Prince Albert ordered this painting as a surprise gift to his wife.Īlice was born on 25 April 1843 at Buckingham Palace in London.

Another daughter, Elisabeth, who married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, was, like Alexandra and her family, killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.Įarly life Painting of baby Princess Alice by Edwin Landseer, 1843. Princess Alice was the sister of Edward VII of the United Kingdom and German Empress Victoria (wife of Frederick III), mother of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia (wife of Nicholas II), and maternal grandmother of Queen Louise of Sweden (second wife of Gustaf VI Adolf) and Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (the last Viceroy of India). Alice nursed her family for over a month before falling ill herself, dying later that year. In late 1878, diphtheria infected the Hessian court. In 1877, Alice became Grand Duchess upon the accession of her husband, her increased duties putting further strains on her health. Be very silent and cautious about your 'interior''. In 1871, she wrote to Alice's younger sister, Princess Louise, who had recently married: ' Don't let Alice pump you. As a result of this activity, Queen Victoria became concerned about Alice's directness about medical and, in particular, gynaecological, matters. One of her organisations, the Princess Alice Women's Guild, took over much of the day-to-day running of the state's military hospitals. When Hesse became involved in the Austro-Prussian War, Darmstadt filled with the injured the heavily pregnant Alice devoted much of her time to the management of field hospitals. Alice's life in Darmstadt was unhappy as a result of impoverishment, family tragedy and worsening relations with her husband and mother.Īlice showed an interest in nursing, especially the work of Florence Nightingale. The ceremony-conducted privately and with unrelieved gloom at Osborne House-was described by the Queen as 'more of a funeral than a wedding'.

On 1 July 1862, while the court was still at the height of mourning, Alice married a minor German prince, Louis of Hesse. Following his death, Queen Victoria entered a period of intense mourning and Alice spent the next six months acting as her mother's unofficial secretary. When her father became fatally ill in December 1861, Alice nursed him until his death. Her education was devised by Prince Albert's close friend and adviser, Christian Friedrich, Baron Stockmar, and included practical activities such as needlework and woodwork and languages such as French and German. Her life had been enwrapped in tragedy since her father's death in 1861.Īlice spent her early childhood in the company of her parents and siblings, travelling between the British royal residences. Alice was the first of Queen Victoria's nine children to die, and one of three to predecease their mother, who died in 1901. She was the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Princess Alice VA CI (Alice Maud Mary 25 April 1843 – 14 December 1878) was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine from 13 June 1877 until her death in 1878 as the wife of Grand Duke Louis IV. Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of Russia.Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia.She died in 1901 due to illness, her son King Edward VII and her eldest grandson Emperor Wilhelm II at her deathbed. In 1876, she took on the title of Empress of India after the British East India Company dissolved after the Indian Rebellion of 1875. She rarely made any public appearances after Albert's death. She later had nine kids, despite the fact she was noted to hate pregnancies.Īfter the death of her husband, she went into a mourning stage, wearing only black for the remainder of her life. She later got married to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in an attempt to avoid living with her overly controlling mother. On 20 June 1837, Victoria became Queen of England just barely a month after her eighteenth birthday when her uncle, King William IV, died. Queen Victoria was very lonely, growing up with Baroness Lehzen and her half-sister Theodora. Her father, Edward, died when she was one.

Queen Victoria was raised in Kensington Palace by her mother, Victoria of Kent.

Queen victoria and albert's family tree