Descendants of Queen Victoria
Progeny of British queen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Queen Victoria (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901. She and her prince consort, Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861), became the ancestors of many members of European royalty.
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Victoria married Albert, her first cousin, in June 1840, just shy of three years following her accession as queen. While Victoria and Albert shared a loving and intimate marriage, Victoria struggled deeply with pregnancy and motherhood.[1] Victoria's relationship with her eldest son, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) was notoriously strained, with this animosity only intensifying following Albert's death in 1861.[2]
Eight of Victoria and Albert's nine children would go on to have progeny of their own. Several of Victoria and Albert's extended descendants would become either monarchs themselves or royal consorts, earning Victoria the nickname "grandmother of Europe."[3] Their grandson Wilhelm II, for instance, became the emperor of Germany, while their granddaughter Alix became the ill-fated empress consort of Russia.
Background
Queen Victoria
The daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Victoria experienced the death of her father at eight months of age. Consequently, she was raised in isolation by her mother until becoming Queen of the United Kingdom in 1837.[3]
In the early years of her reign, Victoria's first prime minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, influenced her to govern as a constitutional monarch. Throughout her reign, events such as the passing of the Reform Act 1867 and the introduction of the secret ballot in 1872 broadened the British electorate.[4]
Following Albert's death in 1861, Victoria withdrew from public life, eroding the popularity of the British monarchy. However, by the time of her Golden Jubilee in 1887, she had restored her public popularity. Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee a decade later, eventually dying in 1901.[3]
Prince Albert
The younger son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Albert spent his childhood at Schloss Rosenau, Coburg. His uncle, Leopold I of Belgium, hoped that Albert would marry Victoria. Leopold arranged the first meeting between Albert and Victoria in 1836, with the latter two eventually marrying four years later.[5]
After marrying Victoria, Albert had considerable influence over her in foreign affairs, freely corresponding with European monarchs. In addition, Albert believed that the United Kingdom should be at the forefront of modern science and art education.[5]
During the 1850s, overwork caused Albert to become increasingly tired and suffer from ill health. Eventually, Albert died from typhoid fever in 1861, with Victoria and five of his children at his side.[5]
Marriage
Victoria was married to Albert on 10 February 1840 by William Howley, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace in Westminster.[6]
| Portrait | Name | Birth | Death | Descendants[7][8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom r. 1837–1901[3] |
24 May 1819[3] |
22 January 1901[3] |
9 children,[4] including |
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Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 26 August 1819[5] |
14 December 1861[5] |
Children
Queen Victoria, at times, had contentious relations with her children. Possibly due to her own childhood isolation, Victoria struggled to connect with and relate to her own children, particularly in their younger years.[9] She also, occasionally, resented that they interfered with time that she would prefer to spend with Albert.[10] According to one modern author, both Victoria and Albert habitually displayed undisguised favouritism amongst their children.[10] Both Victoria and Alfred were the favourites of Albert, and Arthur enjoyed the favouritism of both his parents.[10]
According to one modern author, Queen Victoria was initially jealous of the time that Albert had spent with Princess Victoria, but in her widowhood, Queen Victoria made Princess Victoria something of her confidante.[11] For her part, Princess Victoria had accrued hundreds of letters from her mother, to the point that shortly before her death, she had them smuggled out of Germany by her brother's secretary, Sir Frederick Ponsonby.[12]
Of her sons, Queen Victoria had the most trouble with her eldest, Albert Edward, and her youngest, Leopold.[11] Among her daughters, Victoria clashed often with Louise.[11] She also had an awkward relationship with her second-eldest daughter, Alice, whom the queen, despite praising her thoughtfulness, also criticised as being too melancholy and self-absorbed.[11] In her widowhood, Victoria expected Beatrice, who was only 4 when her father died, to remain at home with her, and only permitted her to marry on the condition that she and her husband would remain in England.[13]
| Portrait of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's family |
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_-_Victoria,_Princess_Royal_(1840-1901)_-_RCIN_405374_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
_-_Albert_Edward,_Prince_of_Wales_(1841-1910),_later_Edward_VII,_when_a_child._-_RCIN_405375_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
_-_Princess_Alice_(1843-1878),_later_Grand_Duchess_of_Hesse,_when_a_child_-_RCIN_405376_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
_-_Prince_Alfred_(1844-1900),_later_Duke_of_Edinburgh,_when_a_child_-_RCIN_405377_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
_-_Princess_Helena_(1846-1923)_later_Princess_Christian_of_Schleswig-Holstein_when_a_child_-_RCIN_405378_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
_-_Princess_Louise_(1848-1939)_later_Duchess_of_Argyll_when_a_child_-_RCIN_405379_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
_-_Prince_Arthur_(1848-1942),_later_Duke_of_Connaught,_when_a_child_-_RCIN_405380_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
_-_Prince_Leopold_(1853-1884)_later_Duke_of_Albany_when_a_child_-_RCIN_405381_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
_-_Princess_Beatrice_(1857-1944)_-_RCIN_401029_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
Grandchildren
