Alexandra, Princess Royal: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
 
(3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 2: Line 2:
| name          = Alexandra  
| name          = Alexandra  
| title          = Princess Royal<br/>Duchess of Uppland
| title          = Princess Royal<br/>Duchess of Uppland
| image          = AlexandraPR.jpg
| image          =  
[[File:Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood.jpg|200px]]


| image_size    = Medium
| image_size    = Medium
Line 8: Line 9:
| succession  =  {{wp|Governor-General of New Zealand}}
| succession  =  {{wp|Governor-General of New Zealand}}
| moretext    =  
| moretext    =  
| reign        =  26 November, 1924 - 5 June, 1934
| reign        =  26 November 1924 - 5 June 1934
| reign-type  =  In office
| reign-type  =  In office
| coronation  =  [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]]
| coronation  =  [[Frederick of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Frederick]]
| cor-type    =  Monarch
| cor-type    =  Monarch
| predecessor  =  {{wp|John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|The Viscount Jellicoe}}
| predecessor  =  {{wp|John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|The Viscount Jellicoe}}
Line 70: Line 71:
| full name      = Alexandra Sophia George Frederick Victoria
| full name      = Alexandra Sophia George Frederick Victoria
| house          = {{wp|House of Hanover|Hanover}} (by birth)<br/>{{wp|House of Bernadotte|Bernadotte}} (by marriage)
| house          = {{wp|House of Hanover|Hanover}} (by birth)<br/>{{wp|House of Bernadotte|Bernadotte}} (by marriage)
| father        = [[George V of the United Kingdom|George V]]
| father        = [[George IV and V of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|George IV and V]]
| mother        = {{wp|Sophia of Prussia}}
| mother        = {{wp|Sophia of Prussia}}
| religion      = {{wp|Protestantism|Protestant}}
| religion      = {{wp|Protestantism|Protestant}}
}}
}}


'''Alexandra, Princess Royal''' (Alexandra Sophia George Frederick Victoria; 11 May, 1898 - 2 December, 1974) was ''Duchess of Uppland'' through her marriage with {{wp|Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland}}. The eldest daughter of [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] and {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|Princess Sophia of Prussia}}, Alexandra was generally known for her somewhat notably eccentric lifestyle and her progressive take on both domestic and foreign issues. Like her [[George V of the United Kingdom|father]] whom was generally revered for his own statebuilding efforts in {{wp|Canada}}, Alexandra herself was mostly involved in the development of {{wp|New Zealand}} itself, when she was its {{wp|Governor-General of New Zealand|Governor-General}} from the year 1924 to 1934. During her decade long tenure as the country's {{wp|Governor-General of New Zealand|Governor-General}}, she mainly oversaw efforts in combating rising unemployment directly caused by the {{wp|Great Depression}} in 1929.  
'''Alexandra, Princess Royal''' (Alexandra Sophia George Frederick Victoria; 11 May 1898 - 2 December 1974) was ''Duchess of Uppland'' through her marriage with {{wp|Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland}}. The only daughter of [[George IV and V of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King George IV and V]] and {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|Princess Sophia of Prussia}}, Alexandra was known for her unconventional lifestyle as a royal princess, with her behaviour and mannerisms often arousing much controversy as well as interest from the public.


Her grandnephew, the [[Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Albany|Duchess of Albany]], and her great-grandnephew, the current [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]] were believed to had been named after her.
Considered to be a bright, beautiful, and strong-willed princess, Alexandra first achieved much fame working for the {{wp|Red Cross}} during the {{wp|First World War}}, where she was actively involved in providing healthcare to wounded {{wp|Allies of World War I|Allied}} forces. Following the war, and especially through her marriage to the {{wp|Swedish}} {{wp|Sigvard Bernadotte|Prince Sigvard}} in 1933, Alexandra went on to establish a modestly successful business of her own in the field of industrial design together with her {{wp|Sigvard Bernadotte|husband}}, consequently making her one of the richest women of her time.  


