|
Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (25 November 1876 – 2 March 1936) was the third child and second daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. She was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria as well as of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Born a British princess, Victoria spent her early life in England and for three years in Malta, where her father was serving in the Royal Navy. In 1889 the family moved to Coburg, where Victoria's father became the reigning Duke in 1893. In her teens Victoria fell in love with her maternal first cousin Kirill Vladimirovich, Grand Duke of Russia, but they could not marry because the Orthodox Christian religion forbids marriage between first cousins. Instead, bowing to family pressure, Victoria married in 1894 a paternal first cousin, Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, following the wishes of their shared grandmother, Queen Victoria. Their marriage was a failure. Victoria scandalized the royal families of Europe when she divorced her husband in 1901. The couple's only daughter died of typhoid fever in 1903. Victoria married Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich in 1905. They wed without the necessary approval of the Tsar. In retaliation, Nicholas II stripped Kirill of his offices and honours and Victoria and Kirill were initially banished from living in Russia. They had two daughters and settled in Paris before they were allowed to return in 1909. In 1910 they moved to Russia, where she was known as Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna. After the fall of the Russian monarchy in 1917, they escaped to Finland where she gave birth to her only son. In exile they lived for some years in Germany and from the late 1920s in Saint-Briac. In 1926, Kirill proclaimed himself emperor in exile and Victoria supported her husband's claims. Victoria died after suffering a stroke while visiting her daughter Maria in Amorbach. ==Early life== Victoria was born on 25 November 1876 in San Anton Palace in Attard, Malta, hence her second name, Melita.〔Michael John Sullivan, ''A Fatal Passion: The Story of the Uncrowned Last Empress of Russia,'' Random House, 1997, p. 7〕 Her father, who was stationed on the island as an officer in the Royal Navy, was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second-eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Her mother was Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, a daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse. As a grandchild of the British monarch, she was styled ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Victoria of Edinburgh. To her family, she was always known as Ducky. At the time of her birth, she was 10th in the line of succession to the British throne. The princess was christened on 1 January 1877 at San Antonio Palace by a Royal Navy chaplain. Her godparents included her paternal grandmother Queen Victoria, who was represented by a proxy.〔(Yvonne's Royalty Home Page — Royal Christenings ), uniserve.com; accessed 22 March 2014.〕 After the Duke’s service in Malta was over they returned to England where the family lived for the next few years. They divided their time between Eastwell Park, their country home in Kent, and Clarence House, their residence in London facing Buckingham Palace. Eastwell, a large estate of 2,500 acres near Ashford, with its forest and park was the children's favorite residence.〔Sullivan, p. 34〕 It was in England where Princess Victoria spent her early years. The marriage of her parents was unhappy. The Duke was taciturn, unfaithful, prone to drinking and emotionally detached from his family. Victoria's mother was independent-minded and cultured. Although she was unsentimental and strict, the Duchess was a devoted mother and the most important person in her children's lives.〔John Van der Kiste, ''Princess Victoria Melita,'' Sutton Publishing, 1991, p. 15〕 As a child, Victoria had a difficult temperament. She was shy, serious and sensitive. In the judgment of her sister Marie: "This passionate child was often misunderstood."〔Sullivan, p. 37〕 Princess Victoria Melita was talented at drawing and painting and learned to play the piano.〔Sullivan, p. 56〕 She was particularly close to Marie. The two sisters would remain very close throughout their lives.〔Sullivan, p. 38〕 They contrasted in appearance and personality. Victoria was dark and moody while Marie was blond and easy-going.〔 Although she was one year younger, Victoria was taller and seemed to be the older of the two.〔Van der Kiste, p. 14〕 In January 1886, shortly after Princess Victoria turned 9, the family left England when her father was appointed commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean naval squadron, based on Malta. For the next three years, the family lived at the San Anton Palace in Malta, Victoria's birthplace.〔Sullivan, p. 63〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|