In 1863, Alexandra of Denmark married Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne. She was adored by the British public, but few knew the hardships she endured behind the scenes. Born on December 1, 1844, in Copenhagen, she was given the elaborate name of Princess Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia, though her family called her Alex. Her father, Prince Christian of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was from one of Denmark’s most senior aristocratic lines.
Her mother was Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel. The family lived at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, with their only income coming from her father’s Army salary. This made them cash-poor despite their noble standing. In 1848, when Alexandra was just four, King Christian VIII of Denmark died, leaving his childless son Frederick as his heir.
Since Frederick was unlikely to have future children, plans were made for the succession. By 1852Alexandra’s father was suddenly next in line to the throne, making Alexandra a royal princess designate. The family moved to Bernstorff Palace but still lived modestly. Alexandra made her own clothes, shared an attic bedroom with her sister, and began working when she was old enough.
She received a good education, learning several European languages and being raised as a devout Christian. In 1860, Queen Victoria and her consort Prince Albert began considering who their eldest son, the heir to the British throne, should marry. Alexandra soon caught their attention. It was engineered for Albert Edward to meet her at the gathering in the German city of Speyer in September 1861.
He was three years older than her. The courtship was complicated by Edward’s ongoing affair with an actress named Nelly Clifton. A few months later, she pressured her son to marry and secure the line. In the autumn of 1862, the Playboy Prince proposed to Alexandra, who was just shy of her 18th birthday.
They were married on the 10th of March 1863 at Windsor Castle rather than in London. Within the next year, Alexandra’s family members rose to prominence. Her brother George became king of Greece. Her sister Dagmar became the Crown Princess of Russia, and her father succeeded as king of Denmark.
During this time, Alexandra developed a lifelong dislike of Germany and the Prussian Royal House, as her home country was invaded during the Second Schleswig War. This resentment would shape her views for decades. During the early years of her marriage, Alexandra focused on raising a family. Between 1864 and 1871, she gave birth to six children.
Albert Victor was born in early 1864, George in the summer of 1865, followed by three daughters: Louise, Victoria,a nd Maud. Her final child, John, died just hours after his birth in 1871. All of the children were born premature. Giving birth was not easy for Alexandra.
She was a devoted mother who loved spending time with her children. She also enjoyed riding, hunting, dancing, and ice skating, activities Queen Victoria disapproved of. Those who knew Alexandra described her as warm, affectionate, and friendly, and she became a style icon loved by the British public. Behind the scenes, Alexandra faced considerable hardship.
In 1867, she suffered from rheumatic fever, which left her with a permanent limp. She also began to lose her hearing due to an inherited disorder called otosclerosis, which gradually brought her once-enjoyed social life to an end. Her husband never changed his ways, keeping many mistresses over the years. Alexandra largely tried to ignore this, though at times it caused friction between them.
There were also extended periods of harmony in their long union. In the second half of the 19th century, the life of a working royal centered on attending official ceremonies and providing patronage for charitable causes. With the British Empire at its height, the royals frequently visited far-flung territories, and Alexandra traveled much of the world during her decades as Princess of Wales. However, on occasion her marital issues with Edward were on display when he chose to travel alone.
In the late 1870s, while her two eldest sons were on a lengthy Royal Navy voyage, she traveled Europe independently, visiting several of her siblings who had married into Europe’s royal houses. In January 1892, a new tragedy struck. Alexandra and Edward’s eldest son, Albert Victor, died at 28 years of age from a virulent form of influenza during a major pandemic. It was devastating for Alexandra, who once said, “I have buried my angel,and with him my happiness.
”
By the dawn of the 20th century, it was only a question of when Queen Victoria would pass. She died at 81 on the 22nd of January 1901. Albert Edward became King Edward VII, and Alexandra finally succeeded from Princess of Wales to Queen Consort of Britain. He and Alexandra were crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on the 9th of August 1902.
The coronation was delayed because Edward was ill with an abdominal abscess. When it finally took place, it was arguably the finest display of British imperial, military, and diplomatic power in history, with contingents from all over the world reflecting Britain’s Empire. The aging Archbishop of Canterbury, Frederick Temple, refused to delegate any duties and had to be supported throughout the service. Alexandra’s role as queen consort was peculiar.
Edward succeeded to the throne when he was nearing his 60th birthday, making it evident his reign would be far shorter than his mother’s. Consequently, their eldest son would succeed before long. The new Prince of Wales and his wife Mary of Teck were very prominent around the 1900s, touring the British Empire extensively. During these extended trips away from Britain, Alexandra’s interest primarily lay with her grandchildren, and she became a beloved grandmother just as she had become a loved queen consort.
The first months of 1910 were among the most tumultuous of Alexandra’s long life. By early 1910, Edward was suffering from chronic lung problems, exacerbated by chain smoking. His final illness occurred in the midst of a constitutional crisis in Britain. The House of Lords had blocked a budget put forth by the liberal government, causing a general election, but the impasse remained.
With her husband incapacitated and events at a deadlock, Alexandra took the unprecedented step of becoming the first queen consort to visit the House of Commons to watch the debate. The import was clear: the monarchy was watching, and the crisis needed resolving. Alive died from his lung condition and other associated ailments on the 6th of May 1910. He was immediately succeeded by his and Alexandra’s eldest surviving son, George, who took the regnal name George V.
Meanwhile, the constitutional crisis dragged on for months and took until 1911 to resolve. Alexandra’s intervention at the height of it was notable. Following her husband’s death,and her son’s accession as king, Alexandra became the Queen Mother. She declined to attend her son’s coronation at Westminster Abbey in the summer of 1911, as was customary, in order to avoid distracting from the new king and queen.
Her duties became less taxing as a result. She continued to play a role in public life, particularly during the First World War. At a time when the German heritage of the royal family came under sustained scrutiny, Alexandra was unequivocal in her criticism of Germany. She had never forgiven Prussia for its annexation of large parts of Denmark in the 1860s.
She tried to steer her son towards an anti-German line throughout the war. By the time the war ended, Alexandra was in deteriorating health. She had always suffered from hearing difficulties since her 30s. In 1920, a blood vessel in one of her eyes burst, partially blinding her, and her memory and speech were impaired to a growing extent.
She died on the 20th of November 1925 at Sandringham at 80 years of age from a heart attack. She was interred after a state funeral eight days later, next to King Edward. At Windsor Castle.
