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"SECRETS IN OIL: UNVEILING THE PRINCESSES OF SAXE-COBURG" ♥️👑🖌

"Heinrich von Angeli: The Royal Brush and the Royal Sisters' Gaze" 🖌🌞🌏

Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, Grand Duchess of Hesse, is shown looking to the left in a pale blue dress with lace over her shoulders and a rose at her breast. 💙✨️

This portrait was painted for Queen Victoria, who was Princess Victoria Melita's grandmother. In 1894 Victoria married her first cousin, Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, following the wishes of their shared grandmother, Queen Victoria, but their marriage was a failure and Victoria went on to scandalize the royal families of Europe by divorcing her husband in 1901 and marrying her first love, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, in 1905.

Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, is shown with head and shoulders to the front, in evening dress with a fur-edged wrap. 💖✨️

The third daughter of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, she was married in 1896 to Prince Ernst, of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. This portrait was painted for Queen Victoria, who was Princess Alexandra's grandmother.

"As we admire this artwork, let's reflect on the lives of Victoria Melita and Alexandra. Born into a lineage that intertwined with the most powerful dynasties of Europe, their stories are woven into the fabric of history. Victoria Melita, a granddaughter of both Queen Victoria and Emperor Alexander II, led a life marked by scandal and romance, defying royal norms to marry the man she loved. Her sister Alexandra, though less known, shared in the family's complex web of alliances that shaped the course of European history.❤️

So, as you behold this masterpiece, ponder this: What secrets do the serene faces of Victoria Melita and Alexandra hold? What whispers of the past might echo through the halls of their royal lineage? Angeli's painting is not just a visual delight; it's a silent testament to the tumultuous and fascinating era it represents. Dive into the depths of this canvas and discover the stories that lie beneath the surface."🫀👑

#Victoria Melita of Edinburgh #Alexandra of Edinburgh #Heinrich von Angeli

[duchesssoflennox]

"The 88th Anniversary of The Heartbreaking Death of Princess Victoria Melita: A Royal Outcast Who Never Found Happiness" 🤍🖤💔

She was born with a silver spoon but died with a wooden one. She married for love but lost everything. She had a royal bloodline, but no country to call her own. She faced wars, revolutions, and exiles with bravery but succumbed to a broken heart. She was Princess Victoria Melita, and this is her story...🌟

Princess Victoria Melita (nicknamed Ducky) came to Paris on 19 December 1936. She was far from well at the time, but she had planned to go to Germany the next day to see her elder daughter Marie, Princess of Leiningen, who was expecting a child.🥹

Shortly after her arrival in Wurzburg, Ducky contracted a chill but she would not hear of postponing her visit to her daughter. The birth of her granddaughter, Matilda, was not attended by any complications, and in the middle of January they all returned to Schloss Amorbach.

By now she was steadily getting weaker, and the doctors were anxious But by an immense effort of will, she attended the christening ceremony of her new grandchild.

It taxed her strength considerably, and her condition continued to deteriorate.

She suffered a stroke, one side of her body was paralyzed, and she was unable to speak coherently. 🖤

In February, Ducky's youngest daughter Kira was summoned to Amorbach, and Cyril and Vladimir were warned that she had taken a turn for the worse. They left at once to go to her bedside.

Ducky's niece, Missy’s daughter Ileana came to join the unhappy vigil.

By the time they reached Ducky, she could only mutter occasional words which were barely intelligible. There was nothing more the doctors could do.

On the evening of 1 March they noticed a rapid weakening of the pulse.

Ducky's three sisters, Missy (Marie), Sandra (Alexandra) and Baby Bee (Beatrice) all joined the bedside vigil, praying for her to go quickly and instead being tormented at the sight of her lingering. 💔

At fifteen minutes past midnight on 2 March, she passed away...💔

No more moving account of her last days and death can be given than the description in Missy’s letter to Lady Astor (4 March):💔💔💔

