royal wedding celebration

Nicknamed 'Baby' by her devoted mother, Princess Beatrice was Queen Victoria's last child. She was a merry and amusing, but quiet child. Queen Victoria was incredibly attached to the little girl and indulged her more than her other children.

Beatrice's father died when she was only 4. She became withdrawn when her father died. Her only company was her brother, Prince Leopold, who was a haemophiliac so he had to be somewhat protected. This must have been hard for the little princess to understand. She grew up to be very shy.

Princess Beatrice declared that: "I shall never be married." "I shall stay with mother," she said. Queen Victoria may have had other ideas when Beatrice was young because there were rumours that she wanted the princess to marry Louis, Prince Imperial, Empress Eugenie's son. Unfortunately, the good-looking young man was killed in 1879 in the Anglo-Zulu War.

Queen Victoria wanted Princess Beatrice to stay with her after that, and keep her company. She was very surprised when the princess fell in love with Prince Henry of Battenberg. There were many recriminations but Beatrice insisted on the marriage. For a long time, mother and daughter communicated by written notes!

Princess Vicky intervened on Princess Beatrice's behalf. She reminded the Queen that Beatrice was lonely. She said that her mother had often told her how lonely she was before she met Prince Albert. Queen Victoria also liked 'Liko' so she gave her permission for the marriage.

The Queen insisted that the couple live with her and that the Prince should give up his career in the Army. She wanted Princess Beatrice to remain her unofficial private secretary and confidante. The couple agreed and they were married in 1885. In 1886 their first son, Alexander, was born. Soon they also had a daughter, Victoria Eugenie, who had a 'meeting with destiny' ahead.

Princess Beatrice had two more sons, Leopold and Maurice. Her husband died of fever in 1896 at the Battle of Ashanti. Poor Princess Beatrice was utterly distraught and acted very strangely for a time. Eventually she continued her charity work for the Red Cross and she became governor of the Isle of Wight. (This position was inherited from her husband.)

The Princess lived to see her daughter become Queen of Spain. Unfortunately, in 1931 Republicanism was on the rise in Spain and King Alfonso XIII decided to abdicate in order to avoid civil war. Queen Ena died ten years before her grandson became King of Spain.

Princess Beatrice had a sad life. Two of her sons died. Maurice was killed in the Great War and Leopold died of haemophilia. By this time, she'd also lost many of her siblings.

In 1931 the Princess fell and broke two bones in her arm. She declined after that, suffering from lameness and cataracts. Her last two years were spent at Branbridge Park, Sussex, with Helena's daughters.

Queen Ena arrived to say goodbye to her mother when she became ill for the last time. A converted bomber was sent to fetch her from Switzerland because it was 1944. Princess Beatrice was 87. She is buried at the Isle of Wight beside her husband.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were very concerned when they noticed that their eighth child, Leopold, was thin and weak and bruised very easily. They were horrified when the diagnosis was haemopilia - a hereditary bleeding disease.

Their 'child of anxiety' was born on April 8, 1853. Queen Victoria was inclined to be over-protective of this sickly child who wanted to play normally with his brothers and sisters. He was easily injured and often prevented from playing games because of the danger. Prince Albert was more understanding and a mentor to his son without being too protective. He would ride and walk with his young son.

Leopold was clever, amusing, and curious. He showed some talent in art and enjoyed playing the piano which he was also good at. He learned to read quickly and liked reading. He impressed his mother with his lack of shyness and intelligent conversation and he helped her entertain guests.


Queen Victoria was so pleased with him that she gave him the Order of the Garter a year earlier than her other sons. She liked his persistence and dedication to learning in spite of his illness.

Leopold studied art, science, and modern languages at Christ College, Oxford. He started to acquire an extensive library and collected ceramics and art. He was a cultured man who became friends with Arthur Sullivan and Charles Dodson. He enjoyed the theatre, concerts and the opera.

The delicate young man tried constantly to stand up to his concerned and dominating mother. She didn't want him to travel overseas because of the danger but she gave him permission to visit Italy in 1878. Leopold loved the Continent and wrote to Queen Victoria that he didn't want to return to visit Balmoral. This shocked the Queen who suggested that he stay upstairs at Buckingham Palace instead! Leopold was not to be swayed and stayed longer than he originally intended in Paris.

