Princess Josephine, Mrs Alexander

Princess Josephine
British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
In office	1955 - 1956
Preceded by	Sir Clinton Pelham
Succeeded by	Diplomatic relations severed due to Suez Crisis
Monarch	Charles III
In office	1963 - 1979
Preceded by	Diplomatic relations severed due to Suez Crisis
Succeeded by	Sir James Craig
Monarch	Charles III
Born	Josephine Astrid Charles Frederick Gustaf (1930-02-20)20 February 1930 Drottningholm Palace, Sweden
Died	20 November 2005(2005-11-20) (aged 75) Drottningholm Palace, Sweden
Burial	23 November 2005 Westminster Abbey, London
Spouse	Philip Alexander (m. 1959; died 2001)
Issue Detail	Philip Thomas Alexander Mary Eleanor Alexander Charlotte Elizabeth Alexander Alexandra Williams Alexander
Full name Josephine Astrid Charles Frederick Gustaf
House	Hanover
Father	Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale
Mother	Astrid of Sweden
Religion	Protestant

Princess Josephine, Mrs Alexander (Josephine Astrid Charles Frederick Gustaf; 20 February 1930 - 20 November 2005) was a British princess, diplomat, and humanitarian. Alongside her sister Charlotte and older brother Charles, Josephine is well known and internationally acclaimed for her line of work in the field of international relations and humanitarianism, a tradition inherited from their parents, whom were also respected diplomats and humanitarian themselves. From 1955 to 1979, she served twice as the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia to which she was considerably credited with her success, particularly in restoring British-Saudi relations in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis. Furthermore, her particular friendship with the reform-minded King Faisal of Saudi Arabia became a subject of much interest and documentation, with the princess believed to had been the Saudi king's unofficial advisor on both domestic and foreign issues.

In 1959, she married British equestrian Philip Alexander and had four children in total, consisting of one son and three daughters, namely Philip, Mary, Charlotte and Alexandra.

Early Life

Josephine was born on February 20, 1930 as the second child and eldest daughter of Prince Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale and Princess Astrid of Sweden in Drottningholm Palace, Sweden, the primary residence of her parents since their marriage in 1925. Despite being a British princess by her father's descent, Josephine, like her siblings were brought up as Swedes in a fairly modern household, with their upbringing generally mirroring much of her mother's own instead. Following her baptism ceremony, she was given the name Josephine Astrid Charles Frederick Gustaf, with her middle names honouring that of her own mother and father, and subsequently that of her paternal grandfather and great uncle, King Gustaf V of Sweden.

At the age of five, Josephine, under the strict tutelage of her mother Astrid, she began undertaking cooking lessons at home where on several occasions, she was instructed to cook a specific food which would later be judged by the latter for its deliciousness. At the same time, a private instructor was hired in order to teach the young Josephine in swimming, while lessons in horseback riding however was done by Josephine herself whom, on a daily basis would trot around the palace gardens alongside her mother with their horses.

Second World War

In 1939, following the onset of the Second World War, Josephine and her family were confined to Sweden by the insistence of her father Frederick whom had in turn enlisted in the British Army, despite some protest from Josephine's mother Astrid whom in turn wanted for her family to remain together away from the conflict. Nevertheless, with their father away for the war, Josephine and her siblings took active measures in consoling their nervous-stricken mother, as they would join the latter in daily prayers for Frederick's safety.

Though Sweden itself generally avoided any form of involvement in the war, Josephine and her siblings however adopted a rather vigilant approach to the conflict, as they were said to had consistently bought the local newspaper issues covering the war on a daily basis. Furthermore, when in private, the family of four was said to have gathered around to sing patriotic war songs in support of the Allied war effort almost every night in the palace's living room, with Josephine herself later describing those times as being "somewhat gloomy, yet inspiring and passionate". Following the exodus of Jewish refugees and exiled Danish and Norwegian soldiers, all of whom were somewhat granted access into Sweden, Josephine and her mother would at times pay spontaneous visits to Allied training camps around Sweden.

Titles & Honours

• 20 February 1930 - 8 August 1959 Her Royal Highness Princess Josephine of Clarence and Avondale
• 8 August 1959 - 20 November 2005 Her Royal Highness Princess Josephine, Mrs Alexander

Ancestry

Ancestors of Princess Josephine, Mrs Alexander

8. William V of the United Kingdom 4. George V of the United Kingdom 9. Charlotte of Belgium 2. Prince Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale 10. Frederick III, German Emperor 5. Sophia of Prussia 11. Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom 1. Princess Josephine of the United Kingdom 12. Oscar II of Sweden 6. Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland 13. Sophia of Nassau 3. Astrid of Sweden 14. Frederick VIII of Denmark 7. Ingeborg of Denmark 15. Louise of Sweden