On the 14 th of December 1861, Helenas childhood took a traumatic turn when her father, the Prince Consort died prematurely, aged only 42. The fifteen-year-old Helena was distraught at the death of her beloved father. Shortly after she wrote to a friend I adored Papa, I loved him more than anything on earth. Licensed under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons. WebHer brother King Edward VII died on May 6, 1910, and her nephew became King George V of the United Kingdom. While Helena and her husbands marriage ended more or less in a happily ever after, it actually began with a very embarrassing misunderstanding. It took quite a while for Louise, Helenas younger sister, to find a man of her own, and Helena may have had a hand in it. On December 14, 1878, Helenas sister, Alice, lost her life to diphtheria. So swift was the disease once it had taken hold, that when Alice was called to the bedside of her daughter Marie, by the time she arrived, Marie had already choked to death. She was the sister of Friedrich, last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont; Marie, the first wife of Wilhelm II of Wrttemberg; and of Emma, Queen consort of Willem III of the Netherlands (and mother of Queen Wilhelmina). The proposal drove a deep wedge between Helena and Alexandra and consequently made Helenas relationship with her older brother even rockier. She was also the founding president of the Royal School of Needlework. While Helenas sister initially opposed her marriage to Christian, Alice was the one to convince Edward to show up to Helenas wedding. It was in May 1865 while visiting Coburg that Helena met her future husband, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, the son of Christian August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, and Countess Louise Sophie af Danneskiold-Samse. Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein, daughter-in-law of Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany. Victoria - Wikidata Queen Elizabeth II, Britains longest serving monarch, dies at 96 As historian Daisy Goodwin told PEOPLE, this was a revelatory moment for the United Kingdom. When it came to leadership, Helena took a page out of her moms book. Your email address will not be published. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Her health problems varied from hypochondria in 1869, to Severe rheumatism in 1870, to Congestion in her lungs in 1871. As its president, she visited British troops in France and obtained the permission of the Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, to arrange entertainments for them. Worldhistoryedu is not responsible for the content of external sites.