Children of Victoria and Frederick III
In 1851, at the Great Exhibition, Victoria met her future husband, Frederick. When Victoria was 15 years old, Frederick proposed to her. Eventually, on 25 January 1858, they married.[15]
Upon her husband becoming German Emperor as Frederick III, Victoria became German Empress on 9 March 1888. However, only 99 days later, Frederick died of cancer. Consequently, their eldest son, Wilhelm II, became the next emperor of Germany.[15]
| Portrait of Emperor Frederick III and Empress Victoria's family |
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,_brother_of_Kaiser_Wilhelm_II.jpg)
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Children of Edward VII and Alexandra
In 1861, Princess Alexandra met King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, then called Albert Edward Prince of Wales, at the Speyer Cathedral in Germany. Edward was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.[19] Edward later proposed to Alexandra in 1862, and they married in 1863 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom.[19][20]
Although Alexandra and Edward got along fairly well,[21] Edward engaged in several affairs during their marriage.[20] However, for the most part, Alexandra did not pay attention to her husband's romantic liaisons.[21]
Together, Alexandra and Edward had six children.[20] One of these children, Alexander John, died in infancy.[22] Furthermore, Alexandra and Edward's eldest son, Albert Victor, died in 1892 after contracting an illness during a flu pandemic. Albert Victor's death devastated Alexandra.[20]
The three daughters of Edward and Alexandra, Louise, Victoria, and Maud, were known for being active during their youth. As the daughters aged, they became more withdrawn. Alexandra did not want Louise, Victoria, and Maud to marry because her daughters had two brothers who could potentially follow Edward to the British throne. However, both Louise and Maud eventually married.[22]
| Portrait of Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII's family |
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| Portrait | Name | Birth | Death | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale | 8 January 1864[27] | 14 January 1892[27] | Died unmarried[27] |
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George V, King of the United Kingdom r. 1910–1936[28] | 3 June 1865[28] | 20 January 1936[28] | Married 1893, Princess Victoria Mary of Teck[28] (1867–1953)[29] and had 6 children:[28]
|
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Louise, Princess Royal | 20 February 1867[22] | 4 January 1931[22] | Married 1889, Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife[22] (1849[27]–1912[34]), and had 3 children:[22]
|
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Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom | 6 July 1868[27] | 3 December 1935[36] | Died unmarried[27] |
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Princess Maud of Wales | 26 November 1869[37] | 20 November 1938[37] | Married 1896, Haakon VII, King of Norway (1872–1957; r. 1905–1957), and had 1 child:[38]
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Prince Alexander John of Wales | 6 April 1871[40] | 7 April 1871[40] |
Children of Alice and Louis IV
Less than a year after her father, Albert, died, Princess Alice married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse. However, Alice later wrote to her husband that she "longed for a real companion, for apart from that life had nothing to offer me in Darmstadt".[15]
Even after moving to Germany, Alice's love of the United Kingdom did not waver. She possessed numerous portraits of her relatives, and she instilled in her children an admiration for the United Kingdom. Even after her death, her family's life was organized with English influences.[41]
Alice devoted her life to her husband and children. Her children followed rules similar to those that Alice's own mother, Queen Victoria, made her follow. Her family spent winters in Darmstadt and summers at either Kranichstein or Seeheim-Jugenheim. Also, Alice and her family made annual trips to the United Kingdom, staying either at Windsor Castle, Osborne House or Balmoral Castle.[41]
| Portrait of Grand Duke Louis IV and Grand Duchess Alice's family |
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| Portrait | Name | Birth | Death | Family[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine | 5 April 1863[14] | 24 September 1950[14] | Married 1884, Prince Louis of Battenberg (1854–1921) and had 4 children:[14]
|
 | Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine | 1 November 1864[14] | 18 July 1918[14] | Married 1884, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia (1857–1905)[14] |
 | Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine | 11 July 1866[14] | 11 November 1953[14] |
Married 1888, Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929) and had 3 children:[14] |
 |
Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse r. 1892–1918[14] |
25 November 1868[14] |
9 October 1937[14] | |
| Married 1894 (1), Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1876–1936)[b] and had 2 children:[14] | ||||
Married 1905 (2), Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (1871–1937) and had 2 children:[14]
| ||||
 | Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine | 7 October 1870[14] | 29 May 1873[14] | |
 | Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine | 6 June 1872[14] | 17 July 1918[14] | Married 1894, Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia (1868–1918; r. 1894–1917) and had 5 children:[14]
|
 | Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine | 24 May 1874[14] | 16 November 1878[14] | |
Children of Alfred and Maria
In 1874, Alfred married Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. They had five children together, and their descendants became part of the Romanian royal family.[15] In particular, Alfred and Maria's daughter, Marie of Edinburgh, married Ferdinand I of Romania.[14]
| Portrait of Duke Alfred and Duchess Maria's family |
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| Portrait | Name | Birth | Death | Family[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 15 October 1874[14] | 6 February 1899[14] | |
