Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone

[royal_netherlands]

The longest living and last surviving granddaugther of her majesty Queen Victoria.
And the third longest living member of the Royal Family behind Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Alice Duchess of Gloucester.
But she is the longest living member of the Royal Family of royal blood.
I think this remarkleble lady desiveres her own thread, she is one of my favorit British royals.
And please share youre pictures and storys of her she desiveres it!!!!

RN

[royal_netherlands]

Prince Alice of Albany, daughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany seen in 1904, the year of her marriage to Prince Alexander of Teck (later the Earl of Athlone).

Major General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, formerly Prince Alexander of Teck.
The youngest brother of Queen Mary of Teck consort of King George V.
 He married Princess Alice of Albany (daughter of the late Prince Leopold) in 1904.

[B5218]

An interesting book "For My Grandchildren" written in 1966 by Princess Alice ...

It is worth effort to find.

Besides being a grand daughter of Queen Victoria, she was Queen Wilhelmina's cousin, and Queen Mary's sister-in-law.

[grandduchessella]

I think she once had a thread but it's no longer accessible.  

She's one of my favorite royals as well. She was just such a character. There's a sweet irony in the fact that the shortest-lived of QV's children should father one of the longest-lived of all royals.

Besides her delightful memoirs, there's also a bio on her by Theo Aronson.

The pictures of her and Alge from above were published in the wedding issue of the ILN--I bought a copy (though the whole issue wasn't for sale   ) so I could have them--also deLaszlo's portrait of Alice. I'll have to get my stuff out and to the scanner! EVII apparently hoped that Alice might make a glittering match--he had his eye on the matrimonial prospects of his pretty nieces Alice, Ena, Daisy & Patsy--and was a bit disappointed that she 'settled' for Prince Alexander of Teck. Many magazines of the day liked to speculate on the possible alliances of various princesses--especially attractive ones--and Alice drew attention. She was mentioned as a possible wife for one of Kaiser Wilhelm's sons, especially because, with her brother training to become Duke of Coburg, she spent a good deal of time in Germany and at the Berlin court. She was very fond of her cousin and he of her and she was of an age with his children. Later in life, Gustav Adolf of Sweden (widower of 2 of her cousins--Daisy and Louise Battenberg) apparently proposed marriage to the widowed Alice but she declined. She was very close to Daisy's Swedish family, though, and attended many events there.

Here's an image of the deLaszlo:

[royal_netherlands]

Thank you for youre reactions all of you!!!
She also  had a great band with the Dutch Royal family, Wilhelmina was verry fond of her Cousin Alice, and Juliana absolutly adored her ''Aunt''.
Alice admired her Dutch Cousin but she also had some private jokes because Wilhelmina was so obstinate.
In her memoires she tells a story she had heared from a lieutenant how brought Wilhelmina to England in the second World War.
The ship had some trouble and went to the harbour of Hoek van Holland, the captain was verry tired  and decised to take a bath. I wished not to be disturbed but wenn the lieutenant came in to tell that HM Queen Wilhelmina  stoot on  the quayside, and she commanded to get on board.
The captian didnt believed the story but after a long time the lieutenant convinced him.
The captian rushed into his clothes an got of board to welcomme HM Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands on board.
She sat straight in the wheelhouse and said to the captain '' I assume this ship is bom proof''
The captian said it was, but knew it wasnt but didnt told her about it.
Wilhelmina commanded to bring her to Sealand but it wasnt save thier any more for here.
Well without moving a muscle she said, ''Well than bring me to England''
Wenn she arrived in Harwich a train was readdy to bring her to London.
The autorities fonned Buckingham palace to anouce to arival of The Queen of the Netherlands,
The also didnt believe the message ,but Wilhelmina showed resolute as she was at the palace.

Alice during the war in Ottowa with her Niece Wilhelmina.
RN

[Morecambrian]

Theo Aronson wrote an excellent biography of Alice.

[Morecambrian]

Alice during the war in Ottowa with her Niece Wilhelmina.
RN[/quote]
Alice and Wilhemina were actually FIRST COUSINS the children of 2 sisters Helen and Emma of Waldeck -Pyrmont

[royal_netherlands]

Yes sorry I know that,Im always confused with the words niece and cousin.
But thank you for helping me out.

RN

[grandduchessella]

Alice avoided the propensity of the Waldeck-Pyrmonts towards stoutness that was evident throughout her mother, aunt and cousins lives. She remained slender and rather pixie-ish to the end.



(A color version of this was used for the cover of Aronson's biography)

(this was used for Alice's autobiography)

[grandduchessella]

with the Duchess of Gloucester--Alice had been married for 30 years when the Duchess married her nephew Henry


with Princess Anne

[grandduchessella]

[Grace]

Taken at QEII's coronation in 1953 (sorry for poor quality).