The whole thing was tragic beyond imagination, a tragic end to a tragic life. She carried tragedy within her – she had tragic eyes – always – even as a little girl – But we loved her enormously, there was something mighty about her – she was our Conscience. But when he betrayed her, she did not know how to forgive, so she allowed him to murder her soul. From then onwards, her strength became her weakness, her undoing – she was too absolute, she could not overcome herself. And now she had to die, unforgiving! Her lips were sealed because of the stroke which had felled her to the ground – but although she knew we were there and the first day she found a murmur of recognition for each of us in turn, she shuddered away from his touch – Whilst we sat, in turns holding her hand, he stood like an outcast on the threshold of her door not daring to enter her room – It took 11 long days before she was released. The last five she lay in a sort of coma – and the end came Sunday morning exactly at 12¼ – suddenly it was all over, as she lay there grey, gaunt, the mask of grief . . . it was torture – but I am calm, I know it is better thus – she could not have lived as a cripple – but with their egoism, those she loved killed her. They left her too lonely, and she cried continually for three long years & nothing brought her comfort nor resignation, except occasionally her garden or her painting. She would not let us help her. Her faith in humanity was dead. I know how much both you & Waldorf tried to help her – she was deeply grateful, I know she was, only her dreadful habit of never answering made her case hopeless – In spite of our tremendous love for each other, because of her silence, I was never able to keep in touch with her, nor to really help her – There is an unbearable tragedy in it all . . .

The Edinburgh sisters wrapped Ducky's body in a long white robe, and in the coffin, Missy placed white lilacs around her head and shoulders. On 5 March, the coffin was brought to Coburg and placed in the family vault of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg. The funeral took place the next day, with rain and snow flurries, adding to the gloom of an icy winter scene, as she was laid to rest beside her parents and brother...🌃

Ducky had left a wish that there should be no pomp and ceremony.

Afterward, Missy found it hard to leave the grave of the sister who ‘always hated being alone’...

As Meriel Buchanan would later write, the Grand Duchess Cyril died ‘a bitter, disappointed woman, whose brilliant personality had been warped by failure and frustration’. Now she was alone; but at last, the ‘passionate, often misunderstood child’, who had grown up into a bitter, disappointed woman, was at peace...

On the occasion of the 88th anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Victoria Melita, Grand Duchess Cyril💔💔💔

And the world moved on, oblivious to the tragedy that once graced its courts. 🌟

#Princess Victoria Melita #Victoria Melita of Edinburgh

[duchesssoflennox]

BEAUTIFUL PORTRAIT OF PRINCESS ALICE, GRAND DUCHESS OF HESSE 🩷💗

Princess Alice's Portrait on the right is a copy by Hartmann after a portrait-type, which originated with Von Angeli’s portrait of Princess Alice with her husband and children. Hartmann was paid £50 3s 8d for the copy on 31 August 1880, and it was placed in the Queen’s Sitting-Room at Osborne. The copy is probably the one which the Queen had been given by the Grand Duke on 31 March 1880, during her visit to Darmstadt: ‘an admirable copy (only the head) of Angeli’s picture of darling Alice’. The frame is by Thomas.

On the left side, there's a photo of Princess Alice, which was most likely taken by the painter Hartmann during the drawing of the portrait in 1880...🥰

Princess Alice (1843-78) was the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Known for her sweet nature, she often took on the role of peacekeeper in the royal household. The marriage of her older sister, Princess Victoria, in 1858, left Alice as the eldest daughter at home, and the Queen and Prince Albert both turned to her for company. In a popular edition of Alice's letters to the Queen, published in 1885, Princess Helena, her sister, described her as ‘loving Daughter and Sister, the devoted Wife and Mother, and a perfect, true Woman’. In 1862, she married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse...❤️‍🩹🌅

#princess alice

[duchesssoflennox]

King George V was very fond of his only daughter, Princess Mary, who was born in 1897. He called her his "little ray of sunshine" and gave her the title of Princess Royal in 1932. He also supported her charitable work during the First World War and her marriage to Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, in 1922. Princess Mary was loyal and dutiful to her father and was deeply affected by his death in 1936. She remained close to her mother, Queen Mary, and her brother George VI until their deaths. 🤍🦋

Thanks for asking @bhoooo34 ❤️‍🩹

#George v #mary princess royal

[duchesssoflennox]

JOSEFINE SWOBODA AND QUEEN VICTORIA’S FAMILY 💖🥺❤️‍🩹

Beautiful portraits painted by the talented painter Josefine Swoboda (1861-1924) of the granddaughters and Great-granddaughters of Queen Victoria 🥺🦋🤍

#princess elisabeth of hesse #princess Patricia of Connaught #princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein #princess Alice of Battenberg #princess Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg #Marie of Edinburgh #Victoria melita of Edinburgh

[duchesssoflennox]

ÉLISABETH VIGÉE LE BRUN 🥺❣️🎨

Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun was a remarkable woman and a talented painter who lived in a turbulent time.

