Princess Patricia (Patsy) of Connaught & Sir Alexander Ramsey

[Adagietto]

I find Patricia quite amazingly beautiful in some of her earlier pictures, with that perfect profile and luxuriant hair; but she seems to have been very self-conscious when being photographed, and often has a rather strange and remote expression, almost as if she were on drugs! Perhaps that is why the studies in profile tend to be best.

[Adagietto]

Did people find her cold?

[Adagietto]

She seems to have been well  liked in Canada too as far as I know, which would presumably not have been the case if people had found her stand-offish.

[CountessKate]

I think I read somewhere that she didn't like her face when seen full-on, so almost always had herself photographed in profile.  The soulful, serious look was quite popular in photos of the early 20th century - and maintaining a smile for the long camera exposures of the time was quite a strain, anyway.

[Eddie_uk]

She seems to have been well  liked in Canada too as far as I know, which would presumably not have been the case if people had found her stand-offish.

Quite. I think dear Eric's mistaken...(again).

[Eric_Lowe]

Nope I am not mistaken. Her son years later told a friend about the coldness of his mother (Lady Pat Ramsey by then). It is interesting because Lady Pat herself complained about the meanness of her mother (Duchess Luise) of making them wore shoes that did not fit. It might be that she inheirited her mother's coldness to her children. Also Pat coluld be quite rude too. When Alfonso XIII came to London to court her, she turned her back to the young king and ignored him the whole time. Her cousin Princess Beatrice wrote in her illustrated book that " Pat was not behaving like a princess should !" However the same cannot be said of her sister Margaret. She was beloved by her husband and children (her daughter Ingrid admitted that she was unable to deal with her mother's death until years later).

[Keith]

You do have quite the unique way of looking at things Eric. It seems you base alot of your opinions on basically one persons opinion. Obviously her son would be in a good position as to his mothers character, but then again one persons opinion. Who did this friend pass this information on to?

I'll have to pull out my books, but I believe Alice Athlone and Marie Louise had nice things to say about her. ML didn't seem to crazy about her art work, but I don't recall any mention of a cold nature.

As for the rude thing, it makes me laugh a little, as it's fairly well know Patsy wanted to marry for love only and wasn't interested in being a Queen. Maybe Alfonso was being a pest, or perhaps she felt this was just the best way to send him looking another way.

As for the Beatrice book, I'm assuming we're talking Baby Bee. Didn't realize she had a book. Do you have the name of book by any chance? Also did she say how Pat was not behaving like a Princess should? Was this in reference to the Alfonso incident?

[Adagietto]

I don't blame her for not wanting to marry Alfonso!

[Eric_Lowe]

The source on her son came from a very reliable person who also published a royal book. So I think there is no mistaken there since he KNEW Patsy's son...

Try as I might I couldn't find anything as good as her sister Margaret on Patsy. It is similar as the case of everybody fell in love with Ella, but nobody really like Alicky.

The Baby Bee book is written in Spanish, but her illustrations were done in English. No I think Bee was saying that Patsy did not behave as a princess should for not being gracious and polite as a princess should. Whether or not she married him is another matter. QV would have been horrified at Patsy's lapse in manners. There is no excuse for bad manners especially to a guest who is a king ! It could only be termed as wilful. Missy would have agreed with her sister, they were taught to do a drawing room talking to chairs...

[Adagietto]

Well I was taught too that too that one should always be polite to guests and especially to kings; here's a jolly picture of her marrying for love.

[Keith]

Just because you can't find anything as good on Patsy as on Daisy doesn't make her a bad/cold/rude person. Perhaps you're just not looking hard enough.

I know nothing about the relationship between Patsy and her son, but no matter how reliable the person is who KNEW Patsy's son, it's basically just hearsay(sp). Sorry, but I just think to call someone cold you need more info than that. We can all say things about someone else, but doesn't make them true.

As for the Alfonso story, I'm getting a little bit confused. Was Bee actually stating that Patsy upon being introduced to Alfonso turned her back on him? Or is she stating that she just was not being gracious and polite?

Perhaps you can name the book, or if you have it handy quote the passage from it that you are referring to.

[Eric_Lowe]

Well...One can believe what wants to believe. The fact that there is good evidence that Patsy wasn't as kind and understanding as Margaret spoke volumes. It is those who think other wise to look harder to rebutt what was being said.

Baby Bee's book is published in Spain and had a lot of interesting facts. One day I will get them and do more research on the "fasinating Edinburgh girls" ! Indeed Patsy was on the point of rudeness to Alfonso was not lost on Bee, who was in the same age group as her during the presentation. Margaret was also there and presented no problems. It is probably that the newspapers already linked her to Alfonso that she made a point to dash the Spanish king's hopes as far as she was concerned.

[grandduchessella]

Well, I guess all was eventually all right between Alfonso and Patsy since she gave her only child the name Alfonso (as one of his names) in honor of the Spanish King. 

[Carolath Habsburg]

Patsy Ramsay, nee Connaught and her son

[Eric_Lowe]

Wow ! He looked like an angel ! Very much like his mother. I read he was wounded in WW II.