Queen Victoria respected him more after this and let him travel abroad more often. Leopold toured Canada and visited the US with his sister, Louise, and her husband, the Governor-General of Canada.

Leopold tried not to let his illness stop him from being involved in royal duties and charities. He was very interested in furthering education and supported many educational institutions, such as The Royal Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. He also supported the establishment of a Royal College of Music. The Queen chose him to help her with her private correspondence and despatches. Bertie, the eldest son and heir to the throne, was not pleased about this.

When Leopold was 28 he was created Duke of Albany. He decided to look for a wife. He may have been interested in Alice Liddell's sister. She became engaged to one of his closest friends but tragically died. Leopold was a pall-bearer at her funeral.

He married Helen of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Queen Emma of the Netherland's sister. She was not afraid of Queen Victoria and stood up to her, even though her children usually didn't. In 1883 their first daughter, Princess Alice, was born.

Leopold wanted to be Governor-General of Canada or Australia but the Queen vetoed these ideas. He carried on with his charities and royal duties in England instead but he couldn't sustain the fight against his tragic illness. Harsh winds blew in the February and March of 1884 and Leopold was advised to go to Cannes for his health. He slipped on a tiled floor in Cannes and hit his knee. Two days later he died. The Duchess was pregnant with their second child. Charles Edward never knew his father.

Princess Alice lived to 98 - she had the longest life of the Queen's grandchildren.

Prince Arthur, the eighth child of Queen Victoria, informed his family that he wanted to be a soldier at a very young age. 'Artur wants to be a soldier,' he told them.

He was fascinated by everything that was military. He loved to play with toy soldiers representing British and Prussian regiments. Little Arthur also liked to read about the military - he especially liked to read about the Duke of Wellington.

He was a strong and healthy child so the family agreed that this would be a good career for him. The Prince was educated by private tutors. He attended the Royal Military College at Woolwich when he was only sixteen. He was kept away from his flirtatious brother, Edward, who was staying at the barracks. Edward might be a bad influence! After graduating the Prince became a lieutenant in the British Army.

In 1874 when he was only 24 Arthur became the Duke of Connauught and Strathearn and the Earl of Sussex. He also inherited the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha but he renounced this and handed it to his great-nephew, Prince Charles.

Career

Prince Arthur served in South Africa, India and Canada. When he was only 19 he was stationed in Montreal and took part in an action against the Fenians.

He became the a Divisional Commander 1883-86 in India and Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army 1886-90. He returned to England after this and found it a bit dull after the exotic life in India. He was also very disappointed that he was not made the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army. The government apparently thought that he was too inexperienced. However, his friendship with Leonie Leslie made him somewhat more cheerful.

Prince Arthur became the Governor-General of Canada in 1912. He and the Duchess were very popular in Canada. Their daughter, Patricia, was especially popular.

When war was declared the Prince saw the troops off. The Canadian Prime-Minister didn't care for this - he thought that it was beyond the Prince's duties.

The Duchess was very ill during the Prince's time in Canada and had to go back to England for two operations. She died in 1917.

After his return from Canada in 1916 the Prince was based in Aldershott where he was a commander in the army.

Marriage

Prince Arthur married a Prussian princess, Princess Margaret Louisa, in 1879. Queen Victoria didn't approve at first. He was her favourite son and she saw no need for him to marry at all! She had had enough of the arrogant Prussian royal family.

However, she found Louisa to be a charming girl and very sweet. The couple had three children - Margaret, Arthur, and Patricia. Sadly, Margaret, who became CP of Sweden, and Prince Arthur both died before their father.

There were rumours about the Duke and Leonie Leslie, Jennie Churchill's sister. The Duchess liked this vivacious woman too, however, and didn't want her to end her friendship with the Prince. (I think that they were probably just platonic friends but it's a mystery.)

Leslie remained friendly with the Prince after his wife died and helped him a great deal.

Prince Arthur lived a very long life. He died at 91. He was sympathetic with young Edward VIII during the abdication crisis but worried about the kind of 'Queen' that he wanted to marry. He was pleased to see King George VI succeed.