- élisabeth was painting portraits professionally by her early teens, and became a member of the Académie de Saint-Luc at the age of 19.

- She married an art dealer, Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Le Brun, who helped her exhibit her work and gain access to the nobility, but also cheated on her and exploited her financially.

- She was a favourite of Marie Antoinette, and painted more than 30 portraits of the queen and her family, often in informal and intimate settings. She also painted a great number of self-portraits, in the style of various artists whose work she admired.

- She fled France during the Revolution, and travelled across Europe and Russia, painting portraits of royal patrons and influential figures. She was elected to art academies in 10 cities, and was praised by Catherine the Great of Russia.

- She returned to Paris in 1801, but did not like the social life under Napoleon. She moved to London, where she painted portraits of the court and Lord Byron. She also visited Switzerland, where she painted a portrait of Madame de Staël.

- She wrote her memoirs, which provide a lively account of her life and times. She died in Paris in 1842, at the age of 86.

#Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun #Madame Le Brun

[duchesssoflennox]

Who do you think are the 3 most beautiful granddaughters of Queen Victoria?

Beauty is a subjective matter, and different people may have different preferences and tastes.

I'm sure that all the granddaughters of Queen Victoria are beautiful and unique in their own way... 💓🫶🥺 However, in my opinion, 3 of the most beautiful granddaughters of Queen Victoria are included:

- Princess Margaret of Connaught (1882–1920) was the daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, the future King Gustaf VI Adolf, in 1905 and became the Crown Princess of Sweden. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and charm, and was popular among the Swedish people. She died in 1920, at the age of 38.

- Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh (1876–1936) was the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She married twice: first to her cousin Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse; and second to another cousin Kirill Vladimirovich, Grand Duke of Russia. She was considered a beauty in her youth, with dark hair and blue eyes. She was also interested in music and art, and supported her husband's claim to the Russian throne after the revolution.

- Princess Marie of Edinburgh (1875–1938) was the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She married King Ferdinand I of Romania in 1893. She was admired for her beauty, elegance, and style, and was nicknamed "the pearl of the crown" by the Romanian people. She was also a patron of arts and culture, and a humanitarian who helped refugees.

#Margaret of Connaught #Victoria melita of Edinburgh #Marie of Edinburgh

[duchesssoflennox]

Share with us, your favorite Potraits of Royals✨💋🥺🤍

my favorite royal portraits are infinite... However, I would love to share each and every one of them with you...🥺🫶💓

I'm obsessed with these 3 portraits of Queen Victoria's family, all painted by court painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter...🥰

1. Princess Alice of United Kingdom is wearing a white ball dress and a black shawl. Originally she held a wreath of flowers in her hand, but this was changed as the painting progressed. Franz Xaver Winterhalter began the painting on 4 June 1861 and on 13 June Queen Victoria wrote in her Journal that he had 'finished Alice's beautiful picture, which is so like & fine'.

Alice was the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Known for her sweet nature, she often took on the role of peacekeeper in the royal household. Princess Helena, her sister, described her as 'loving Daughter and Sister, the devoted Wife and Mother, and a perfect, true Woman'.

2. Princess Louise of United kingdom was the sixth of Queen Victoria's nine children. Beautiful and artistic, as an adult she supported the women's movement and helped launch the Girls Public Day School Company.

3. Queen Victoria with her Four Eldest Children, Victoria Princess Royal, Prince Edward, Princess Alice, Prince Alfred.

The Queen asked Winterhalter to copy and arrange to her own design ‘my portrait with the 4 children’ from the central group in his painting of The Reception of Louis-Philippe, King of the French, at Windsor Castle, 8 October 1844.

She was pleased with the painting and noted in her Journal that it ‘looks quite lovely’.

