Duchesses of Galliera - Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Infanta Eulalia of Spain, Duchess of Galliera (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria; 20 April 188413 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 Borbn, Infante of Spain. She was called Bea by her family. 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 of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her mother was the Duchess of Edinburgh (ne 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. Beatrice spent much of her early years in Malta, where her father was serving in the Royal Navy. On the death of Prince Alfred's uncle, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, on 22 August 1893, the vacant duchy fell to the Duke of Edinburgh, since HRH Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the Duke's elder brother had renounced his right to the succession. The Duke and Duchess and their five children travelled to Coburg to take up residence shortly afterwards. In 1902, Princess Beatrice had a romance with Russian Grand Duke Michael, the younger brother of Tsar Nicholas II, and at that time the heir presumptive to the Imperial Throne. She began receiving letters from him in September 1902 and, although he was a Russian Grand Duke and she, now, a German Princess, they corresponded in English, and he nicknamed her "Sima". However she was prevented from marrying the ... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=763122