Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha bigraphy, stories - Religion

Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha : biography

20 April 1884 – 13 July 1966

Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria; 20 April 1884 – 13 July 1966) was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She later married into the Spanish Royal Family, and was the wife of Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón, Infante of Spain. She was called "Baby Bee" by her family.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

  • 20 April 1884 – 22 August 1893: Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh, Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Duchess of Saxony.
  • 22 August 1893 – 15 July 1909: Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
  • 15 July 1909–24 December 1930: Her Royal Highness Princess Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón
  • 24 December 1930–14 July 1937: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Galliera
  • 14 July 1937 – 13 July 1966: Her Royal Highness Princess Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón

British arms

Beatrice’s arms in Britain were the royal arms, with an inescutcheon of the shield of Saxony, differenced with a label argent of five points, the central bearing a cross gules, the four others anchors azure. In 1917, the inescutcheon was dropped by royal warrant from George V. This did not affect her Saxon arms.

Honours

  • Member Second Class of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert
  • Dame of the Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa
  • Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George

Notes and sources

Category:1884 births Category:1966 deaths Category:British princesses Category:Spanish infantas Category:House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Category:House of Orléans-Galliera Category:Ladies of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert Category:People from Ashford, Kent Category:Dames Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George Category:Princesses of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Category:Duchesses of Galliera Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism

Civil War

The family moved to England, where the three sons were educated at Winchester College. The Spanish Royal Family eventually relented, and Beatrice and her family were allowed to return to Spain where they established their home at an estate in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

The 1930s were an unhappy time for the family, as the collapse of the Spanish monarchy and the subsequent civil war led to the loss of much of the family’s wealth. After the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, King Alfonso and his family fled into exile in Italy. In the years that followed, the political situation in Spain worsened as various groups wrestled for power. By the late-1930s, the conflicts had erupted into all-out civil war. Beatrice and Alfonso lost their estate during the war, and the couple’s middle son, Alfonso, was killed fighting the Republicans.

Later life

Beatrice died at her estate of El Botánico in Sanlúcar de Barrameda on 13 July 1966. Her husband survived her by nine years. Their son Ataulfo died, unmarried, in 1974. Their only grandchildren are the children of Prince Alvaro. At her death, she was the last surviving child of Prince Alfred and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna.

Early life

Princess Beatrice was born on 20 April 1884 at Eastwell Park, Kent. Her father was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Her mother was the Duchess of Edinburgh (née Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia), the only daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine.

As a granddaughter of the British monarch in the male line, Beatrice held the title of Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland with the style Her Royal Highness. The young princess was baptised at Eastwell House on 17 May 1884 by Revd William Lloyd (her father’s chaplain); among her godparents were her paternal aunt The Princess Beatrice.