He died at 91 in 1942.

A piece of very stale cake went on sale last year at a Birmingham antiques fair. It dated from Princess Louise's wedding to the Marquess of Lorne in 1871 and was offered for 145 pounds. The slice was one-inch thick and protected by parchment. Whoever bought the cake was advised that it would not be a good idea to eat it! (I haven't been able to find out whether it was sold or not.)

Princess Louise, Queen Victoria's fourth daughter and sixth child was born in 1848. Regarded as the most beautiful of the Queen's daughters, she had rich brown hair and blue eyes. She also had a distinctive personality. When she was very young she showed her assertiveness by stating, "We are not royal children, we are uncles and aunts!"

Prince Albert, Princess Louise's father died in 1861 when the princess was very young. She suffered great grief but soon found the atmosphere at Court very gloomy and started to become rebellious. However, she served as her mother's unofficial secretary and Queen Victoria was very pleased with her.

Princess Louise did find time for artistic studies, however. She was a talented painter and sculptor and attended the National Art Training School which was founded by Prince Albert. She was also good at playing the piano and dancing.


A Husband For Louise

Queen Victoria soon wanted to find a husband for her lovely daughter. Princess Vicky invited the Princess to Berlin but Louise disliked the Prussian men. She found that they lacked a sense of humour and were rude and arrogant to her. They found her too self-confident and independent for her. The Queen didn't want her to marry a Prussian anyway for political reasons.

There was trouble when the young Princess fell in love with the Rev.Duckworth, her brother Leopold's tutor. The Queen dismissed him. There were even rumours of an illegitimate child and there was a DNA case about this a couple of years ago.

The Princess eventually fell in love with John, the Marquess of Lorne, to great consternation. This was because he was only a subject, not a royal. Prince Edward was especially upset and didn't think that the young man was suitable.

However, Queen Victoria was pleased with the match because it meant that the Princess could remain nearby.

The Marriage of Princess Louise

Princess Louise married the good-looking, mild-mannered young man in 1871 in St.George's Chapel, Windsor. She wore a dress of white satin and a veil of Honiton lace which she designed herself. Her wedding cake weighed over 225 pounds (102 kilograms) and took three months to create.

The marriage was unfortunately not a very happy one. There were rumours that the Marquess was gay and the couple remained childless. There were also whispers that the Princess had affairs. These were allegedly with Bigge, the Queen's assistant private secretary and Edgar Boehm, the sculptor. There is no proof of this, however.

Canada

The Marquess became Governor-General of Canada in 1878. The couple lived in Ottawa.
Princess Louise became very homesick and wasn't very happy in Canada although she liked many Canadians and kept in touch with her Canadian regiments after she returned to England. The couple liked Quebec better in Ottawa. They had a summer house there.

Princess Louise devoted time to her beloved arts and charities. She founded the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and wrote an operetta.

The couple had a nasty sleighing accident in Canada. The Princess was knocked unconscious and suffered concussion and shock. She may also have had a piece of glass in her ear.

Alberta and the stunningly beautiful Lake Louise are named after the Princess.

Princess Louise Returns

The couple returned to England in 1883. Lorne became a Liberal MP but joined the Unionists to the Princess's chagrin. She favoured Irish Home Rule. Princess Louise also supported the suffragettes and women's rights. She wrote to Josephine Butler and visited Elizabeth Garrett.

They spent much time apart and Princess Louise became rather keen on her sister Beatrice's husband. She joined the social circle that revolved around her brother, King Edward VII. They were very fond of each other. This is also when the rumours about affairs with other men began.

The couple reconciled in 1911 and the Princess was devastated when the Marquess died in 1914. She complained about being very lonely and wondered what the Marquess was doing!

She continued with her artistic works and many charitable activities until she became very ill. She was even known to visit hospitals on the spur of the moment. The Princess lived at Kensington Palace until she died at the advanced age of 91 in 1939. She had been teased by the King about her obsession with physical fitness and replied that she'd 'outlive them all.' She lived the longest life of the Queen's children so she was right!

