She was a good musician (piano, organ and harmonium) and painter, and published two books of translation from the German. Though overwhelmed by the death of her mother, thankfully she found some outlet for her talents later in life. Of her four children, the eldest son was healthy enough, but the two younger princes were haemophiliacs and died in early adulthood (one on active service in the Great War), while the daughter was a carrier of haemophilia and married King Alfonso XIII of Spain – with disastrous results for the Spanish royal family. But the Queen insisted that they must spend their married life with her, Henry soon became bored (and a little too friendly with his sister-in-law, the unhappily-married Louise, Marchioness of Lorne), volunteered for active service in Africa, and died of malaria before he could return home.Įarly widowhood was not the least of her tragedies.

Happily Beatrice got her way, thanks partly to the persuasion of her siblings who tactfully told their Mama that their sister deserved the same chance of happiness that they had all been given, and married in 1885. The Queen was astonished that her 'baby' should even contemplate marriage, and for a while they were barely on speaking terms as written messages were passed across the table at meals.

This state of mind was much approved of, if not actively instigated, by the selfish mother herself.Īt the age of 27 the apparent lifelong spinster fell in love with Prince Henry of Battenberg. A perpetual bridesmaid at the weddings of her brothers and sisters, Beatrice almost resigned herself doggedly to a spinster's life, supporting her mother as an unofficial constant companion and personal private secretary. The bereaved Queen found her daughter a perpetual comfort, and the little girl's amusing, childlike sayings provided much amusement to the woman who, in that immortal (and not altogether accurate) phrase, 'was not amused'. Of none was this more true than Beatrice.īorn in 1857, Beatrice was only four when she lost her father, the Prince Consort. Such was Queen Victoria's personality and, it must be said, iron control of her children, that all nine inevitably spent much of their adult lives in her shadow. Summary: A biography of the princess who was widowed early and spent much of her adult life as companion and secretary to her ever-demanding mother.

The last princess by matthew dennison