#princess alice #princess louise #queen victoria #victoria princess royal #Edward VII #prince alfred

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🌈☀️ Send this to the ten people you’re happy to see every time they pop up on your dash/notif and wish them a good day 🌟🌈💥

Love you 🥹🤍my favorite girl on earth

🥺🥺🥺 I am the luckiest person in the history to have you

[duchesssoflennox]

If you had the opportunity to meet one of the OTMAA, who would you choose and explaing why?

grand duchess olga nikolaevna... 🥺🫶😭

She was very lovely and I'm sure All of the OTMAA was lovely but I would have liked to have a special meeting with Olga for the following reasons:

- She was sensitive and compassionate. She cared deeply for her family, especially her brother Alexei who suffered from hemophilia. She also nursed wounded soldiers during World War I and showed kindness to the poor and the sick. She was known to have a tender heart.🥺

- She was independent and strong-minded. She had a sense of duty and responsibility as the eldest daughter of the tsar. She often set an example for her younger siblings. She was not afraid to express her opinions and to stand up for what she believed in. She sometimes clashed with her father over political issues and was critical of his advisors.😎❤️‍🔥

- She was lively and exuberant. She had a sparkling personality that made her attractive to many. She loved to laugh and to have fun. She enjoyed reading, writing, drawing, playing games, and spending time outdoors. She had a mischievous streak and liked to play pranks on her sisters and tutors. She was also adventurous and curious about the world.😭🫶

#Olga nikolaevna

[duchesssoflennox]

Is there any royal family that you dislike you can name more than 1 ;)

Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich's family 😒

Of all the royals I've ever known, grand duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (paternal uncle of Tsar Nicholas II) and his family have always been my least favorite.☹️

They are my least favorite for the following reasons:

Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna were hostile and disloyal to Emperor Nicholas II, who was Vladimir's nephew and Maria's cousin. They held a rival court at their palace in Saint Petersburg and spread malicious gossip about the Emperor and his wife Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

Maria Pavlovna was ambitious and greedy, and used her influence to obtain money, jewels, and estates from the Tsar and other wealthy people. She also exploited her position as the president of the Russian Red Cross to embezzle funds and supplies for her personal use

She was arrogant and snobbish, and looked down on other members of the Imperial Family, especially those who married below their rank or were not of Russian origin. She also despised the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, whom she considered a German spy and a bad influence on the Tsar

Kirill Vladimirovich, son of Vladimir Alexandrovich and Maria Pavlovna, is best known for his scandalous affair with his married first cousin, Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh.

Kirill and Victoria Melita got married years later, after Victoria Melita divorced her first husband. Their marriage was considered incestuous and morganatic by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Imperial Family, and caused a scandal in the Royal Courts of Europe and Great Britain

Kirill betrayed Emperor Nicholas II during the February Revolution of 1917, when he marched to the Tauride Palace wearing a red armband to show his support for the Provisional Government. He also renounced his rights to the Russian throne in 1917, but later claimed them back in 1924, proclaiming himself as the head of the House of Romanov and the rightful heir to the throne, despite the existence of other senior claimants.

Boris Vladimirovich is known for his scandalous affair with his married first cousin Queen Marie of Romania! Boris Vladimirovich was a notorious playboy and gambler, who spent lavishly on women, cars, and parties. He had numerous affairs and illegitimate children, and was involved in several scandals with actresses, dancers, and socialites. He was disloyal to his cousin, Emperor Nicholas II, and supported the February Revolution of 1917 that overthrew the monarchy. He also collaborated with the Bolsheviks and accepted their protection after the October Revolution, while most of his relatives fled or were killed. He was selfish and greedy, and used his influence to obtain money, jewels, and property from the Soviet government. He also sold some of his family's treasures and artworks to foreign collectors and museums.

Elena Vladimirovna was considered snobbish and vain by some people, including her mother's social rival, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. She also allegedly refused to greet her sister-in-law Princess Marie Bonaparte and drew back her skirts as if not to be touched by her...

Andrei Vladimirovich had an affair with the famous ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska, who was also the former mistress of Nicholas II and two other grand dukes. He married her in 1921 and recognized her son as his, even though the boy's paternity was uncertain.

Thanks for Asking 🥰🫶

#Vladimir Alexandrovich #Maria Pavlovna #Kirill Vladimirovich #Boris Vladimirovich #Elena Vladimirovna #Andrei Vladimirovich

[duchesssoflennox]

TRAGEDIES OF PRINCE FRIEDRICH'S DEATH 😭💔

In late May 1873, 5-year-old Ernest and 2-year-old Friedrich, The only sons of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse, and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, were playing together in their mother's bedroom.

