Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg, Queen of Spain

[jfkhaos]

I would like to know more about Queen Ena.  I will start off with another question I saw.  What fight did Queen Ena have with Queen Frederika?  Did it have something to do with the marriage of Juan Carlos and Sophia?  I include a pic to start off what I hope will be a successful thread!

[darius]

What did Queen Ena do during her long exile? I know she attended family weddings etc. - (I think she attended Elizabeth and Philips in 1947?), but what was her life really like in exile?

[Eurohistory]

Peaceful, at last, peaceful!

Arturo Beéche

[jfkhaos]

Where did Ena live when in exile in Lausanne, and when she attended the baptism of Prince Felipe, where was she lodged (was she lodged in the palaces where she lived, or perhaps at Zarazuela)?

[Eurohistory]

Queen Victoria Eugenia lived at a nice palais in Lausanne called La Vieille Fontaine, which  was sold after her death and is now owned by a private company.

While in Madrid for Felipe's baptim she lodged at the magnificent Palacio de Liria, home of the Duchess of Alba.

Arturo Beéche

[Leslie_Romanov]

Did Queen Victoria Eugenia have any grandchildren beside the children of Prince Juan? Prince Juan is the only child I have heard about that has anychildren. Did Princess Maria Christina or the others have any children or get married?

[Eurohistory]

Victoria Eugenia and Alfonso XIII had seven children, including a stillborn boy.

Their eldest, Alfonso (1937-1938 ), Prince of Asturias, died childless, but married twice.

The second son, Jaime (1908-1975), married morganatically twice and fathered two sons: Alfonso (1936-1989) and Gonzalo (1937-2000).  Alfonso had two sons, Francisco (1972-1984) and Luis Alfonso (b. 1974). Don Gonzalo fathered one daughter, who lies in the USA and several five sons.

Their eldest daughter was Infanta doña Beatriz (1909-2002), who in 1935 married Don Alessandro Torlonia, Prince of Civitella-Cesi (1911-1986).  They had four children: Sandra, Marco, Marino and Olimpia. All with children, except Marino, who is also the only one who has died.

Their second daughter was Infanta María Cristina (1911-1996) who married Count Enrico Marone, her to the Cinzano fortune.  They had four daughters: Vittoria, Giovanna, María Teresa and Anna Sandra.  All had descendants.

Their fourth son was Infante don Juan (1913-1993), Prince of Asturias, Count of Barcelona, who in 1935 married Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1910-2000).  The Count and Countess of barcelona had four children: Pilar (b. 1936), Juan Carlos (b. 1938 ), Margarita (b. 1939) and Alfonso (1941-1956). Pilar, Juan Carlos and Margarita gave their parents ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren thus far.

Their fifth son, Gonzalo (1914-1934), died unmarried, and as his eldest brother, from injuries suffered in a car accident.

Arturo Beéche

[grandduchessella]

Victoria Eugenia and Alfonso XIII had seven children, including a stillborn boy.

Just one more tragedy involving her sons.   (2 hemophiliacs, 1 a deaf-mute after a childhood illness, 1 stillborn)

Their fourth son was Infante don Juan (1913-1993), Prince of Asturias, Count of Barcelona, who in 1935 married Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1910-2000).  The Count and Countess of barcelona had four children: Pilar (b. 1936), Juan Carlos (b. 1938), Margarita (b. 1939) and Alfonso (1941-1956). Pilar, Juan Carlos and Margarita gave their parents ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren thus far.

JC's brother Alfonso died after being shot while alone with JC. An article not too long ago claimed that JC accidentally shot him and that it was covered up or worse that it was an act of anger that got out of control. Very nasty allegation. The article came out in connection with a bio on JC--perhaps Art knows more.

[Leslie_Romanov]

Just one more tragedy involving her sons.   (2 hemophiliacs, 1 a deaf-mute after a childhood illness, 1 stillborn)

Have two hemophiliac sons and a deaf mute son must have been horrible, I cannot imagine it. Did her daughters carry hemophilia? I heard that the Spanish Royal family and its descendents are all free from it now. ( I always ask though cause you never know if what you read is true).

[Marlene]

Have two hemophiliac sons and a deaf mute son must have been horrible, I cannot imagine it. Did her daughters carry hemophilia? I heard that the Spanish Royal family and its descendents are all free from it now. ( I always ask though cause you never know if what you read is true).

It is not known if Beatriz nor Maria Cristina were carriers because  neither of Beatriz's two sons had the disease, and neither of her daughters passed the gene.  Maria Cristina was the mother of four daughters, and none passed the gene - so one can largely assume that the disease is now extinct within the family.

[frederika]

What has happend to the House of Battenburg? Which part of Germany did they come from and did Ena Change her name to Mountbatton later on.

[bluetoria]

What has happend to the House of Battenburg? Which part of Germany did they come from and did Ena Change her name to Mountbatton later on.

Hello Frederika,  
Battenberg was really a courtesy title given to the morganatic wife & children of Prince Alexander of Hesse because they was not allowed to share the Prince's title, as their mother was of 'lower birth'.

Ena would not have needed to change her name to Mountbatten because, by the time the others changed their names (1917), she was already Queen of Spain.

All the Battenbergs raised in England (the children of Henry & Louis) therefore became Mountbattens (so the name Battenberg died out). I am not sure whether or not Franzjos had any children??  

The original title Battenberg came from the name of a village in the north of Hesse. The title had once been held by knights but had died out centuries before it was revived for Julia - Alexander's wife. (It was the Grand Duke of Hesse, Louis III who gave Countess Battenberg that name.)

[Eurohistory]

What has happend to the House of Battenburg? Which part of Germany did they come from and did Ena Change her name to Mountbatton later on.

Princess Andrew of Greece, neé Princess Alice of Battenberg (1885-1969) was the "last" of the Battenbergs.  Neither her nor her first cousin Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain changed their name to Mountbatten.  Both being married to foreign royals, it was not thought necessary to do.

Arturo Beéche

[frederika]

thats very true, anyway to change the subject did Ena ever return to spain did franco alow her to live in the palace or somthing?

[grandduchessella]

I don't believe she ever returned to Spain--certainly not to live. She continued her life in exile in Switzerland. She would've only returned to lay in the waiting area before burial in El Escorial.