I think that Princess Louise was one of the most interesting of the Queen's daughters. She wasn't as admirable as Vicky or Alice but I like her devotion to the arts and charities and she had a memorable personality, obviously.

Princess Helena, born on May 25, 1846, lived a quieter life than some of her sisters. Queen Victoria remarked that Helena was lucky to live in England, away from wars and strife.

Little Helena was the 'tomboy' of the family. She liked riding, walking and swimming. She also enjoyed taking things apart. When she was on boats she wanted to know how everything worked. She was close to her brother, Alfred, and his early death at a relatively young age devastated her.

Helena suffered being Queen Victoria's 'crutch' in the Queen's old age. After Princess Alice married, Helena carried out secretarial and other duties for the Queen. Queen Victoria loved having one of her daughters nearby and wanted Helena to remain in England.

Queen Victoria also wanted the Princess to get married so she became determined to find Helena an amenable husband. Helena was the plainest of Queen Victoria's daughters so this wasn't an easy task. Queen Victoria was impressed with Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, who she thought was a 'gentleman' and quiet. He was a good friend of Fritz and Vicky. Princess Alexandra was strongly against the match for political reasons, but Queen Victoria regarded Princess Helena's marriage as more important than political considerations.

Prince Christian was fifteen years older than Princess Helena, 34, and penniless. He was easy-going and agreeable, however, and the marriage appeared to be happy. They were married long enough to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary.

Like Princess Alice, Princess Christian devoted herself to charities. She was one of the founding members of the Red Cross and the President of the Royal British Nurses' Association. She also founded the Royal School of Needlework. She hosted free dinners for children and the unemployed - this was a progressive cause in those days. She also founded a nursing home.

Princess Christian was also quite cultured. She played the piano and her friends included Jenny Lind and Clara Butt.

She had a dominating personality and could sometimes be embarassing. The Archbishop of Canterbury wanted the congregation to pray during a national dock strike for God to interceed. Princess Christian said in a penetrating whisper, "That prayer won't settle any strike!"

The couple had six children. Two of Helena's sons died - Prince Christian Victor died of enteric fever while serving in the Boer war and another son who was still-born.

Princess Christian died in London in 1923. Like Princess Alice, she was greatly loved because of her charitable work.

The images are from Wikimedia Commons. They are of Princess Helena and Princess Helena and Prince Christian shortly after their engagement.

Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria, was open-minded and interested in intellectual pursuits like her sister Vicky. She was an interesting woman. Unfortunately, she had a very sad life.

The Princess was only a teenager when her beloved father died. She was very close to Prince Albert and nursed him a lot during his illness. She played the piano to him and read to him. When the grief overcame her she quietly left the room and came back when she had calmed down. "Her fortitude amazed their doctors and servants."

After the Prince died the poor Princess then had to take over many of Queen Victoria's duties and try and nurse her through her terrible grief. This proved impossible but the Princess was a great help to her.

Princess Alice's wedding to Prince Louis of Hesse, soon after her father's death, was more like a wedding than a funeral. Almost everyone dressed in black and spent the ceremony crying. Even the Archbishop who married the couple cried.

The Princess joined her husband in Darmstadt. Her marriage was not happy because Prince Louis liked military parades and shooting, instead of reading and cultural pursuits. He hardly ever read a book. Princess Alice was quite disappointed in him.

In spite of this, they had five children in quick succession. The children included Princess Alexandra, who became the tragic Tsarina, and beautiful Grand Duchess Ella, who was also killed by the Bolsheviks in a terrible way. Princess Alexandra's son, Alexai, inherited his haemophilia from his mother. Her brother, Fritti, was a haemophiliac. Princess Alice was distraught when the young boy fell out of the window and died shortly afterwards. She never really recovered from her grief.

The Princess devoted herself to charity work. Soon after her marriage there was a war between Austria and Prussia. Hesse was on the side of Austria which made Princess Alice and Vicki enemies. Princess Alice admired Florence Nightingale and nursed the sick and wounded with great devotion. After the war she continued her interest in charity work. She founded a mental asylum and worked for many charities, and established schools and hospitals.

