Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Princess Beatrice
Duchess of Galliera
Spouse Alfonso, Duke of Galliera
Issue
Infante Alvaro
Infante Alfonso
Infante Ataulfo
Full name
Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria
Titles
HRH Princess Alfonso
HRH The Duchess of Galliera
HRH Princess Alfonso
HRH Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
HRH Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh
Royal house Unknown House
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Father Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Mother Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
Born 20 April 1884
Eastwell Park, Kent
Died 13 July 1966
Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain

Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria; 20 April 1884 - 13 July 1966) was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She later married into the Spanish Royal Family, and was the wife of Alfonso d'Orleans-Bourbon, Infante of Spain.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Princess Beatrice was born on April 20, 1884 at Eastwell Park, Kent. Her father was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Her mother was The Duchess of Edinburgh (née Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia), the only daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine.

As a granddaughter of the British monarch in the male line, Beatrice held the title of Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland with the style Her Royal Highness. She was also a member of the Russian Imperial family, through her mother and was a granddaughter of the tsar.

Beatrice with her three sisters. From left to right, Beatrice, Princess Victoria Melita, Princess Alexandra, and Queen Marie of Romania
Beatrice with her three sisters. From left to right, Beatrice, Princess Victoria Melita, Princess Alexandra, and Queen Marie of Romania

Beatrice spent much of her early years in Malta, where her father was serving in the Royal Navy. On the death of Prince Alfred's uncle, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, on August 22, 1893, the vacant duchy fell to the Duke of Edinburgh, since HRH Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the Duke's elder brother had renounced his right to the succession.

The Duke and Duchess and their five children travelled to Coburg to take up residence shortly afterwards.

[edit] Marriage

In 1902, Princess Beatrice had a romance with Grand Duke Michael of Russia, the younger brother of Nicholas II of Russia, then the heir presumptive to the Imperial throne. However she was prevented from marrying the Grand Duke as the Russian Orthodox Church forbade the marriage of first cousins.

Beatrice was then rumoured to marry King Alfonso XIII of Spain, this proved to be a false rumour also as he married her cousin Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg in 1906. It was at their wedding that Beatrice met Alfonso d'Orleans-Bourbon, Infante of Spain, 5th Duke of Galliera, a cousin of the King Alfonso. The Spanish royal family were unhappy about the proposed match, and it was made clear that should it take place the couple would have to live in exile.

The couple had three sons:

[edit] Scandal and Exile

Beatrice and Alfonso married in a Roman Catholic and Lutheran ceremony at Coburg on 15 July 1909. The couple first settled in Coburg, until, in 1912, Alfonso and Beatrice were allowed to return to Spain.

During King Alfonso XIII's unhappy marriage, he had numerous affairs and dalliances, some of which produced illegitimate children. It remains an unproven rumour that he had an affair with Beatrice. They were certainly close friends, but in the stifling etiquette of the Spanish Court, such a close relationship would have been difficult to conceal.

Queen Maria Christina (1858 - 1929, Spain's Queen Dowager) was said to be outraged by the rumours, and met up with Beatrice in San Sebastian and asked her to leave Spain. As she refused to do so King Alfonso had no choice but to exile her.

British Royalty
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Descendants of Prince Albert
Grandchildren
   Alfred of Edinburgh
   Marie of Edinburgh
   Victoria of Edinburgh
   Alexandra of Edinburgh
   Beatrice of Edinburgh
   Margaret of Connaught
   Arthur of Connaught
   Patricia of Connaught
   Alice of Albany
   Carl, Duke of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha

[edit] Civil War

The family moved to England, where the three sons were educated at Winchester College. The Spanish Royal Family eventually relented, and Beatrice and her family were allowed to return to Spain where they established their home at an estate in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

The 1930s were an unhappy time for the family, as the collapse of the Spanish monarchy and the subsequent civil war led to the loss of much of the family's wealth. After the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, King Alfonso and his family fled into exile in Italy. In the years that followed, the political situation in Spain worsened as various groups wrestled for power. By the late-1930s, the conflicts had erupted into all-out civil war. Beatrice and Alfonso lost their estate during the war, and the couple's middle son, Alfonso, was killed fighting the Communists.

[edit] Later life

Beatrice died at her estate Sanlúcar de Barrameda on 13 July 1966. Her husband survived her by nine years. Their son Ataulfo died, unmarried, in 1974. Their only grandchildren are the children of Prince Alvaro.

[edit] Titles, styles, honours and arms

[edit] Titles

  • 1884-1893: Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh
  • 1893-1909: Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
  • 1909-1930: Her Royal Highness Princess Alfonso
  • 1930-1937: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Galliera
  • 1937-1966: Her Royal Highness Princess Alfonso
In other languages