Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia VA (born 5 Oktoberjul / October 17 1853greg in Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg, .. † October 24, 1920 in Zurich ) was by marriage Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and Duchess of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha.
Origin
Grand Duchess Maria, was the second daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and his first wife, Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine, who was born in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia. She was the aunt of Tsar Nicholas II, who was assassinated in 1918. Her brother Grand Duke Sergei was assassinated in 1905 in Moscow by Ivan Kaljajew, another brother, Grand Duke Pavel 1919 in what was then Petrograd.
From 1893 until her death Marija was also a Russian Grand Duchess of birth, a British Royal Duchess by marriage and the wife (and later widow ) of a German sovereign duke. From her birth to her marriage to the Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, she was Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. From her marriage to her husband's successor as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, she was Her Imperial and Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh. Then she was Her Imperial and Royal Highness Duchess Maria of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha.
Marriage
On January 23, 1874 married Grand Duchess Maria in the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, His Royal Highness Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh. The marriage was not happy, especially Marija was unpopular in London society. The existence of Tsar Alexander II that his daughter was to talk to " Imperial Highness " and should take precedence over her sister, the Princess of Wales and later Queen Alexandra of Great Britain and Ireland, have, angry Queen Victoria. The Queen insisted that the title " Royal Highness ", the Grand Duchess Maria acquired by marriage, the title " Imperial Highness " should proceed, which was Marija's salutation of birth. Grand Duchess Maria himself found this hard to do from that, the daughter of a tsar, against her sister, the Princess of Wales, "only" the daughter of the Danish king, according to the protocol had subordinated. After marriage Marija was referred to as "Your Royal Highness ", " Royal and Imperial Highness " or " Imperial and Royal Highness ".
Progeny
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh had six children:
- Prince Alfred (* October 15, 1874; † February 6, 1899 )
- Princess Marie ( * October 29, 1875; † July 18, 1938 ) ∞ January 10, 1893, King Ferdinand I of Romania ( 1865-1927 )
- Princess Victoria Melita (* November 25, 1876, † March 2, 1936 ) ∞ April 19, 1894 (divorced December 21, 1901 ) her paternal cousin Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine ( 1868-1937 ); ∞ October 8, 1905 her cousin Grand Duke Kirill of maternal Russia ( 1876-1938 )
- Princess Alexandra (* September 1, 1878, † April 16, 1942 ) ∞ April 20, 1896 Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe -Langenburg ( 1863-1950 )
- A daughter who died at birth ( * / † October 13, 1879 )
- Princess Beatrice (* April 20, 1884; † July 13, 1966 ) ∞ July 15, 1909 Don Alfonso, Infante of Spain, 3rd Duke of Galliera ( 1886-1975 )
Later life
After the death of his uncle, Duke Ernst II of Saxe -Coburg and Gotha on 22 August 1893 duchy fell to the Duke of Edinburgh as his elder brother, the Prince of Wales and later King Edward VII, on his inheritance rights waived. Prince Alfred gave up his appanage of 15,000 pounds per year as well as his seat in the House of Lords and the Privy Council, but kept 10,000 pounds Apanage in order to maintain his London residence Clarence House can. Marija was now in addition to their other titles Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. As the wife of a sovereign German duke she enjoyed theoretically according to the protocol takes precedence over their sisters in law at the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
The only son of the couple, Prince Alfred, caused a scandal when he tried to shoot himself in January 1899. He survived, his parents sent him to recover from Merano, but two weeks later he died. The Duke of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha and Edinburgh, died on July 30, 1900 of throat cancer at Schloss Rosenau, Coburg. The Duke throne went to his nephew, Duke Carl Eduard of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha and Albany. The Duchess of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha continued to live in Schloss Rosenau, near Coburg.
She died in October 1920 in Zurich and was buried in the ducal family vault in Coburg.
Title of birth
- Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
- Controversial title: Her Imperial and Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh
- Her Royal and Imperial Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh
- Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh