Queen Ena of Spain


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wymanda

wymanda

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A grandaughter of Queen Victoria, Ena was born at Balmoral and was christened Victoria Eugenie. Ena was one of her names and was given to honour her Scots birth. She converted to catholicism when she married King Alfonso. Unfortunatley a carrier of Haemophilia, Ena passed it to two of her four sons.

http://www.jssgallery.org/Other_Artists/Ph...ia_of_Spain.htm
 
 
Wymanda, thanks very much for posting those links :flower:
But it says there that "Exact provenance and current whereabouts unknown.."
I'm not familiar with Spanish history, I was just wondering what happened to those jewels. Were they sold? or stolen during the revolution? Or Ena took it back to Britain?
 
Queen Ena sold alot of jewels when she was in the exile :( From those tiaras, i only see two that are used by Queen Sofia, the Ansorena and the Pearl Tiara (that she wore in the danish royal wedding in May, after a long time :))

And i belive that Queen Ena never returned to Britain, i know that she lived in Switzerland ;)
 
Queen Ena did live her exile in Switzerland. She was allowed back to Spain in 1968 to attend the christening of Felipe. She died in 1969 in Switzerland.
 
That aquamarine tiara is something else!!!
 
When Ena married King Alfonso XIII in July 1906, anarchists attempted to assasinate the royal couple with a bomb wrapped in a bouquet of flowers. The royal couple escaped harm but 28 people were killed and Ena's wedding dress was splattered with blood. She has been quoted as saying "I saw a man without legs".

Queen Mary of England wrote of the incident to her favorite aunt, Grand Duchess Augusta, who replied how horrible it was and that the anarchists had even tried to bomb the church where all the royals were during the wedding.

The one calm lady at this event was Her Imperial and Royal Highness Grand Duchess Marie, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who kept telling everyone that in Russia they were accustomed to these things. How you get accustomed to that, I will never understand!
 
Queen Ena (or Victoria Eugenia, as we call her in Spain) became more popular in Spain than her husband, King Alfonso XIII. Everybody loved her. Just a two or three days before the overthrown of monarchy in 1931, she was arriving at Madrid station after a trip in England. She was cheered by hundreds of people. It was as though they were saying to her "we have nothing against you". When she came back in Spain in 1968, Franco didn´t organize any massive demonstration to greet the Queen at Madrid airport. He just wanted a quiet "private" visit. Nevertheless, thousands gathered at the airport to cheer the Queen. I remember her blue eyes in quiet tears that day.
 
Wymanda, I wonder if you have seen that enormous portrait of Queen Victoria Eugenia by Alvarez de Sotomayor. She looks wonderful with a long royal gown and a little crown. I believe that portrait was painted in 1920s and is kept at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
 
Ena had a lot of tragedy in her life, to be sure. I can see a resemblance in some of those early photographs, to Infanta Pilar today, particularly around the mouth and eyes. It's good to see that Ena hasn't been forgotten among the people of Spain, and by others as well.
 
Jackswife said:
Ena had a lot of tragedy in her life, to be sure. I can see a resemblance in some of those early photographs, to Infanta Pilar today, particularly around the mouth and eyes. It's good to see that Ena hasn't been forgotten among the people of Spain, and by others as well.
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Ena will never be forgotten by us in Spain. She endured with elegance an unfaithful husband (she never complained nor cried in public; what a lesson for other royals who were not born in a royal residence like her and later on tried unsuccessfully to lear the job). She endured with elegance the illness of three of her sons. She endured with elegance her exile. Besides those moral assets, Victoria Eugenia was physically elegant, beautiful, clever and with a sense of humour.
 
Conde Valleverde said:
She endured with elegance an unfaithful husband (she never complained nor cried in public; what a lesson for other royals who were not born in a royal residence like her and later on tried unsuccessfully to lear the job). She endured with elegance the illness of three of her sons. She endured with elegance her exile. Besides those moral assets, Victoria Eugenia was physically elegant, beautiful, clever and with a sense of humour.
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And these women who marry princes today think they are hard done by? They need to take Ena as an example and get on with the job!
 
She certainly was a remarkable woman. I was watching a DVD my mother brought for me from Spain about the royal wedding and it had a section on the history of the Bourbons. They should a clip of her at the christening of Prince Felipe and even in her old age she was a beautiful woman.
 
The last public political words that Queen Ena said were at the Christening of Prince Felipe, attended also by the then Prince Juan Carlos, don Juan (his father) and Franco. Queen Ena approached Franco, who at the time hadn´t nominate yet his successor, and told him: "General, I´m addressing to you as your Queen. Maybe this is the last time we see each other in this life. You have in front of you three eligible royal princes; choose one as the next King of Spain now. This is a petition by your Queen." Franco appointed Prince Juan Carlos as the next King of Spain the following year.
 
wymanda said:
And these women who marry princes today think they are hard done by? They need to take Ena as an example and get on with the job!
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During those sad years of her marriage, Queen Victoria Eugenia had two confidents: Queen Mary of Britain, another extraordinary woman and Queen, with whom she exchanged numerous letters, and Duchess of Lécera, who apparently was in love with Queen Ena (Queen Ena never corresponded).
 
wymanda said:
This is the only painting I have seen a copy of, do you have a picture of the one you mention?

http://www.jssgallery.org/Other_Artists/Philip_Alexius_de_Laszlo/delaszloqueenofspain1920.jpg
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That´s a beautiful portrait, I believe by Lazslo. The one I say shows Queen Ena from head to toe (with beautiful shoes by the way). She is wearing a small crown (not a tiara like in the one by Lazslo) and a long court dress. I´m in NY now, but I´ll be back in Spain within two weeks. I can go to the Royal Palace then, buy a postcard showing that painting and scan it. The painting is by Alvarez de Sotomayor. I looked in Google (I wrote "Alvarez de Sotomayor" + "Victoria Eugenia") and found several webpages about that painting, but no photograph. If you can read Spanish maybe you can read about it in those pages.
 
Conde Valleverde said:
I´m not able to see that link :(
By the way, I suppose you have read this biography of Queen Ena in English: "Ena Spain´s English Queen", by Gerald Noel.
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Sorry, the author´s first name is Gerard, not Gerald
 
Conde Valleverde,
Did you have a chance to find a copy of the painting you mentioned??
 
Portrait of Queen Ena in Hispanic Society of America

If you are in New York City, there is a portrait of Queen Ena at the Hispanic Society of America on Audubon Terrace, 155th Street and Broadway. It is in the North Gallery (Across from the main building. Although, I think you must go to the main building first to ask security to open the gallery for you). It is in the first gallery in a corner. I don't know who the artist is. I believe there is also one of King Alfonso as well.
 
Queen Ena was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England wasnt it? Im not sure. Any ideas?
Her real name was Victoria but it changed to Ena.
 
Here is a rare Picture of Queen Ena in Military Uniform:
 

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  • Victoria Eugenie in Kavalerie uniform 1.jpg
    Victoria Eugenie in Kavalerie uniform 1.jpg
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isabella_ said:
Yeah, you're right.

Queen Ena was the daughter of Prince Henry of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg, who was one of Queen Victoria of England's daughters.

I hope that this can help. (Sorry for my English)

http://www.regiments.org/biography/royals/1857beat.htm
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If I'm not mistaken, Queen Ena of Spain was Queen Victoria's favourite granddaughter or at least, the daughter of her favourite and youngest daughter. Hope it helps as well
 
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