Alix's suitor's

[royalboy202]

Besides Nicholas & Albert-Victor did Alix have any other suitors?  Is it true that one of the Baden prince's wanted to marry her?

[Helen]

I believe Prince Ernst Günther of Schleswig-Holstein also asked for her hand in marriage.

[rosieposie]

I thought this was an interesting topic,  wow three handsome men wanting Alix's hand.   It must have been a hard choice, although we all know she clearly loved Nicky.

[kmerov]

Besides Nicholas & Albert-Victor did Alix have any other suitors?  Is it true that one of the Baden prince's wanted to marry her?

Queen Victoria was very keen on Alix marrying Prince Max of Baden in 1891.

[Clemence]

I wonder if there has ever been something between Alix and George V given that Queen Victoria favoured Alix and there was such a striking somiliance between him and Nicky?

[blessOTMA]

I believe t the Queen wanted Alix to marry "Eddy" , George s elder brother.. or " collars and cuffs " as his Uncle Bertie called him...(because his collars and cuffs were elongated to mitigate the look of his  very long neck and arms.) ..they never say WHAT was wrong with him... but marriage to Alex was suppose to improve him somehow...

[Olga Maria]

IMO, aside from thinking Alix could be someone who would improve Eddy, I think QV wanted her to marry him because she was said to be her most favorite granddaughter. She was very fond of dear Alix so I presume she thought that marrying her to the ‘future’ King of GB is the only way she could keep Alix close to her as long as she lives.

With regards to Clemence’s question, I think that perspective had not been brought up while Eddy was still living considering that they all expect Eddy would be the King. I also believe it had not been brought up at all as George was known to be in a hope of marrying Marie of Edinburgh (later of Romania) in the 1890’s before May came in to the picture. Someone can correct me if I said wrong things, thank you.

[blessOTMA]

.. She was very fond of dear Alix so I presume she thought that marrying her to the ‘future’ King of GB is the only way she could keep Alix close to her as long as she lives.

I was thinking that as well lol 

[cebi26]

QV stated that being the Queen of England was, in term of status, the biggest thing in the world. I think she was a little naive on this, considering Britain was only a constitutional monarchy and there were, at the time, monarchs with REAL power and wealth available. So, if Alix was in search for status, Victoria's choice for Eddy, really wasn't the best.

[mcdnab]

I think from memory Edward had been rather taken with Alix in 1889 - but the affection wasn't returned.
He often thought himself 'in love' - in 1890 of course he began his whirldwind romance with Helene of Orleans and after that granny decided he best marry 'sweet' May.

[darius]

QV stated that being the Queen of England was, in term of status, the biggest thing in the world. I think she was a little naive on this, considering Britain was only a constitutional monarchy and there were, at the time, monarchs with REAL power and wealth available. So, if Alix was in search for status, Victoria's choice for Eddy, really wasn't the best.

Britain and her empire was THE Superpower of the day, so yes, Queen of England was the preeminent position.

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

I saw something mentioned on the topic about Alix's brother Ernie and his wife, but I didn't want to interupt the conversation going on there, so I thought here would be a suitable place to post a question I had regarding this:

Alix of Hesse was very young (12 years old) when she made up her mind to refuse all family-desired suiters and to only marry a man for which she felt the great attachment. Alix also was deeply devoted to her grandmother, her beloved father, and claimed that she "liked" her cousin Eddy but would be "miserable" if she married him because she did not truly love him. Queen Victoria subsequently relented and praised her strong character--even though this favorite granddaughter had turned down the "greatest position there is".

Where did this information come from? I'm very curious to know if it's true.

[mcdnab]

Reference refusal to marry Eddy - a letter from Eddy to the Prince of Battenburg I believe, and in letters from Queen Victoria to the Empress Frederick (Vicky).
Much of what we know of Victoria's opinions and inveterate (often misguided) matchmaking comes from her letters to Vicky and the letters of the Empress to her mother. There were thousands of them brought back to London after the Empress died.
We also have some stuff from her copious diaries though they were heavily edited by her youngest daughter Princess Beatrice.
Victoria had a very firm view of the importance of her position as Queen of Great Britain and Empress of India she would no doubt have thought it the pre eminent position (lol).

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

Thank you for your prompt reply! What I was most curious about, however, is this portion:

Alix of Hesse was very young (12 years old) when she made up her mind to refuse all family-desired suiters and to only marry a man for which she felt the great attachment.

Was this decison really made when Alix was twelve? Perhaps something to do with Nicholas, but she wouldn't recieve suitors for another four years, quite a bit of thinking ahead, yet then Alix seemed to have been one to do a lot of serious contemplation at a young age.

Victoria had a very firm view of the importance of her position as Queen of Great Britain and Empress of India she would no doubt have thought it the pre eminent position (lol).

I'm sure she did! Although I would hope she accepted Alix's decision not to marry Eddy  and understood it to some degree...

[mcdnab]

I don't know anything about the first part of the question ref Alix making some kind of committment in her youth to marry for love - it sounds extremely romantic and invented to me (but happy to be proved wrong).
As to the final thing - Victoria may have been a major match maker and quite willing to ignore the personal desires of her children and grand children she was also quite a romantic. When Eddy turned up at Balmoral to confess his love for the Helene of Orleans she was quite willing to support them. (it was Helene's family and the Pope that put a spoke in the match over her conversion to Anglicanism)
I am sure she understood Alix's decision and her reluctance or more accurately concern over the match with the Czar was more to do with the fact that she knew the Empress Marie was not keen and she saw the country as unstable. Victoria was also not fond of Alexander III ( a feeling that was mutual), Russia was regarded as a British Imperial rival, and she was not overjoyed with her daughter in law Marie Alexandrovna the wife of Prince Alfred. After the fact she seemed less concerned.