Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Princess Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha, and Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, VA ( born April 20, 1884 in Eastwell Park, Kent, † July 13, 1966 in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain ) was a member of the British royal family and by Marriage Princess d' Orléans - Bourbon.

Life

Princess Beatrice was the youngest daughter of Duke Alfred of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria, and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna Romanova, daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Thus it was both a member of the British royal family, as well as the German House of Saxe -Coburg and Gotha, and eventually married into the Spanish royal house. Beatrice spent much of her youth in Malta, where her father was stationed as a naval officer. After the death of her childless great-uncle, Duke Ernst II of Saxe -Coburg and Gotha on 22 August 1893 the title fell to Beatrice's father. Then the family moved into their new home to Coburg.

In 1902, Beatrice had a relationship with the Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich Romanov, younger brother of Tsar Nicholas II and the time in the first place of the Russian throne. However, a marriage did not take place because the Orthodox Church forbade marriage between first cousins ​​. Later it was said that Beatrice would Alfonso XIII. marry from Spain. As this, however, in 1906 her cousin Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg married, this turned out to be rumor. At the wedding, however, Beatrice was her future husband, Prince Alfonso d' Orléans - Bourbon, a cousin King Alfonso to know. However, the Spanish royal family was through this connection at all happy and made clear early on that if it should come to a marriage, the couple had to go into exile. The wedding took place on 15 July 1909 in Coburg, according to the Catholic and Protestant rite place. Was allowed to return to Spain until the couple in 1912, Alfonso and Beatrice lived in Coburg. The marriage produced three sons were born: Alvaro (1910-1997), Alfonso (1912-1936) and Ataulfo ​​( 1913-1974 ).

The marriage of King Alfonso XIII. was very unhappy that he had affairs with other women and then also several illegitimate children. So it happened that Beatrice was accused of having an affair with the king. Although this has never been proven, the king's mother, Queen Mother Maria Christina insisted Beatrice to send again into exile. Then, the family lived in England. The Spanish royal family finally relented and allowed to return to Spain, where they settled in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

The reaction of the Spanish population to by the King Alfonso XIII. rendered active support of the military dictatorship of Primo de Rivera led in 1931 to the collapse of the Spanish monarchy and the loss of a large part of the possessions of the Spanish royal family. Beatrice and Alfonso lost their residence, their son Alfonso fell during the Spanish Civil War.

Beatrice died on July 13, 1966 in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Alfonso survived her by nine years.

  • Ernestine
  • House of Saxe -Coburg and Gotha
  • Born in 1884
  • Died in 1966
  • Woman
Royal Order of Victoria and Albert Miguel Primo de Rivera
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