Helen of Great Britain and Ireland
Princess Helena Augusta Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland VA (born May 25, 1846 in Buckingham Palace , London , † June 9, 1923 in Schomberg House , London) was the fifth child of the British Queen Victoria and her husband Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha .
Childhood and youth
Helena, called "Lenchen", was born on May 25, 1846 in Buckingham Palace in London. She was given the name "Helena" in honor of her godmother Hélène, Duchess of Orléans . Further godparents were the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg and the Duchess of Cambridge . From a dynastic point of view, she did not expect a great future as she already had two brothers and two sisters.
At an early age, she showed the character traits that would mark her life: she was extremely dutiful, gracious to everyone she got to know, and very loyal to her family and friends. Her preferences were rather unusual for a princess, as she enjoyed swimming, racing with her brothers and being enthusiastic about the technical achievements of her century. Although she played the piano very well, unlike the other members of her family, she had no artistic talent worth mentioning.
The fifteen-year-old princess was deeply shocked by the death of her father in December 1861, especially since her bossy mother intimidated her. After her older sisters, Victoria and Alice , both married, Helena took on the role of her mother's private secretary and also stood by her on official occasions.
At the same time, Queen Victoria set herself the task of finding a suitable husband for her third daughter, who, in her opinion, did not have to come from a ruling royal family. Helena was a little squat and, despite her beautiful hair, her fine features and her large amber eyes, was considered unattractive.
Meeting with Prince Christian
During a visit to Germany in autumn 1865, the nineteen-year-old princess met her future husband, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1831-1917). At first glance, he seemed out of the question as a candidate for marriage, since he was neither wealthy nor held a position; moreover, he was fifteen years older than Helena, who nevertheless took it into her head to marry him. Queen Victoria consented to the marriage only on the condition that the couple settle in England and be close to her at all times.
Years of marriage
The wedding took place on July 5, 1866 in the private chapel of Windsor Castle ; their honeymoon took Helena and Christian to Paris , Interlaken and Genoa . The couple initially lived in Frogmore House on the grounds of Windsor Castle before later settling at Cumberland Lodge - very close to their first residence. Helena felt at home here in the country. Her husband Prince Christian, who received the title of "Royal Highness", was given supervision of the royal gardens of Windsor Castle.
Six offspring resulted from the marriage:
- Christian Victor (* April 14, 1867 - † October 29, 1900)
- Albert (born February 26, 1869 - † April 27, 1931)
- Helena Victoria (* May 3, 1870 - † March 13, 1948)
- Marie Louise (* August 12, 1872 - † December 8, 1956) ⚭ 1891 Aribert von Anhalt
- Harald (* May 12, 1876 - † May 20, 1876)
- Stillborn son (* / † May 7, 1877).
The couple led an almost carefree and quiet life; his main job was to assist Queen Victoria with her paperwork. The four remaining children gave Helena and Christian great joy; the couple also had enough time to devote themselves to their children, and Prince Christian personally taught them German. Helena also did a lot of charitable tasks - she was z. B. co-founded the British Red Cross during the Franco-Prussian War .
In the last decade of the 19th century, Helena became increasingly addicted to opium due to psychological problems, the cause of which has remained unknown . However, her doctor managed to find Dr. Reid to cure her of the addiction.
Last years of life
After the death of her mother Queen Victoria on January 22, 1901, Helena's official duties were reduced, but she continued - like her husband Prince Christian - to perform representative duties. Aging problems such as neuralgia and rheumatism as well as visual disturbances, which were presumably due to her long-term opium consumption, set in with her.
During the First World War , in her capacity as Chair of the Royal British Nurses' Association, despite her advanced age, she visited many hospitals. In 1916 she and her husband celebrated their golden wedding anniversary - of her siblings, Helena was the one whose marriage lasted the longest. The following year, Prince Christian died after a short illness in his London residence at Schomberg House.
In the spring of 1923, Helena fell ill with the flu and suffered a severe heart attack at the end of May. She died on the morning of June 9, 1923 in Schomberg House. The funeral took place in St. George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. She was buried next to her husband Prince Christian in the Albert Memorial Chapel.
To this day she remains the least known daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
swell
- Georgina Battiscombe: Queen Alexandra. Constable & Company, London 1969.
- D. Bennet: Queen Victoria's Children. Gollancz, London 1980, ISBN 0-575-02690-1 .
- Seweryn Chomet: Helena: A Princess Reclaimed. Begell House, New York 1999, ISBN 1-56700-145-9 .
- Matthew Dennison: The Last Princess: The Devoted Life of Queen Victoria's Youngest Daughter. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2007, ISBN 978-0-297-84794-6 .
- Marlene A. Eilers: Queen Victoria's Descendants. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1987, ISBN 0-8063-1202-5 .
- Elizabeth Longford: Victoria RI 2nd edition. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1987, ISBN 0-297-84142-4 .
- Marie Louise (Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein) : My Memories of Six Reigns. 2nd Edition. Penguin, Middlesex 1959.
- Jerrold M. Packard: Victoria's Daughters. St Martin's Griffin, New York 1998, ISBN 0-312-24496-7 .
- John Van der Kiste: Queen Victoria's Children. Sutton Publishing, Gloucester 2006, ISBN 0-7509-3476-X .
- Helena, Princess [Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein] (1846-1923). In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, Sept. 2004; online edn, Jan 2008, accessed 22 Feb 2008.
- Jehanne Wake: Princess Louise: Queen Victoria's Unconventional Daughter. Collins, London 1988, ISBN 0-00-217076-0 .
- Thomas Weiberg: ... as always, your Dona. Engagement and wedding of the last German imperial couple. Isensee-Verlag, Oldenburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-89995-406-7 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Helen of Great Britain and Ireland |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Helena Augusta Victoria; Helena Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein; Helena Augusta Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British noblewoman, daughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 25, 1846 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Buckingham Palace , London |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 9, 1923 |
| Place of death | Schomberg House , London |