#grand duchess of hesse

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

White marble bust of Princess Alice by Mary Thornycroft, 1861 (x)

‘To a naturally engaging manner quite exceptional joyousness and power of showing affectionate emotion imparted an especial charm, which revealed itself in the fine lines of her face, in her graceful movements and a certain inborn noblesess and dignity.’  Princess Louise of Prussia, Grand Duchess of Baden

[fashionsfromhistory]

Princess Alice in Mourning Dress, 1861 (The MET)

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

Drawing of Princess Beatrice of Great Britain and Ireland (later of Battenberg) done by her elder sister Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland (later GD of Hesse), Osborne House August 1860

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

Today, 145 years ago, Princess Alice of Hesse (née Great Britain and Ireland) died of Diptheria 🖤🕊️

 “Alice and the doctors nursed the family round the clock. On the morning of 16 November, Marie choked to death from the membrane covering her throat. Her mother, awakened by the doctors, hurried to the nursery, only to find her daughter dead. Alice sat by her daughter's body, kissing Marie's face and hands, trying to work up the strength to tell her ill husband. She watched as Marie's coffin was wheeled off to the family mausoleum. For weeks, Alice concealed Marie's death from the other sick children, who asked about her and tried to send their little sister oys. Elisabeth, who had been sent to stay with her paternal andmother, was the only child who escaped infection. The sick children were finally told at the beginning of December that Marie had died. Ten-year-old Ernst-Ludwig first refused to believe the news and then broke down in tears. His mother hugged and kiss him, despite the risk of infection. On 7 December Alice recognize the symptoms of diphtheria in herself. She died on the morning 14 December, murmuring "From Friday to Saturday -- four week-- May -- dear Papa." Alice was interred beside her daughter.”

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse as a child🥹💗

[empress-alexandra]

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia with her second child Grand Duchess Tatiana Nicholaievna of Russia, 1898.

[adini-nikolaevna]

“At 7 in the morning, the first signs of premature birth occurred.

At 8 o'clock the distinguished young woman [Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna] took Holy Communion according to the rite of the Greek Church. Her confessor had demanded to see her, and so the Grand Duchess' desire for the ordinance was brought about in a natural way. According to the custom of the Greek religion, the sick woman asked not only her parents present but also her husband's forgiveness for any slights. This was so touching for the young gentleman, who was not used to this ecclesiastical form, that he knelt by the bed and also asked for forgiveness for any worries that he had caused her during the short time of their marriage.

An hour later she gave birth almost painlessly and unusually easily to a boy who screamed loudly and audibly, although he was only 25 weeks old. I went with the child and all members of the august family, except her father and mother, into the next room, where I wrapped him in warm cotton wool to await the baptism. All the members gradually approached the basket to see their sister's child . The prince [Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel] also approached and seemed deeply touched with fatherly joy, which dwindled with each passing moment.”

A Protestant priest had been sent to perform the baptism. However, when he had not arrived after three quarters of an hour, and the weak spark of life threatened to go out at any moment, the fear arose in the entire circle of those present that the child might die without the sacrament of baptism. Someone, I think it was the Duke of Leuchtenberg, had opened the door of the sick room and saw the emperor kneeling beside the bed. No one dared to disturb this moment, and yet danger was imminent.

I handed over the care of the young prince to a very capable chambermaid, entered the mother's room and actually saw the emperor [Nicholas I] at her bedside, holding both of her hands in his in a half-kneeling position.

To get his attention I made a small noise, but he would not look up, and I was forced to wave. He immediately got up, came toward me, led me to the doorway and asked,

“What do you want?”

“The child is in danger of dying any minute; the clergyman has not come. Does Your Majesty wish to baptize your grandson yourself, lest he die without the ordinance?”

“Yes, yes. Certainly.”

The emperor immediately went into the next room and entered the circle of his family surrounding the basket with the child. When the bowl of water was given to him as ordered, he performed the baptism with a dignity and emotion that made the deepest impression on me. Everyone knelt around the great emperor, who was baptizing his youngest grandchild. Then, without another word, he left the room and returned to his daughter’s bedside.

After a good half hour the summoned clergyman finally appeared in full regalia, decorated with several medals. The child was barely alive; but he performed the baptism according to the regulations of the Protestant church.

Of these two baptisms, that of the grandfather of his grandson was certainly recorded in heaven.”

— Imperial physician Dr. Martin von Mandt on the premature birth of Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel, the short-lived son of Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia.”

[the-last-tsar]

"It is for me to thank you, my darling, for coming here all the way with our girlies and bringing here life and sunshine notwithstanding the rainy weather. Of course, as usual, I did not tell you half the things I had intended to say, because when we meet after a long separation, somehow I get stupidly shy and sit and gaze at you - which already is a joy for me!"

Letter from Nicholas II to Alexandra, where he thanks the visit that she made together with their daughters to the Stavka headquarters, where Nicholas was with Alexei. July 13, 1916.

A lifelong passion | Andrei Maylunas & Sergei Mironenko

[thehessiansisters]

Portrait of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia, 1894.

[la-belle-histoire]

Elizabeth Feodorovna, Friedrich August von Kaulbach. 1903.

[lionhearteddame]

On December the 14th 1878, Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse died after a short battle with illness. Alice, who were the sister-in-law of Princess Alexandra, is said to have been her brother Albert’s favourite sister. Albert sank deep in grief at the loss of Alice and his wife, Princess Alexandra (seated beneath Alice in the photo) said upon meeting Queen Victoria;

"I wish I had died instead of her".

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

Princess Louise, Princess Alice, Princess Helena and Prince Arthur, circa 1858. (x)

[royal-confessions]

“I still hope they make an accurate drama series on Princess Alice of Battenberg. Given how dramatic and fascinating her life was, there's no real need to fabricate or embellish. Same with the lives of the Hessian sisters. There's a lot of potential.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

EXTREMELY CLEAR photo of The Hessian Royal Family in 1872 ✨

From left to right: Irene, Ernst Louis, Louis IV, Elisabeth, Victoria, Alice, and Frittie. 🤍

Source: my lucky day at the Hessian State Archives

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

꧁ ✵ Royals & Josefine Swoboda ✵ ꧂

~ (Part 1) ~

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꧁✵꧂

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[queenalexandraofdenmark]

Princess Alice of the United Kingdom with her grandmother, Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent, 1860.