Louise, Queen of Autelia
| Louise | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Louise in January 1973 | |||||
| Queen consort of Autelia | |||||
| Reign | 1 October 1958 - 5 February 1973 | ||||
| Born | Princess Louise of Wales 2 June 1916 Sandringham, Norfolk, England | ||||
| Died | 5 February 1973 (aged 56) Santerre, Autelia | ||||
| Spouse | Frederick Allenby-Smith, Viscount Thornwick (m. 1940; died 1943) Alexander III of Autelia (m. 1953) | ||||
| Issue | Princess Thyra Princess Victoria | ||||
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| House | Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (by birth) Cambron (by marriage) | ||||
| Father | William IV of the United Kingdom | ||||
| Mother | Thyra of Denmark | ||||
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Louise (Louise Alexandra Dagmar Thyra Charlotte; 2 June 1916 - 5 February 1973) was Queen consort of Autelia from 1958 until her death in 1973.
She was the second wife of Alexander III of Autelia.
Early life
Princess Louise Alexandra Dagmar Thyra Charlotte of Wales was born on 2 June 1916 at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England. She was the eldest daughter of William, Prince of Wales and Thyra, Princess of Wales.
She was christened at St. James's Palace on 11 September 1916 by John Rowland-Atkins, Archbishop of Canterbury. Her godparents were her maternal uncle Christian IX of Denmark, her paternal aunt Elizabeth, Princess Royal, her maternal grandmother Queen Louise of Denmark, and her paternal uncle Prince Frederick, Duke of Cambridge.
As a young girl, Princess Louise was raised by nannies and was taught by governesses. She was reported to be excellent in French, Embroidery, and Ballet. In 1934, she spent a term at a finishing school in Switzerland, where she continued her passion for the French language.
First marriage
Princess Louise married for the first time to Frederick Allenby-Smith, Viscount Thornwick, heir to the Earldom of Ilden. The wedding took place on 30 June 1940 at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Lord Thornwick, who was serving in the Army during World War II as a Corporal, was killed in action on 6 September 1943. At the time of his death, Princess Louise had been six months pregnant with the couple's child. Due to the stress, she suffered a miscarriage shortly afterwards.
Louise spent two years in mourning for her husband, and did not return to public duties until after the war ended.
Second marriage and children
Princess Louise began holidaying on the Autelian coast in Summer 1949. She purchased a home for herself, Villa Frederica near Port-Fortune. As she spent more time in the area, she began to recieve visits from the Autelian royal family. She struck up a friendship with the also recently-widowed Crown Prince Alexander. The two were able to bond over their respective losses and, after some time, their relationship became romantic.
Alexander proposed to Louise on her 36th Birthday, 2 June 1952. She happily accepted and their engagement was announced the following week. They were married in a lavish ceremony at the Cathédral de Saint-Seigneur de Santerre on Valentine's Day 1953. They honeymooned in Malta, where they stayed at the British royal family's residence Villa Guardamangia.
Louise became stepmother to Alexander's daughter from his first marriage, Princess Marie-Claude, who was ten years old at the time. She and Alexander also had two children together:
- Princess Thyra Louise Sophie Élisabeth of Autelia (born 1955); married in 1979 to Duke Ferdinand William of Württemburg, had issue.
- Princess Victoria Charlotte Eugénie Ingeborg of Autelia (born 1958); married in 1995 to Count Nicolas de Domme-Locronan, had issue.
Crown Princess of Autelia
Louise began to settle into her new role by taking on new charity patronages. Her first patronages included the Autelian War Widows' Fund, the National Theatre of Autelia, and the Equestrian Society of Autelia. The Crown Prince and Princess undertook a state visit to Japan in 1954, where they were received well.
She took a few months of rest in 1955 following the birth of her daughter, Princess Thyra, returning to work the following year. During this time she also inaugurated the Thyra Fund, an initiative set up in her mother and daughter's name, which would provide financial support to the education of girls and young women.
Queen consort
On 1 October 1958, her father-in-law King Charles VI died and her husband became King of Autelia, thus making Louise the new Queen consort.