==Early Life==
Meanwhile, from 1924 to 1934, Alexandra also served as the {{wp|governor-general}} of {{wp|New Zealand}}, in which capacity she actively assisted in helping ordinary {{wp|New Zealanders}} whose lives were uprooted by the {{wp|Great Depression}} in 1929. In addition to that, Alexandra also took deep interest in the {{wp|New Zealand|country}}'s biodiversity, helping to establish a number of protected parks as well as a number of zoos around the country, including the {{wp|Princess Royal Zoo}} in {{wp|Christchurch}}, {{wp|New Zealand}}.
Alexandra was born on May 11th, 1898 as the second child of the then [[George V of the United Kingdom|George, Prince of Wales]] and {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|Princess Sophia of Prussia}}. The eldest born daughter of the princely couple, she was given the name "Alexandra", meaning "defender/protector of man" as to purportedly emphasize her status as the eldest daughter of the family, though it was reportedly meant as a tribute instead to the {{wp|Russian}} empress, {{wp|Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse)|Maria Alexandrovna}}, whom Alexandra's [[George V of the United Kingdom|father]] considered as a mother figure during his early years. Nevertheless, she was subsquently named first after her own parents, the [[George V of the United Kingdom|''Prince'']] and {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|''Princess of Wales''}}, before being followed by that of her maternal grandparents, the late {{wp|Frederick III, German Emperor}} and the former {{wp|Victoria, Princess Royal|German Empress Victoria}}. Due to her parents' tendency to apply nicknames towards their children, Alexandra was simply known as "Alix", a shortened form of her given name throughout her childhood years, while her sister [[Henrietta, Hereditary Princess of Denmark|Henrietta]] was respectively referred to as "Hetty" by their parents.


Unlike most of her {{wp|British}} royal relatives at the time, Alexandra, like her brother [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward]], and her later siblings were all born in the country of {{wp|Canada}} instead, due to their parents' affinity for the country and the fact that Alexandra's father, [[George V of the United Kingdom|George, Prince of Wales]] was then serving as a {{wp|Governor-General of Canada}}. Regardless, despite the much less pompous nature of her family's {{wp|Rideau Hall|residence}}, Alexandra and her siblings enjoyed a relatively prosperous and happy upbringing in the personal hands of their parents whom, despite their gubernatorial commitments were able to passionately devote their time and effort towards their own children. For instance, Alexandra's father, being a particularly learned man in the liberal arts would often spend a considerable amount of his own free time in educating the young Alexandra in general subjects including mathematics, science, and history, while her mother, {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|Princess Sophia}} would often become the young princess's companion in womanly activities such as dancing and cooking. In terms of sports, Alexandra generally excelled in almost all the sports taught by her privately hired tutors though she was often said to had been particularly excellent and unrivaled in the sport of archery, which was said to had contributed to her distinctly toned arms.  
Despite no official acknowledgement, it has been widely believed that the Princess Royal was engaged in a fairly lengthy affair with {{wp|Major}} {{wp|Hendrik-Jan ter Moolen}}, a {{wp|Dutch}} army officer thirty years her senior, and whose affair with the Princess Royal resulted in the birth of two illegitimate children, including {{wp|Dutch}} politician, {{wp|Mechiel ter Moolen}}, whom was {{wp|Prime Minister of the Netherlands}} from 1977 to 1982.


Though she shared a generally warm relationship with all her siblings, Alexandra was noted to had been more particularly close to her younger brother [[Prince Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Frederick]], whom like Alexandra herself was described as being of the ''"more louder, and more vigorous"'' of the four, in contrast to the other two, [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward]] and [[Henrietta, Hereditary Princess of Denmark|Henrietta]], whom were deemed as being of the more ''"reserved, and quite"'' type of siblings.
==Early Life==
 
===First World War===
On January 30th, 1913, with the death of Alexandra's grandfather, [[William V of the United Kingdom|King William V]], her father, as the heir apparent subsequently became {{wp|King of the United Kingdom}}, under the regnal name of ''George V''. Almost immediately, Alexandra and her siblings were forced to return from {{wp|Canada}} to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, where she, alongside her sister lived alongside their parents with the notable exception of their brothers, [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward]] and [[Prince Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Frederick]] whom had been sent to live in exile in {{wp|Sweden}} instead, alongside Alexandra's recently wedded sister-in-law, {{wp|Victoria Louise of Prussia|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia}}. During their subsequent stay in the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, despite the two princesses remaining generally close to their ever-loving parents, they nevertheless found themselves being the subject of ridicule and contempt, particularly by {{wp|British}} nationalists whom were particularly irked by the heavy {{wp|German}} background of Alexandra's mother, {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|Sophia}}. Nevertheless, amidst the wave of criticism directed towards the royal family at the time, which were said to had occassionally brought Alexandra's mother, {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|Queen Sophia}} to tears, both mother and daughter were said to had generally grew much more emotionally closer to one another, as the younger Alexandra would often comfort her distressed mother at almost every opportunity, whilst acting as the latter's close confidante. Furthermore, despite having been separated from her brothers in {{wp|Sweden}}, Alexandra generally maintained close relations with them through the exchange of letters and telegrams, through which she would occassionally plead for their return.