 | Princess Marie of Edinburgh | 29 October 1875[14] | 10 July 1938[14] | Married 1893, Ferdinand I, King of Romania (1865–1927; r. 1914–1927) and had 6 children:[14]
|
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Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 25 November 1876[14] |
2 March 1936[14] |
Married 1894 (1), Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse (1868–1937; r. 1892–1918)[b] and had 2 children:[14]
|
Married 1905 (2), Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia (1876–1938) and 3 children:[14]
| ||||
 | Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 1 September 1878[14] | 16 April 1942[14] | Married 1896, Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1863–1950) and had 5 children:[14]
|
 | Stillborn son | 13 October 1879[14] | 13 October 1879[14] | |
 | Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 20 April 1884[14] | 13 July 1966[14] | Married 1909, Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera (1886–1975) and had 3 children:[14]
|
Children of Helena and Christian
Queen Victoria sought a suitable husband for her daughter Princess Helena, eventually choosing Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. Helena, having helped her mother keep up with royal engagements, was able to remain in England with her husband. Defying expectations, Helena and Christian enjoyed a happy marriage that lasted 51 years. In addition, Helena and Christian had six children. However, two of these children died in infancy.[15]
| Portrait of Princess Helena's family |
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| Portrait | Name | Birth | Death | Family[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein | 14 April 1867[14] | 29 October 1900[14] | |
 | Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein | 26 February 1869[14] | 27 March 1931[14] | |
 | Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein | 3 May 1870[14] | 8 December 1948[14] | |
 | Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein | 12 August 1872[14] | 8 December 1956[14] | Married 1891, Prince Aribert of Anhalt (1866–1933)[c] and had no children[14] |
 | Prince Harald of Schleswig-Holstein[43] | 12 May 1876[14] | 20 May 1876[14] | |
| Stillborn son | 7 May 1877[14] | 7 May 1877[14] | |
Children of Arthur and Louise Margaret
In 1879, Prince Arthur married Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia. They had three children: Margaret, Arthur, and Patricia. Margaret later married Gustaf VI Adolf, and Arthur later served as Governor-General of South Africa. Additionally, Patricia accompanied her father on some of his tours as Governor General of Canada.[44]
| Portrait | Name | Birth | Death | Family[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Princess Margaret of Connaught | 15 January 1882[14] | 1 May 1920[14] | Married 1905, Gustaf VI Adolf, King of Sweden (1882–1973; r. 1950–1973) and had 5 children:[14]
|
 | Prince Arthur of Connaught | 13 January 1883[14] | 12 September 1938[14] | Married 1913, Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife (1891–1959) and had 1 child:[14]
|
 | Princess Patricia of Connaught | 17 May 1886[14] | 12 January 1974[14] | Married 1919, Alexander Ramsay (1881–1972) and had 1 child:[14]
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Children of Leopold and Helen
Feeling restricted by his mother, Queen Victoria, Leopold reasoned that marriage was his best path to independence. Because of Leopold's haemophilia, he struggled to find a suitable wife. Consequently, his mother intervened, suggesting a meeting with Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Leopold and Helen later married in 1882.[46]
Leopold and Helen had two children: Alice and Charles Edward. Charles Edward was born four months after Leopold died of a brain haemorrhage.[46]
| Portrait of Prince Leopold's family |
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| Portrait | Name | Birth | Death | Family[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Princess Alice of Albany | 25 February 1883[14] |
3 January 1981[14] |
Married 1904, Prince Alexander of Teck (1874–1957) and had 3 children:[14]
|
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Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha r. 1900[14]–1918[47] |
19 July 1884[14] |
6 March 1954[14] |
Married 1905, Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein (1885–1970) and had 5 children:[14]
|
Children of Beatrice and Henry
In 1884, Beatrice became enamoured with Prince Henry of Battenberg. This strained the relationship with her mother Queen Victoria, as Victoria wanted Beatrice to be her caretaker.[15] However, Victoria later allowed Beatrice to marry Henry, conditioned on Beatrice residing with her. Eventually, Beatrice and Henry wed in 1885.[48]
Beatrice and Henry's four children were born between 1886 and 1891. Also, in 1890, a private suite was built for Beatrice and Henry at Osbourne House. Following her husband's death from malaria in 1896, she resided at Carisbrooke Castle in the summers beginning in 1913.[48]
| Portrait of Princess Beatrice's family |
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| Portrait | Name | Birth | Death | Family[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Prince Alexander of Battenberg | 23 November 1886[14] | 23 February 1960[14] | Married 1919, Lady Irene Denison (1890–1956) and had 1 child:[14]
|
 | Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg | 24 October 1887[14] | 15 April 1969[14] | Married 1906, Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (1886–1941; r. 1886–1931) and had 7 children:[14]
|
 | Prince Leopold of Battenberg | 21 May 1889[14] | 23 April 1922[14] | |
 | Prince Maurice of Battenberg | 3 October 1891[14] | 27 October 1914[14] | |
See also
- Descendants of Charles I of England
- Descendants of Christian IX of Denmark, describes progeny of one of Queen Victoria's contemporaries
- Descendants of George III
- Haemophilia in European royalty, a medical condition that affected multiple descendants of Queen Victoria
- John William Friso, the most recent ancestor of all sovereigns of currently existing hereditary European monarchies until 2022
- Legitimacy of Queen Victoria
- Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, the most recent ancestor of all sovereigns of currently existing hereditary European monarchies since 2022
