Version Francais
The second daughter, Victoria Alexandra Olga Mary, was born a year and a five months later than her elder sister, on July 6 1868, and as Louise, she had a poor health. She was called simply Toria by her family.
The third sister was born on November 26, 1869 and she was named Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria.
The three Wales sisters were melancholy and hushed and invariable one of them was ill , most of the times, Princess Victoria, who constantly suffered neuralgias, abscesses on teeth, fever, aftigue, influenza and colds; one time she had a bad cyst on an eyelid.
According to their grandmother Queen Victoria, the education of the Wales sisters was not good enough; in fact when they grew up, they were too inmature for their age.
When she was 22, Louise became engagged to Alexander Duff, Duke of Fife, 17 years older than her, who was a liberal member of the Parliament and who was rich, but said to be coarse and selfish.They married on July 27, 1889 and had two daughters, Alexandra, who married her mother's cousin, Prince Arthur of Connaught, and Maud, who married Charles Alexander carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk. Louise was created Princess Royal by her father in 1905. In 1911 the Duke and Duchess of Fife and their two daughters were traveling to Egypt and theri ship, the Dehli, shipwrecked; the Duke caught a chill and diued a month later in Egypt. About the shipwreck, Princess Louise wrote to her brother King George V: "We got on alright but waves were huge, they swept down us and filled the boat, we bailed but not any good, water came up to our knees and she sank flinging us all out! We floated in our belts, waves like iron walls tone over us, knocked us under. Admiral Cradock gripped my shoulder and saved me. Thank god my Mcduff (her husband) and children both on beach but had been under too. It was anawfull moment, our clothes so heavy and we were breathless and shivery" (Pope Hennessy). Princess Louise died on July 4, 1931 in London.
Princess Victoria and Princess Maud were still unmarried in 1895; their mother, Princess Alexandra was afraid to loose them. In fact Princess Victoria remained unmarried for the rest of her life,being her mother's companion. One time she fancied herself falling in love with the once Prime Minister, Lord Roseberry, but as she recognised: "They wouldn't let me married him and we could have been so happy". Toria was King George's favorite sister and her death in December 3, 1935, caused him a great sadness; he died 8 weeks later.
Princess Maud cherished an unreciprocated love for Prnce Francis of Teck, her sister in law, Queen Mary's brother. prince Francis was emotionally entagled as he had prolonged laisons with older married women. Alhough he liked Pirncess Maud, he never corresponded her. In 1895, Pirncess Maud became engagged to Prince Charles of Denmark, who was three years younger than her. He was a grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark, Princess Alexandra's father, so he was Princess Maud first cousin. The couple were married on July 22, 1896 in England and they went to live to Copenhagen. In 1903, Maud gave birth to her only child who was christened Alexander. During the first ten years of their marriage, Charles and Maud lived as unimportant royalties, but in 1905, Charles was elected King of Norway.
For 90 years, Norway had been united to the kigdom of Sweden, but in 1905 the Norweigians won their independence. A Royal and democrative constitution offerd the throne of Norway to Prince Charles who became King Haakon VII. In November 21, 1905, King Haakon and Queen Maud landed in Norway with their son in arms; little Prine Alexander took the name of Olaf. They were crowned the next day in Trondheim Cathedral. Maud was suffering form neuralgia an weakness in her legs, which made her incapable of walking in the procession to the Cathedral to be crowned.
King Haakon and Queen Maud remained as beloved sovereigns among their subjects, although the King did not actually govern, he only reigned. Queen Maud visited England often to stay at her house in Norfolk. She had a close friendship with her sister-in-law, Queen Mary. On November 20 1938, Queen Maud died at 12:25 am, in London of a heart failure, three days after an operation. After Maud's death, during World War II, Norway suffered the German invasion and King Haakon and Prince Olaf had to leave the country and refuge themselves in England, after being about to be killed by German bombs on April 15 1940. After the War they returned to Norway. In 1955, King Haakon broke his femur in the bathroom of his house at Bygdoy. He couldn't walk anymore and died in 1957 being 85 years of age. Prince Olaf, who had married his cousin princess Martha of Sweden who had died a year before, suceeded to the throne as King Olaf V.
Eilers, Marlene: Queen Victoria's Descendants
Pope Hennesy, James, Queen Mary