Princess Alice lead an interesting and adventurous life and was quite a character.  She and her husband, the Earl of Athlone (brother of Queen Mary) lived in South Africa from 1923 to 1931 where he was Governor-General.  He was appointed Governor-General of Canada in 1940.  Here is a little interesting "trivia" I found:-  


*As a child she often saw Lewis Carroll, a man afflicted by a stammer.  She once asked "why does he waggle his mouth like that"?
*She once photographed an elephant so closely that all she could snap was its legs.
*A savage barracuda once swam past her when she was swimming in the Bahamas.
*She had a particular dislike of Field Marshal Montgomery and, one time in Jerusalem, she was holding a number of candles and allowed them to drip down his back.  Although she maintained that this was an accident, an eye witness noted her enjoyment of the occasion.  As for Monty, the Princess wrote "for some time afterwards there was a coolness between us...".
*After she was widowed in 1957, she spent part of each summer with King Gustav of Sweden and, from 1974 to 1978 went each year to South Africa and to the West Indies, travelling part of the way in a banana boat.
*At the age of 95, a flight was delayed and she was obliged to spend part of the night at Nairobi Airport on a bench.
*She walked three miles each day to bring food to and care for her only brother, the Duke of Coburg, who after imprisonment during WWII was in poor health.
*At QEII's Silver Jubilee Service at St. Paul's Cathedral in 1977, Lord Mountbatten described her as "becoming very bent...but still very bright and alert".

[grandduchessella]

*As a child she often saw Lewis Carroll, a man afflicted by a stammer.  She once asked "why does he waggle his mouth like that"?

Alice Liddell, Lewis Carroll's inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, was a friend of Prince Leopold. Some have hinted at a romance but this hasn't ever been proven. They met while PL was an undergraduate at Christ Church (1872-1876). Alice was 20 years old at the time. Alice Liddell would later wear a gift from the prince on her wedding gown, and she named her second son Leopold.

Princess Alice later gave her own views on her relationship with Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll: '[He]...was especially kind to Charlie and me, though when I was only five I offended him once when...he was telling a story. He was a stammerer and being unable to follow what he was saying I suddenly asked in a loud voice, "Why does he waggle his mouth like that?" I was hastily removed by the lady-in-waiting.' ('For My Grandchildren', 1966, p. 66). Another remark is more stinging: '...he was always making grown-up jokes at us...we thought him awfully silly...' (Kenneth Rose, 'The Later Cecils', 1975, p. 31).

[royal_netherlands]

In the second world war Princess Alice and her husband how was gouveran-general of Canada at that time, presented thier home.
To the family of Princess Juliana of The Netherlands and her family, wenn Margriet was born in 1943.
The were both guest of honour at the christening of Princess Margriet the sister of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
The strong band that came in that time between The Athlones and The Oranges always stayed, Princess Alice tells that in her memoires ''For my Grandchilderen''
Also Irene ofthen visted her English ''Aunt'' in England in her youth, She went to her ''for a cure'' because of her caracter.
Princess Alice said the following about that ''Could be that Irene wasnt a easy person in her youth, but I think difficult childeren or more the worth while than decent sweet childeren''
''I had some long conversations with her in my home in London, it is a good thing wenn somebody has some one to talk to ant Irene had me''
She was at manny occosians in the Netherlands the important occasians are the following.
1937 Marriage Princess Juliana to Prince Bernard.
1938 Christening Crown Princess Beatrix.
1943 Guest of Honour at the Christening of Princess Margriet.
1948 The coronation of Queen Juliana.
1962 Funeral of her Cousin Wilhelmina.
1967 Marriagge Princess Margriet to Prince Peiter van Vollehoven.
1967 Christening of Crown Prince Willem Alexander.
And that are only the officail visetds she loved spending time with her Family in the Netherlands and often visited them.
And the did the same Juliana stayed allot at The Athlones wenn her father died(Prince Hendrik) in 1934, she was on vacantoin by Aunt Alice and also her Mother ofthen payed a visited.
But she was also a critical for example the opion she gave on the marriage of Wilhelmina and Hendrik that defently wasnt harmonious.
This was only a climp of the band with the Royal Family of the Netherlands.

At the Cristening of Princess beatrix in 1937 from left to right Countesse Kotzebue, Princess Alice, King Leopold III,
Princess Armgard, prince Bernard, Queen Wilhelmina, Duke Adolf Friedrich von Mecklenburg  and Princess Elisabeth zu Erbach-Schönberg.
 
Princess Alice behind Juliana next to Wilhelmina at the cristening of margriet in 1943.

Princess Alice and her husband at the coronation of Juliana in 1948 with the other royal guests.

RN

[royal_netherlands]

At Elsick House, Scotland in 1931: (l to r in front) Lady Maud Carnegie (younger sister of the Duchess of Fife and a granddaughter of King Edward VII), Queen Mary holding Maud's son James, Master of Carnegie, Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein; (behind) Charles, Lord Carnegie, his father the 10th Earl of Southesk, Miss Bruce, Princess Alice of Athlone (nee Albany, - Prince Leopold's daughter), Mr Ewan Morgan.