Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1883-1981)

[Catharine]

Here are some interesting links with pictures....

http://lafayette.150m.com/ath8291.html
(a lovely portrait of HRH Princess Alice)

http://www.geocities.com/jesusib/Athlone.html
(this site has about every royal an it and biographies....)

 

[TOMMIX]

HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone

 

[elenaris]

Didn't she marry a brother of Queen Mary?

 

[Warren]

Yes, she married Queen Mary's third brother, Prince Alexander (Alge) of Teck in 1904.
In 1917 when the Teck styles and titles were dropped he became Earl of Athlone and his wife became Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.

Here is a wedding pic.

 

[Marengo]

Here a picture of Alice with her daughter May and her aunt Queen Emma of The Netherlands in Scheveningen (try to pronounce that one).

Pic from www.geheugenvannederland.nl, no copyrights.

 

[elenaris]

THank you for such interesting information

 

[Jose]

Princess Alice was good much near royal family of Windsor and she was good friend and relatives to Princess Alice of Cloucester 1901-2004. Princess Alice of Athlone was good and oldest friends to King Gustaf Adolf born 1881-1973. Princess Alice Of Athlone often visit to King Gustaf Adolfs home on Sofiero in Helsingborg. I have read book on King Gustaf Adolf life and royal friends"King Gustaf Adolf say in book to Princess Alice of Athlone was good friend and often visit to royal family of Bernadotte"."They sitting often out on Sofiero and speak each other." King Gustaf Adolf was much often happy near Princess Alice come to Sofiero and they have much talk his home." Princess Alice have visit Princess Sibyllas funeral 1972 and she was much grand old lady.!

 

[Marengo]

Didn't the king want to marry Alice too after Queen Louise (and the earl) died?

 

[Martha]

Princess Alice had a long life

 

[RachelD]

So, was Princess Alice an aunt of Queen Mary?

 

[Marengo]

No, she was the sister-in-law of Queen Mary. And also a 1st-cousin'in-law'.

 

[Warren]

So, was Princess Alice an aunt of Queen Mary?

Queen Mary was a great-granddaughter of King George III, while Alice was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
Here's one way of looking at it:

George III > Adolphus Duke of Cambridge > Mary Adelaide > May (Queen Mary)
George III > Edward Duke of Kent > Queen Victoria > Leopold Duke of Albany > Princess Alice

spouses..
George III > Edward Duke of Kent > Queen Victoria > Edward VII > King George V
George III > Adolphus Duke of Cambridge > Mary Adelaide > Prince Alexander of Teck

 

[Marengo]

I believe that in her memoires she was rather insulting towqards her Dutch Cousin Queen Wilhelmina. I haven't read the memoires yet but could anybody else inform me about this?
I believe that Queen Juliana tried to get rid of certain parts of the book, in the Dutch version at least. I even recall something about Juliana trying to prevent the book from being published in the Netherlands alltogether, but I don't know how much truth there is in that, neither do I know if she succeeded.

 

[elenaris]

This thread is getting more and more interresting...

How was she a cousin to Queen Wilhemina? Is is through her mother's side ( Waldeck Pirmont?)

Is such family commonly acquainted to royalty?

 

[Marengo]

yes, their mothers were sisters (Queen Emma and Helena, Duchess of Albany were both born as Princesses of Waldeck-Pyrmont).
-
Wilhelmina's author suggested that Alice might have been a bit envious at her Dutch cousin, who was 'superior'in fortune and position. And that Wilhelmina first refuged Alge of Teck (who later married Alice) didn't help either.
Still, I think that Alice was one of the relatives that was closest to Wilhelmina., and she certainly befriended Juliana, who stayed with her for a while in Canada during the war. Juliana also befriended Alice's daughter May and Beatrix is a godmother to one or two grandchildren of ALice.

 

[Warren]

This thread is getting more and more interresting... How was she a cousin to Queen Wilhemina? Is is through her mother's side ( Waldeck Pirmont?)
Is such family commonly acquainted to royalty?

Three of the daughters of Georg Viktor, reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, made glittering marriages indeed:

• Marie, became QUEEN OF WÜRTTEMBERG
• Emma, became QUEEN REGENT OF THE NETHERLANDS and mother of Queen Wilhelmina
• Helena, became DUCHESS OF ALBANY and mother of Princess Alice

Princess Alice's brother, Prince Charles Edward, became the ill-fated Karl Edouard, reigning DUKE OF SAXE-COBURG & GOTHA

 

[Elspeth]

I believe that in her memoires she was rather insulting towqards her Dutch Cousin Queen Wilhelmina. I haven't read the memoires yet but could anybody else inform me about this?
I believe that Queen Juliana tried to get rid of certain parts of the book, in the Dutch version at least. I even recall something about Juliana trying to prevent the book from being published in the Netherlands alltogether, but I don't know how much truth there is in that, neither do I know if she succeeded.