==Adulthood==
==Adulthood==
In the years following the end of the {{wp|First World War}} up until the death of their father, [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] in 1923, Alexandra, together with her brother [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward]], whom had then just returned from his exile in {{wp|Sweden}} diligently took care of their parents' wellbeing on a daily basis, due to their [[George V of the United Kingdom|father]]'s deteriorating conditions as a consequence of wartime exposure. In the year 1921, Alexandra was sent to {{wp|Crown Colony of Malta|Malta}} where she oversaw the establishment of the first {{wp|Maltese}} {{wp|Parliament of Malta|parliament}}, during which she was also introduced to the new {{wp|Prime Minister of Malta}}, {{wp|Joseph Howard (Prime Minister)|Joseph Howard}}. 


==Marriage==
==Marriage==
At the time of her birth, Alexandra's position as the eldest daughter of a future monarch initially prompted the then [[William V of the United Kingdom|King William V]] to potentially arrange a dynastic marriage with the other {{wp|European}} monarchies through Alexandra herself. However, her slightly younger stature, and the death of the king when the princess was only fifteen years old, thus eliminated all possibilities of her being arranged with a political marriage as her parents, the new [[George V of the United Kingdom|King]] and {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|Queen}} generally detested such a concept, preferring for their eldest daughter to seek her own reputable partner. These circumstances were later said to had been the driving factor behind Alexandra's later open and somewhat eccentric lifestyle, known for its string of affairs and her general openness with members of society, regardless of class and social standing.
===POST-WWI===
following the end of the {{wp|First World War}}, the now twenty year old Alexandra experienced her first romantic experience when she was introduced to {{wp|Knud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark|Prince Knud of Denmark}}, whom she initially found attractive due to his military education, though no further prospects arose between them, with {{wp|Knud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark|Knud}} himself later marrying Alexandra's sister, [[Henrietta, Hereditary Princess of Denmark|Princess Henrietta]].
===de Caro Incident===
On October 1921, having been sent to {{wp|Malta}} to oversaw the inauguration of its very first {{wp|Parliament of Malta|Parliament}}, Alexandra, as a result of her general eccentricity, quickly became the subject of aspiration for many local {{wp|Maltese}} men, as they would often be addressed by the princess whom reportedly frequented homes and taverns around the island. Eventually, at one certain point, Alexandra came into contact with a man by the name of Guzeppi de Caro, a renowned businessman in {{wp|Malta}}, and whom was almost twice her age. Reportedly, amidst the intense coverage surrounding herself during her stay in the country, both the princess and de Caro were said to had promptly initiated a romantic relationship upon their first encounter.


For the first couple of weeks, the nature of their relationship remained generally concealed due to the extreme lengths taken by both sides to maintain the status quo. However, entering the third week, the princess and de Caro were finally identified by the locals as a romantic couple, which subsequently earned the ire of some {{wp|Maltese}} nationalists whom perceived Alexandra to be that of a foreigner despite her apparent closeness with the general public. On approximately October 30th that year, their relationship came to a head when local authorities discovered a dismembered de Caro off the shores of {{wp|Marsamxett Harbour}}. Initially, de Caro's death was ruled as an accidental drowning but it was soon changed to that of a murder once signs of a gunshot were discovered on de Caro's corpse. Almost immediately, Alexandra, whom had then been living for some time in the country quickly came under scrutiny as some asserted that on the night before, de Caro was allegedly seen leaving the princess's residence, before his body was subsequently discovered the next morning. Ultimately, none, including Alexandra herself was ever charged for de Caro's murder but the speculations surrounding the latter's demise, with rumours of a nationalist plot being responsible prompted the princess to finally depart from {{wp|Malta}}.


