Alexandra, Princess Royal

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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
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