Ernst ran to another room, which was set at right angles to Alice's bedroom and peered through the window at his younger brother.Alice ran to get Ernst away from the window. When she was out of the room, Friedrich climbed onto a chair next to an open window in his mother's bedroom to get a closer look at his brother.

The chair tipped over and Friedrich tumbled through the window, falling 20 feet (6.1 m) to the balustrade below. He survived the fall and may have lived had he not had haemophilia. He died hours later of a brain hemorrhage💔

The tragic death of little Friedrich devastated his entire family... especially his mother and his beloved brother Ernest...

Following Friedrich's death, his distraught mother princess alice often prayed at his grave and marked anniversaries of small events in his life.

Prince Ernest was deeply affected by the death of his younger brother Prince Friedrich of Hesse, he was inconsolable and said to his mother "When I die, you must die too, and all the others. Why can't we all die together? I don't want to die alone, like Frittie." He also blamed himself for his brother's death and felt guilty for the rest of his life. He later wrote in his memoirs, "I have never been able to rid myself of the impression that I was to blame for my brother's death."

Three years after Friedrich's death, on January 22, 1876, Princess Alice noted in a letter to her mother, Queen Victoria: Yesterday morning Ernie came in to me and said, "mama, i had a beautiful dream; shall i tell you? I dreamed that i was dead and was gone up to heaven and there i asked god to let me have Frittie again, and he came to me and took my hand."😭

Of course, this wasn't the last tragedy of Prince Ernest's life, In the near future, he witnessed the heartbreaking death of his mother and little sister due to diphtheria, the death of his beloved daughter Elisabeth due to typhoid fever, and finally the brutal death of his two beloved sisters, Elizabeth and Alix by Russian revolutionaries... 😭😭😭

#princess alice #Prince Ernest of Hesse #Prince Friedrich of Hesse

[duchesssoflennox]

Least favorite wife of Henry viii☺?

ANNE BOLEYN 💔😶

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII, With her cleverness, she was able to convince Henry to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, who didn't give birth to an heir, and marry her. Of all Henry VIII's wives, she's my least favorite...

- **Ambitious**: Anne Boleyn was seen as a woman who pursued power and status, and who used her charm and wit to manipulate Henry into divorcing his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and breaking with the Catholic Church. She also alienated many nobles and courtiers who supported Catherine, and who resented her influence over the king.

- **Ruthless**: Anne Boleyn was accused of being cruel and vindictive, and of being involved in the downfall of several prominent figures, such as Cardinal Wolsey and Sir Thomas More, who opposed her marriage to Henry. She also showed little sympathy for Catherine and her daughter Mary, whom she tried to disinherit and humiliate.

- **Unfaithful**: Anne Boleyn was charged with adultery, incest, and treason, and executed by Henry's order in 1536.

Thanks for Asking 😊🫶

#anne boleyn #henry viii

[duchesssoflennox]

Happy birthday! You're a Leo!❤

Thank you for your kindness 💓🫶💋

[duchesssoflennox]

Hi, I hope you dont think im too forward but abigaaal told me it was your birthday so happy birthday. I hope your having a wonderful day. I really like your posts, they are both informative and done in a way wich makes them interesting to read. I hope this next year of your life will be great.

Thank you so much for your kind words💓 Request me to make more posts for you about any historical topic you like. 🫶💋 Also thanks to @abigaaal for making my day

[duchesssoflennox]

Favorite Wife of Henry viii?

JANE SEYMOUR 🫶❤️‍🩹😭✨️

She was an entrepreneurial and progressive person who was ambitious and determined to achieve her goals. She was not afraid of challenges and setbacks, and she had a strong sense of duty and responsibility. She was a healer and a peacemaker who had great compassion and empathy for others. She was always ready to offer comfort and support to those in need, and she tried to reconcile Henry VIII with his daughter Mary, who had been alienated by his divorce from Catherine of Aragon (HER GOLDEN HEART) 🥺✨️🫶 This means that she valued harmony and stability, but also had a hidden strength and assertiveness. She was more likely to display stubbornness and passive-aggressive behavior than direct anger!

Thanks for asking 😊

#Jane Seymour #henry viii

[duchesssoflennox]

Why you don't like empress sissy?

I like her! she experienced sad tragedies in life...She always suffered from the death of her two beloved children and the mistreatment of her mother-in-law.And finally her tragic assassination... But she was never as perfect and good as they show her in Hollywood movies...

#empress elisabeth of austria