She caused controversy when she became interested in a controversial theologian, David Strauss. He believed in the historical aspects of Jesus's life, but not the 'supernatural' aspects. Princess Vicky invited him to the palace and liked to discuss Christianity with him. Many Germans didn't like this, and the Empress Augusta even accused her of being an atheist.

Princess Alice was sickly. She suffered from severe headaches, neuralgia, and rheumatism. She wore herself out with her charity work. After her little daughter May died of diptheria, Alice soon caught it from her son, Ernest, who also had the illness. She died at only 35 on the anniversary of her father's death.

Queen Victoria wrote that 'the princess who behaved so admirably during her dear father's illness...should be called back on this very anniversary, seems almost incredible, and most mysterious.'

Princess Alice was greatly beloved in Germany and England because of her charity work. The Princess Alice hospital in Eastbourne was opened in her memory in 1883.

Here is my new article on Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.

Queen Victoria's aunt, Queen Louise of Belgium, bought her this beautiful fan which was once owned by Marie Antoinette.

Wouldn't it be good to have an aunt who is a queen or a princess? The presents would be so much better!

Edward's Work

Queen Victoria didn't trust her rather wayward son. She kept him away from the State papers and insisted on doing all of her work herself. The problem was that this was actually one of the causes of Edward's rather fast life. As he didn't have much to do he thought that he may as well enjoy himself! He worked very hard when he actually had a job to do.

He charmed the French, for example, when he became the president of the British section of the international exhibition in Paris in 1878. He toasted the President of the French republic, Marshall MacMahon, and strongly supported the entente cordiale between the two countries.

Edward had always loved France and the French. He spoke French fluently and he had liked the splendour of the French court and admired their way of life. As a teenager on his first visit to Paris, he asked Empress Eugenie to let him stay there.
He said that his parents 'don't want us, and there are six more of us at home!'

Edward also worked hard when he became a Commissioner on a commission for the aged poor. Even a radical Liberal MP praised him and said that he had asked very astute questions. Edward was very interested in this subject but as royalty wasn't supposed to be involved in politics his hands were somewhat tied.

Queen Victoria realised how much she really did love her son when he almost died of typhoid. Their relationship improved greatly and she trusted him with more work, realising that she was growing old and might die at any time.

King Edward

Queen Victoria finally died in 1901 and Edward became King. There was great concern when the Coronation had to be postponed because he had appendicitis and had to have an emergency operation. The King was sixty so there were fears for his life.

Few people thought that Edward would be a good King. They thought that he liked enjoying himself too much but he proved them wrong. He busied himself with the State papers and worked at making peace between countries. Edward was actually nicknamed 'The Peacemaker'.

He charmed the French yet again in 1903. They were angry about the British occupation of Egypt, the Boer war, and criticism of the Dreyfuss trial. King Edward soon brought them around, however. President Loubet even made a return visit.
The Anglo-French agreement was signed in 1904.

Edward had less luck with the wilful and difficult Kaiser. He prophetically said that his attitudes might help begin a war.

The 'King of Europe' died in 1910 and worked almost until the end. The Earl of Grenville remarked when Queen Victoria was alive that: "Prince Albert was unloved, because he possessed all the virtues which are sometimes lacking in the Englishman. The Prince of Wales is loved because he has all the faults of which the Englishman is accused."1.

1. John Van Der Kiste, Queen Victoria's Grandchildren, Sutton Publishing, London, 1983.

Edward VII. (Part One)


Blue-eyed and blonde-haired, young Prince Albert Edward impressed everyone with his sweet nature, except his parents. Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert, were disappointed in the young Prince because they didn’t think that he was as clever as their favourite, his elder sister, Princess Vicky.

They subjected the little boy to a vigorous and strict school-room regime and kept him away from other boys in case he was exposed to bad influences. The young Prince lacked playmates and was teased rather mercilessly by his elder sister. It was no wonder that he was given to frequent rages and his parents found him hard to control.

Even Baron Stockmar, who had advised this extreme method of education, thought that the routine was too rigorous for the young boy and felt sorry for him. However, the Queen and Albert were determined. They didn’t realise that the young Prince’s talents lay in diplomacy and charm. One of his tutors, Henry Birch, praised the Prince’s ‘very good memory, very singular powers of observation.’

