Alexandra of Denmark
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| Missing image Alexandra_of_Denmark.jpg Queen Alexandra in her coronation robes |
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Queen Alexandra (nèe Princess Alexandra of Denmark) (December 1 1844 – November 20 1925) was Queen consort of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom 1901–1910. Prior to that, she was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901 — the longest anyone has ever held that title. From 1910 until her death she also was the Queen Mother, as the mother of the reigning monarch, George V of the United Kingdom, though that particular title was not used. Instead, through her widowhood, she was styled Her Majesty Queen Alexandra.
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Early life
Princess Alexandra Carolina Marie Charlotte Louise Julia, or "Alix," as she was known within the family, was born on December 1, 1844, at Yellow Palace, an 18th-century town house at 18 Amaliegade, right next to the Amalienborg Palace complex in Copenhagen. Her father was Prince Christian, later King Christian IX of Denmark. Her mother was the former Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel. Although of royal blood, her family lived a comparatively normal life, and, though they did not possess great wealth, they nevertheless made spectacular marriages. Her sister Princess Dagmar, for instance, would become Maria Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Alexander III of Russia and mother of Nicholas II. As as result, her father became known as the "Father-in-Law of Europe."
Princess of Wales
England's Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, known as "Bertie", had already given his parents, Queen Victoria and her husband, considerable cause for concern, and his mother, now widowed, was anxious for him to settle down. Alexandra of Denmark was not her first choice, since the Danes were at loggerheads with the Prussians, and most of the British royal family's relations were German. However, on meeting the queen, the beautiful young Alix met with her approval as well as Bertie's. An ode was written by Alfred Tennyson, the Poet Laureate, in Alexandra's honour, and special music was composed by Sir Arthur Sullivan to welcome her to the UK. The couple were married on March 10, 1863; her father acceded to the throne of Denmark eight months later. The wedding took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor, and the occasion was recorded in a commissioned painting by William Powell Frith. They were seen off on their honeymoon by the schoolboys of neighbouring Eton College, including Lord Randolph Churchill, who described the event in his letters home.
Alix's style was very different from that of the senior British royals. She was devoted to her children and her servants and enjoyed activities such as dancing and ice skating. Even after the birth of her first child, Prince Albert Victor ("Eddy") in 1864, she continued to behave much as before, and this led to some friction between the queen and the young couple. After the birth of her third child in 1867, however, complications threatened her life and she was left with a permanent limp. She also suffered an increasing degree of deafness, which was hereditary. Self-conscious about a scar on her neck (allegedly the result of a childhood accident, though others suggest a suicide attempt), she tried to hide it by wearing high choker necklaces and dresses. A strikingly attractive woman, Alix's high necklines started a fashion craze, though few at the time knew the secret behind them.
Bertie and Alix adopted Sandringham House as their preferred residence, and their marriage was in many ways a happy one. However, Bertie did not give his wife or children as much attention as she would have liked, and they grew gradually estranged, until his serious illness in the early 1870s brought about a reconciliation. Their relationship had its ups and downs over the years. Bertie, even after winning back his wife's affections, continued to keep mistresses, among them the actress Lillie Langtry, the beautiful but married Jennie Jerome (mother of Winston Churchill), and society matron Alice Keppel.
The death of Prince Albert Victor in 1892 was a serious blow to the tender-hearted Alix, and she insisted on keeping his room and possessions exactly as he had left them, much as did her mother-in-law after the death of Prince Albert in 1861. Alix herself remained youthful looking into her senior years, thanks to elaborate veils and very heavy makeup (an observer described her as looking enamelled).
Queen Alexandra
As Queen from 1901 to 1910, and Queen Mother thereafter, Alix was greatly loved by the British people. She was associated with many charities, the most notable being Alexandra Rose Day. During the Boer War, she founded Queen Alexandra's Nursing Corps, which became known as the "Q.A.s". However, she lacked political acumen, and her hatred for the Germans became very apparent during World War I, a hatred that stemmed from the German conquest of the formerly Danish lands Schleswig and Holstein during the Second War of Schleswig in 1864.
She died on November 20, 1925, at Sandringham, and was buried at Windsor.
Titles from birth to death
Here are Alexandra's styles in chronological order:
- Her Serene Highness Princess Alexandra of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
- Her Highness Princess Alexandra of Denmark
- Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Denmark
- Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales
- Her Majesty The Queen
- Her Majesty Queen Alexandra
Template:Spoken Wikipediacy:Alexandra o Denmarc fr:Alexandra de Danemark pl:Aleksandra (żona Edwarda VII) sv:Alexandra av Danmark