However, from all accounts, Helena was truly in love with Christian and was determined to marry him for her own happiness. According to Princess Helenas own personal biographer, Helena was chunky, dowdy and double-chinnedin other words, she wasnt exactly your fairytale vision of a princess (ouch!). Shortly after, Alice herself caught diphtheria, too, and sadly died 14 December 1878, age 35. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Princess Helena and Prince Christian at their engagement 1865. Upon the Queen's passing, the United Kingdom where she reigned for a record 70 years mourned. Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, Princess Christian The brides first cousin, the German Emperor Wilhelm II, had been instrumental in arranging the match. Like her eldest son, Albert joined the Army, but not the British Army. She later met with another distant cousin Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, youngest son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom at the suggestion of his mother. In 1916 she became the first member of her family to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary, but her husband died a year later. [6] She died at the age of 77, the same age at which her mother, Princess Helena, had also Princess Helena in 1910; Credit Wikipedia. Ever the dutiful princess, Helena continued supporting the monarchy, but she didnt serve the new King for long. Her choice eventually fell on Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, 15 years her senior. Her "usual residence" is stated to be Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth used as her home base starting in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic for the final years of her life. Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. The second daughter of Victoria and Albert, Princess Alice joined the family in April 1843. Without the support of her husband, the Queen relied on Princess Alice, Helenas older sister, as an unofficial secretary. WebDespite Alices efforts to nurse the family back to health, the disease took the life of her youngest child Marie. She was closest to her brother Alfred, and the two remained so for their entire lives. The couple had a brief, but happy marriage, ending in the hemophiliac Leopolds death from a fall in Cannes, France, in March 1884. The service was followed by a committal service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, where she was later buried in a private ceremony beside her husband Prince Philip, her father King George VI, her mother Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and her sister Princess Margaret. The two became engaged in November 1881. She gave birth to Christian Victor in 1867, followed by Albert in 1869, Helena Victoria in 1870, and Marie Louise in 1872 (phew!). Her mom disagreed, deeming Helena unsuitable due to her penchant for bursting into tears. By contrast, her daughter Princess Alice of Albany remained in England and married her second cousin once-removed, Prince Alexander of Teck, the brother of Princess Mary of Teck, the Princess of Wales (later Queen Mary, consort of George V). In 1916, the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and were the first of Queen Victoria's children to do so, according to the Royal Collection Trust. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This approach differed from the one accepted by George Vs other relatives, who relinquished all princely titles, not just their German designations, and in turn received British titles of nobility from the King. Helena had good reason to be constantly worried about her health, though. With an overhead track system to allow for easy cleaning on the floor with no trip hazards. They had children, they were public servants they were a model of bourgeois virtue, role models.". Victoria, Princess Royal. Unfortunately, Helena had little to say in the matter. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. She was the sister of Friedrich, last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont; Marie, the first wife of Wilhelm II of Wrttemberg; and of Emma, Queen consort of Willem III of the Netherlands (and mother of Queen Wilhelmina). By August of that year, the pain proved too much for Helenas sister, and illness took her life. On the 14 th of December 1861, Helenas childhood took a traumatic turn when her father, the Prince Consort died prematurely, aged only 42. The fifteen-year-old Helena was distraught at the death of her beloved father. Shortly after she wrote to a friend I adored Papa, I loved him more than anything on earth. Leopold was diagnosed with hemophilia a few years after his birth, having inherited the condition from Victoria's side of the family. She died on Dec. 14, 1878, the 17th anniversary of her father's death. Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (Helena Augusta Victoria; 25 May 1846 9 June 1923) was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The next year, she lost her sister Alice. It took quite a while for Louise, Helenas younger sister, to find a man of her own, and Helena may have had a hand in it. Helena was educated by private tutors chosen by her father and his close friend and adviser, Baron Stockmar. Unfortunately, many of Alice's children contracted diphtheria and the Princess eventually caught the disease as well. Queen Elizabeth on her final engagement - September 2022. After her passing, biographers wrote little about the extremely private and secretive princess. Her son lost his life due to his illness. She died at the age of 77, the same age at which her mother, Princess Helena, had also died. Posted by liamfoley63 in Featured Royal, Kingdom of Europe, Royal Genealogy, Helena of the the United Kingdom, Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, HRH The Prince of Wales, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, Me, My Memories of Six Reigns, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Her health problems varied from hypochondria in 1869, to Severe rheumatism in 1870, to Congestion in her lungs in 1871.