Helena, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein

[wildone]

I don't think that book has an answer.

I'm curious about how any of QV's daughters developed an interest in nursing.  Was it through QV's or Albert's influence, or something they developed separately?

[royaltybuff]

Princess Alice developed her interest in nursing during the Austro-Prussian War. She nursed injured soldiers. She became interested in improving sanitary conditions in hospitals and worked to improve them. The Alice Hospital in Hesse-Darmstadt was named for her.

[eejm]

Princess Alice developed her interest in nursing during the Austro-Prussian War. She nursed injured soldiers. She became interested in improving sanitary conditions in hospitals and worked to improve them. The Alice Hospital in Hesse-Darmstadt was named for her.

I think Alice's interest goes back farther than that. It was she who tended to her father during her last illness, and then to her mother during the severe depression that followed.  She also began corresponding with Florence Nightingale, but I'm not sure if this started before or after the Austro-Prussian War.

I'm not certain if Helena followed her sister into this cause, or if her interests developed separately.  Alice seemed more "hands on" in nursing, whereas Helena seemed to concentrate more on fundraising.  Helena: A Princess Reclaimed is Helena's only biography.  It's written rather strangely, but it does contain some information on her that I haven't found in other sources.  John van der Kiste wrote Victoria's Children, which may have some additional information on Helena.  She's practically unknown next to Vicky, or Bertie, or a few of Victoria's other children.

[CountessKate]

I have always thought that the initial interest of Queen Victoria's daughters for nursing came from the tremendous public enthusiasm for the work of Florence Nightingale.  Alice and Helena were children at the time of the Crimean War, but old enough to understand what was going on and to see Florence Nightingale as a heroine and a sort of role model, and certainly their parents would have supported any interest in nursing in their family as they supported the work of Florence Nightingale herself. 

[alixaannencova]

I think you have hot the nail on the head about Florence Nightingale Countesskate! At the time that Lenchen and Alice were reaching adulthood women were on the verge of breaking out to a degree and becoming more proactive! The seeds of the emancipation movement probably took root at the time Miss Nightingale began her campaign!

I often wonder what Lenchen's real views were of the suffragette movement, as I understand she was in favour of women's rights! I like to think that perhaps she lent the Pankhursts some support in some unofficial way!

With Christian, she managed to bring up four children who all proved highly popular! In particular Louie is IMHO a bit of an icon of all that is best about the RF. She and Thora certainly inherited Lenchen's work ethic and continued to set the standard of how and what a 'working Royal' should do to justify their position as members of the RF.

I find it fascinating that Lenchen is believed to have been completely under her mother's thumb and yet one also gets the impression that she, Lenchen, was also very spirited and independent on occasion. There seems to me, to be far more to her than is currently known.   

[eejm]

I find it fascinating that Lenchen is believed to have been completely under her mother's thumb and yet one also gets the impression that she, Lenchen, was also very spirited and independent on occasion. There seems to me, to be far more to her than is currently known.   

I get the impression that Helena was intimidated at the thought of becoming a wife to a foreign royal.  On the other hand, she really did not want to stay at her mother's beck and call; Victoria had originally wanted Helena for this job before she turned to Beatrice.  Helena and Christian seemed to get along well, and Victoria was happy that Helena was still nearby.  Still, mother and daughter tended to have a somewhat prickly relationship.

[Eddie_uk]

I was under the impression Victoria thought Helena unreliable and unsuitable for the role of unofficial secretary so planned to marry her off and turn to Louise and then Beatrice?

I dont have Packards book to hand but believe he mentions that.

[Grace]

I don't think that book has an answer.

I'm curious about how any of QV's daughters developed an interest in nursing.  Was it through QV's or Albert's influence, or something they developed separately?

As I read it, Gabriella asked for 'information' about Helena - that's why I suggested the Packard book, wildone, not for 'answers' on anything in particular.

[eejm]

I was under the impression Victoria thought Helena unreliable and unsuitable for the role of unofficial secretary so planned to marry her off and turn to Louise and then Beatrice?

I dont have Packards book to hand but believe he mentions that.

Packard takes a different approach to Helena's and Christian's marriage - that it was a love match from the start, and that Victoria consented to it because Christian was willing to live in Britain.  Hence, Helena would be close by.  Every other author I've read indicates that it was an arranged marriage from the start, but that Helena and Christian took to each other well and it more or less became a love match.  The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

After Albert's death, Victoria wanted her remaining, unmarried/unengaged daughters to be close, but I'm not sure if she was as possessive of Helena as she was later with Beatrice.  Victoria seemed to feel it was a given that her children needed to marry, up until Leopold wanted to do so.  He and Beatrice really had to fight to get married, Beatrice moreso than Leopold.

[wildone]

I don't think that book has an answer.

I'm curious about how any of QV's daughters developed an interest in nursing.  Was it through QV's or Albert's influence, or something they developed separately?

As I read it, Gabriella asked for 'information' about Helena - that's why I suggested the Packard book, wildone, not for 'answers' on anything in particular.

Understood.  Although I felt like there wasn't much information about her at all in that book, compared to the other four daughters.  But then, given the sources out there, I guess that isn't surprising. 

[Adagietto]

Some pictures of her:

[grandduchessella]

Helena received a pearl & diamond tiara as an anniversary present in 1891. I'm thinking it might be this one (notice also her brooch, reminiscent of the Queen's Kensington brooch and the incredibly large cluster of brooches she wears):



She also had a very large and ornate necklace of pearls, diamonds and (I think) emeralds. Given the early age of the portrait, I would suspect it was a wedding gift but will have to look through my back issues:



She also wore it (like in the portrait, with diamond stars in her hair) c.1893:

[grandduchessella]

Helena behind Queen Mary with Louise Argyll on one side and Alice Athlone on the other. It's at the International Polo Match in 1921.



At the opera with Queen Mary, King George, Princess Beatrice and others

[Gabriella]

You could try "Victoria's Daughters" by Jerrold M. Packard. 

Hello, Grace,

thank you very much for recommending Jerrold Packard's "Queen Victoria's Daughters" for getting information on Princess Helena.
It was a great source of information about her life as well as of the life of her sisters.

I also bought and read Princess Marie Louise's "My Memoirs of Six Reigns" and "The Memoirs of Emily Loch" by Judith Poore.
Thank you, Ms. Poore, for writing that book. It  proved to be a great source about Princess Helena and her family as well as the
family oF her sister Alice and Louis IV of Hesse.

Regards,

Gabriella

[Norbert]

I believe Helena was on the list for the Prince of Orange right up to her marriage. Was Valerie Schwalb really the daughter of Albrecht or was he just trying to save her from the Nazi's by adopting her as his daughter?