==Personal Information==
==Personal Information==
Line 124: Line 112:
| 3 = 3. {{wp|Sophia of Prussia}}
| 3 = 3. {{wp|Sophia of Prussia}}
| 4 = 4. [[William V of the United Kingdom]]
| 4 = 4. [[William V of the United Kingdom]]
| 5 = 5. {{wp|Charlotte of Belgium}}
| 5 = 5. {{wp|Princess Louise of Prussia}}
| 6 = 6. {{wp|Frederick III, German Emperor}}
| 6 = 6. {{wp|Frederick III, German Emperor}}
| 7 = 7. {{wp|Victoria, Princess Royal|Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom}}
| 7 = 7. {{wp|Victoria, Princess Royal|Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom}}
| 8 = 8. {{wp|William IV of the United Kingdom}}
| 8 = 8. {{wp|William IV of the United Kingdom}}
| 9 = 9. {{wp|Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen}}
| 9 = 9. {{wp|Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen}}
| 10 = 10. {{wp|Leopold I of Belgium}}
| 10 = 10. {{wp|William I, German Emperor}}
| 11 = 11. {{wp|Louise of Orléans}}
| 11 = 11. {{wp|Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}
|12= 12. {{wp|William I, German Emperor}}
|12 = 12. {{wp|William I, German Emperor}}
|13= 13. {{wp|Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach|Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}
|13 = 13. {{wp|Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}
| 14 = 14. {{wp|Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|Albert, Prince Consort}}
|14 = 14. {{wp|Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}}
| 15 = 15. {{wp|Victoria of the United Kingdom}}
|15 = 15. {{wp|Victoria of the United Kingdom}}
}}
}}

Latest revision as of 06:08, 23 March 2023

Alexandra
Princess Royal
Duchess of Uppland
Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood.jpg
Governor-General of New Zealand
In office26 November 1924 - 5 June 1934
MonarchFrederick
Preceded byThe Viscount Jellicoe
Succeded byThe Viscount Galway
Prime Minister
BornPrincess Alexandra of Wales
(1898-05-11)11 May 1898
Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Canada
Died2 December 1974(1974-12-02) (aged 76)
Stockholm, Sweden
Burial5 December 1974
Royal Cemetery, Solna, Sweden
Spouse
Issue
Detail
Full name
Alexandra Sophia George Frederick Victoria
HouseHanover (by birth)
Bernadotte (by marriage)
FatherGeorge IV and V
MotherSophia of Prussia
ReligionProtestant

Alexandra, Princess Royal (Alexandra Sophia George Frederick Victoria; 11 May 1898 - 2 December 1974) was Duchess of Uppland through her marriage with Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland. The only daughter of King George IV and V and Princess Sophia of Prussia, Alexandra was known for her unconventional lifestyle as a royal princess, with her behaviour and mannerisms often arousing much controversy as well as interest from the public.

Considered to be a bright, beautiful, and strong-willed princess, Alexandra first achieved much fame working for the Red Cross during the First World War, where she was actively involved in providing healthcare to wounded Allied forces. Following the war, and especially through her marriage to the Swedish Prince Sigvard in 1933, Alexandra went on to establish a modestly successful business of her own in the field of industrial design together with her husband, consequently making her one of the richest women of her time.

Meanwhile, from 1924 to 1934, Alexandra also served as the governor-general of New Zealand, in which capacity she actively assisted in helping ordinary New Zealanders whose lives were uprooted by the Great Depression in 1929. In addition to that, Alexandra also took deep interest in the country's biodiversity, helping to establish a number of protected parks as well as a number of zoos around the country, including the Princess Royal Zoo in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Despite no official acknowledgement, it has been widely believed that the Princess Royal was engaged in a fairly lengthy affair with Major Hendrik-Jan ter Moolen, a Dutch army officer thirty years her senior, and whose affair with the Princess Royal resulted in the birth of two illegitimate children, including Dutch politician, Mechiel ter Moolen, whom was Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1977 to 1982.

Early Life

Adulthood

Marriage

Personal Information

Titles & Honours

  • 11 May 1898 - 30 January 1913 Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Wales
  • 30 January 1913 - 21 August 1931 Her Royal Highness The Princess Alexandra
  • 21 August 1931 - 4 January 1933 Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal
  • 4 January 1933 - 2 December 1974 Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Uppland

Honours

Ancestry

Retrieved from "https://iiwiki.us/mediawiki/index.php?title=Alexandra,_Princess_Royal&oldid=631665"