Edward also preferred outdoor pursuits, such as shooting and riding to his studies. He was not one for reading but this didn’t affect his capacity to work when he became King. Queen Victoria, eventually realised that she’d underestimated her son but this took many years.

The Affair with Nellie

Edward studied at the universities of Oxford and Edinburgh but his parents were not pleased with his progress. They thought that he spent too much time enjoying hunting and rich food instead of concentrating on his work. They were to be even more disappointed in him.

When the young Prince trained with the Grenadier Guards his fellow officers discovered his lack of experience with women. They sneaked the pretty actress, Nellie Clifden, into his room to surprise him. Edward was delighted with Nellie and she became his mistress. The problem was that Nellie began boasting about the affair.

Queen Victoria and Albert were outraged. It was not only his lack of morals that caused them concern. Princess Vicky had found a good match for Edward – the Danish Princess Alexandra. His parents were worried that his affair could affect the planned romance.

Prince Albert died of typhoid shortly after the affair. The Queen was so upset that she blamed Edward for causing his death. It would take some time before she forgave him.

Princess Alexandra

Luckily Princess Alexandra was still available. The Prince had met her before but he wasn’t that impressed because he preferred Nelly. After his father’s death he felt very contrite and he thought about the beautiful Danish Princess more and more.

Queen Victoria was very impressed with the young woman and the Prince eventually proposed. The young couple were in love and the Queen thought that their marriage would be happy.

Princess Alexandra soon became disillusioned with her husband, however. Her deafness tended to isolate her and probably annoyed Edward. She also had a succession of pregnancies and Edward started mixing with a fast set who liked shooting, hunting and women.

He became involved in many scandals, which annoyed Queen Victoria and his wife.
This included the Mordaunt scandal in which Edward was accused of being the father of Lady Harriet Mordaunt’s child. Many of his letters to her were read in court. These were quite innocent but Edward also denied any impropriety. Lady Harriet was declared insane shortly afterwards.

Edward’s many mistresses included the beautiful actress, .Lily Langtry and Daisy Brooke. He also had a long affair with Alice Keppel.

The wonderfully romantic and beautifully photographed movie, The Young Victoria, tells the story of Victoria's struggle for the throne and her love affair with Prince Albert. Emily Blunt captivates as Victoria and deservedly won The British Artist of the Year Award. Rupert Friend is also charming and sympathetic as Prince Albert. The very handsome Paul Bettany, however, almost outshone him as the debonair Lord Melbourne!

Any fan of historical drama is sure to love this film which starts in American cinemas on 12/18! The official website is at: >The Young Victoria. The movie also has a Facebook site.

A Favourite Scene From The Movie

I am going to write a series about Queen Victoria's children. We will start with her eldest, Princess Vicky. I hope that you enjoy this series. Comments are welcome.



The English Empress

Pope Pius IX told the English representative in Rome, Lord Odo Russell, that “he was an old man, but in the whole course of his long life he had never been more favourably impressed by anyone than by her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Prussia.” He was not the only one that Princess Vicky impressed, but unfortunately forces were against the ‘uncommon woman’ as Hannah Pakula called her and she led a tragic life.

Queen Victoria’s eldest child, little Princess Vicky startled her parents with her cleverness. She was Prince Albert’s delight and he loved to discuss his liberal beliefs and many different topics with the young princess. Queen Victoria got a little jealous at times of Prince Albert’s liking for this amazing daughter.

Vicky’s parents were keen to arrange a match for her to the German Prince, Frederick, for various reasons. He met her when she was only ten and he was much older. He was pleased when the princess spoke to him in fluent German. The Queen and Prince Albert liked this young man very much and hoped that the couple would fall in love later.

Vicky and Fritz did fall in love later and she married the handsome prince when she was only seventeen. Her parents were sorry to see her go to Germany and thought that she was very young to get married, but they also thought that the match was a very happy one. They were right and the couple did have a long and happy marriage.