I don't think it was worth Queen Juliana making a fuss about, to be honest. There are some rather amusing stories of Queen Wilhelmina's eccentricities on a visit to Canada and the way she cause endless trouble to staff by insisting that she didn't want to be any trouble. That's the sort of anecdote that rescues books like this from being deadly dull. There was also the observation that "Throughout the war she was a truly heroic figure." I think a few gentle comments about her more human side could be forgiven in the light of this one, which was obviously meant sincerely.

 

[Jose]

Princess Alice was aunt to Princess Sibylla and she was with Princess Sibyllas childrens wedding. Princess Alice was much near relatives royal family of Bernadotte. Princess Alice was visit to King Gustaf Adolfs 90th birthday 1972. Princess Alice was with Queen Louises funeral 1965 and Princess Sibyllas funeral 1972 ,King Gustaf Adolfs funeral 1973. Princess Alice was great-aunt to Princess Sibyllas children. Princess Alice was much with royal family of Bernadottes birthday and wedding,funeral. Princess Alice was near relatives to royal family of Windsor and good friend! She had life long and with all royal familys life.!!!

 

[Marengo]

I don't think it was worth Queen Juliana making a fuss about, to be honest. There are some rather amusing stories of Queen Wilhelmina's eccentricities on a visit to Canada and the way she cause endless trouble to staff by insisting that she didn't want to be any trouble. That's the sort of anecdote that rescues books like this from being deadly dull. There was also the observation that "Throughout the war she was a truly heroic figure." I think a few gentle comments about her more human side could be forgiven in the light of this one, which was obviously meant sincerely.

well I haven't read the biograpgy but from what I read in Wilhelmina's biography Alice used her sharp tongue, for example in commenting that Queen Wilhelmina arrived in London without many clothes, and due to her weight it was difficult to find any shop in London to get new ones. The author also notes that the Dutch (calvinist) royals were rather not overly amused by Alice telling stories about the supposed enormous wealth (and frugalness) of her Dutch cousin. Anyway, dispite all this I think the relationship between Alice and her Dutch relatives remained rather good untill she died. Does anybody have pictures of her memorial service and/or a guestlist?

She used to visit The Hague a lot, especially in the 20-ties. She usually met up with her brother there, as she didn't want to upset the British public by travelling to Germany so shortly after the war. I believe her son, Viscount Trematon was considered a candidate by Dutch diplomats for Juliana btw. Sadly he died rather young (a carcrash?). Does anybody have a picture of her son? I don't think I ever saw one before.

 

[Warren]

...I believe her son, Viscount Trematon was considered a candidate by Dutch diplomats for Juliana btw. Sadly he died rather young (a carcrash?). Does anybody have a picture of her son? I don't think I ever saw one before.

Viscount Trematon was haemophiliac; he survived the car crash, but didn't survive the bleeding. He was 20 years old.
There are no pictures of him in Alice's book "For My Grandchildren".

 

[Warren]

On a cheerier note, here's a nice formal picture of Princess Alice...

~ HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone ~​

o​

 

[elenaris]

Do you if the book has been translated to French?
Where can I find the english version???

 

[Elspeth]

You can find the English version second-hand at Amazon (it'd be cheaper to get it at the UK Amazon than at the US Amazon). I doubt if it's been translated to French.

There's a copy for sale at eBay that you might want to keep an eye on; the price is pretty good at the moment and the seller has good feedback:

eBay: For My Grandchildren - Princess Alice (item 280128683019 end time Jul-02-07 19:54:49 PDT)

 

[scooter]

We have twice stayed at Brantridge Park in Handcross which was Ps Alice's home and is now a quite lovely hotel. On the first visit we were actually lucky enough to be asigned (half) of her personal suite which for a monarchist like me was quite exciting.

 

[Mignon190034]

here are some photographs of alice when she was younger...

with her brother Charles Edward and her connaught cousins

 

[NGalitzine]

Does anyone know if there was ever a public sale of he tiaras and other jewels of Prince Alice and of Lady May Abel Smith, of if they are still owned by her descendents?

 

[Henri M.]

The similarity is creepy

It is just creepy how almost the same the two look. Queen Wilhelmina's mother:

HM Queen Emma of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg born Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont

and her sister, Princess Alice's mother:

HRH The Princess Leopold of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Duchess of Albany born Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont

 

[RachelD]

Well, they were sisters. But even so, yes, they did look alot alike. It's not always that siblings look alike.

 

[lilibet80]

Princess Alice in her book "For My Grandchildren" shows herself to be a crashing snob and a vicious anti-Semite.

 

[Elspeth]

Hello, lilbet80. I hope you can back up your accusation of "vicious anti-Semite." I don't recall anywhere in that book where she showed herself to be a vicious anything, but I'm prepared to be persuaded by relevant data. Given 20th-century history, I'm sure you can appreciate that the accusation "vicious anti-Semite" has some rather serious connotations.

Most of the royals who were raised in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were crashing snobs; it sort of went with the territory back then.