms of Queen Alexandra As aLady of the Garter,Alexandra'sbanner of armshung inSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle,during her lifetime despite the objections ofGarter Principal King of ArmsSirAlbert Woods.When Woods complained that placing her banner in the chapel would be unprecedented, "the King promptly ordered the banner to be put up."[112] Royal cypherof Queen Alexandra

Issue

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Further information:Descendants of Christian IX of Denmark § Children of Alexandra and Edward VII
This section is an excerpt fromEdward VII § Issue.[edit]
Name Birth Death Marriage/notes
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale 8 January 1864 14 January 1892 (aged 28) engaged 1891, to Princess VictoriaMary of Teck
George V 3 June 1865 20 January 1936 (aged 70) 1893, Princess VictoriaMary of Teck;had issue includingEdward VIIIandGeorge VI
Louise, Princess Royal 20 February 1867 4 January 1931 (aged 63) 1889,Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife;had issue
Princess Victoria 6 July 1868 3 December 1935 (aged 67) never married and without issue
Princess Maud 26 November 1869 20 November 1938 (aged 68) 1896,Prince Carl of Denmark (King of Norway as Haakon VII from 1905);had issue includingPrince Alexander (later Olav V)
Prince Alexander John of Wales 6 April 1871 7 April 1871 born and died atSandringham House

Ancestry

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Her mother and father were both great-grandchildren ofFrederick V of Denmarkand great-great-grandchildren of KingGeorge II of Great Britain.
  2. ^Nicholas died within a few months of the engagement and she married his brotherAlexanderinstead.
  3. ^TheAlexandra Rose Dayfund still exists; its patron isPrincess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy,Alexandra's great-granddaughter.

References

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  1. ^abEilers, Marlene A.,Queen Victoria's Descendants,p. 171.
  2. ^Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (ed.)(1977).Burke's Royal Families of the World,Volume 1. (London:Burke's Peerage).ISBN0-220-66222-3.pp. 69–70.
  3. ^Duff 1980,pp. 16–17.
  4. ^Duff 1980,p. 18.
  5. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 8.
  6. ^Maclagan, Michael;Louda, Jiří (1999).Lines of Succession(London:Little, Brown).ISBN1-85605-469-1.p. 49.
  7. ^Duff 1980,pp. 19–20.
  8. ^abPriestley 1970,p. 17.
  9. ^"Idun (1890): Nr 15 (121) (Swedish)"(PDF).Archived(PDF)from the original on 4 March 2016.Retrieved3 October2010– via ub.gu.se.
  10. ^Duff 1980,p. 21.
  11. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 125, 176.
  12. ^Prince Albert, quoted in Duff, p. 31.
  13. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 27–37;Bentley-Cranch 1992,p. 44;Duff 1980,p. 43
  14. ^The Landing of HRH The Princess Alexandra at Gravesend, 7th March 1863Archived11 December 2008 at theWayback Machine,National Portrait Gallery, retrieved on 16 July 2009.
  15. ^Duff 1980,pp. 48–50.
  16. ^Duff 1980,p. 60.
  17. ^abPurdue, A. W. (September 2004)."Alexandra (1844–1925)",Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,Oxford University Press,doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30375,retrieved 16 July 2009 (subscription required).
  18. ^Mrs. Blackburn, the head nurse, quoted in Duff, p. 115.
  19. ^Hough 1993,p. 116.
  20. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 82–86;Duff 1980,pp. 73, 81
  21. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 127, 222–223;Priestley 1970,p. 17
  22. ^Duff 1980,p. 143.
  23. ^Hough 1993,p. 102.
  24. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 94.
  25. ^Duff 1980,pp. 93–100.
  26. ^Duff 1980,p. 111.
  27. ^Philip Magnus,quoted in Battiscombe, pp. 109–110.
  28. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 110.
  29. ^Hough 1993,pp. 132–134.
  30. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 271;Priestley 1970,pp. 18, 180
  31. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 100–101.
  32. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 88;Duff 1980,p. 82
  33. ^Duff 1980,p. 85.
  34. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 132–135.
  35. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 136.
  36. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 150–152.
  37. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 155–156.
  38. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 157–160;Duff 1980,p. 131
  39. ^Queen Victoria, quoted in Duff, p. 146.
  40. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 257–258;Duff 1980,pp. 148–151
  41. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 166.
  42. ^Daily Telegraph,quoted in Battiscombe, p. 168.
  43. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 167.
  44. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 189–193, 197;Duff 1980,p. 184
  45. ^Alexandra, quoted in Duff, p. 186.
  46. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 141–142.
  47. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 205;Duff 1980,pp. 196–197
  48. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 243–244.
  49. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 249.
  50. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 204.
  51. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 253.
  52. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 258.
  53. ^Battiscombe 1969,p. 262;Duff 1980,pp. 239–240
  54. ^Duff 1980,pp. 225–227.
  55. ^Battiscombe 1969,pp. 176–179.
  56. ^Ensor 1936,p. 194.
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  66. ^abAlexandra to King George V, quoted in Battiscombe, p. 285.
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Alexandra of Denmark
Cadet branch of theHouse of Oldenburg
Born:1 December 1844Died:20 November 1925
Royal titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
asprince consort 		Queen consort of the United Kingdom
1901–1910 		Succeeded by
New title Empress consort of India
1901–1910

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