The palace that the couple lived in was cold, draughty, old-fashioned, and without amenities. Queen Victoria liked new technologies and gadgets – she was one of the first to install bathrooms and tap-water. Princess Vicky was used to greater comforts and made her opinions known. She was inclined to say that ‘things were better in England.’ This didn’t go over well.

This discomfort was the least of the English princess’s troubles. Fritz shared her liberal philosophies but most of his family believed in autocracy. They were also used to fairly meek women and found the princess too clever. Vicky was shocked that most German women she met didn’t read the papers and had no interest in current events. She found them very ‘unenlightened’ compared with the English women that she was used to. The Prussian elite and Vicky’s in-laws were against ‘the English woman’ from the start.

Fritz was unfortunately rather weak compared with Vicky. His father became King William 1 in 1861 and preferred conservative and autocratic policies, even though many had hoped that he might be a more liberal King than his father. Vicky urged Fritz to stand up to his father but Fritz was very loyal and obedient so he found this difficult.

The Abdication Crisis
Soon after Vicky’s father died in 1861, an abdication crisis occurred. William couldn’t get his military reforms approved by the Landtag and he threatened to abdicate. He offered his son the throne but Fritz thought that his father looked like a “poor, broken old man” and that abdicating over a decision of parliament would set a dangerous precedent.

Vicky had other ideas. She wrote to Fritz that ‘he should make this sacrifice for his country’ and that if he didn’t, “I believe that you will regret it one day.” If the Crown Prince had become King then the course of history may well have changed.

Bismarck

The ambitious Otto van Bismarck, who believed in ruling by ‘blood and iron’, was appointed Prime Minister in 1862. Conservative and militaristic, he disliked Vicky and he disagreed with the couple’s liberal philosophies. He persecuted and defamed both of them almost until their deaths.

When Bismarck was appointed Prime Minister, a leader of the liberal Progressive Party “claimed that he would lead Prussia into ‘government without budget, rule by the sword in home affairs, and war in foreign affairs.’ The man was right on every count.” 1.

Soon after Princess Vicky’s beloved father died, Kaiser William 1, Frederick’s father, suppressed the freedom of the press. Frederick bravely made a speech in favour of the press but this was really the only time that he succeeded in standing up to his father who was ruled by Bismarck and the military.

Bismarck led Prussia into three wars – against Demark, Austria and France. The war with Denmark over the territories of Schleswig and Holstein greatly upset Princess Alexandra, Vicky’s sister-in-law, who came from Denmark, and caused trouble between the families.

Frederick fought in most of the wars and commanded one of Prussia’s three armies in the war against Austria. He received the Order of Merit for his leadership and gallantry in the Battle of Königgrätz. Frederick’s men loved and admired him, according to Hannah Pakula.

Vicky established hospitals, nursed the wounded herself, and devoted herself to charity work. She was much admired by the ordinary people but Bismarck and the Prussian elite always regarded her with suspicion and spread scandal about her.



Bismarck has been credited with the unification of Germany but Vicky thought that Fritz did far more work on this and his role was not recognized. Many historians agree with her but others think that Bismarck was largely responsible for the unification.




Frederick’s Reign
Frederick became King Frederick III after his father, William, died at 90 years old in 1888. Unfortunately, he was suffering from a terrible cancer of the larynx and endured mistreatment by his doctors. He only reigned for three months which wasn’t enough time to put his plans for constitutional reform into effect.

Vicky had had a tragic life. She suffered great grief when her sons, Sigismund and Waldemar died. Now she had to endure the death of her husband and the loss of her great hopes for her reign as well.

After Frederick’s DeathAfter Frederick’s death Vicky lived in Castle Freidrichshof near Kronberg and devoted herself to her charity work and furthering the cause of education for women by founding schools.

She knew that her son, now the Kaiser, had been brainwashed against her by the Prussian military and Bismarck, so she ensured that her letters to Queen Victoria were smuggled out of Germany to England by Edward VII’s private secretary, Frederick Ponsonby. Indeed, William II did have Vicky’s residence searched for her documents.

Vicky died of breast cancer in 1901 at only sixty years of age. She was a brave and strong woman who devoted herself to changing her adopted country for the better.


1. Pakula, Hannah, An Uncommon Woman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1996.