Princess Mary The First Modern Princess

 Elisabeth Bashford's biography, Princess Mary The First Modern Princess will be published by History Press on February 5.

Recollections by Victoria Marchioness of Milford Haven

 

It was a real coup for Eurohistory.com to obtain the rights to Recollections, the privately published memoirs of the late Victoria, Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven. The original manuscript has been kept in the archives at Southampton University.

Victoria (1863-1950) was the eldest daughter of Princess Alice, Queen Victoria's second daughter and third child, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine.  In 1884, she married her father's first cousin, Prince Louis of Battenberg.  

Louis was a morganatic prince as his father, Prince Alexander of Hesse and By Rhine made an unequal marriage with a Polish countess Julie von Hauke.  

Victoria was a formidable woman, with a brilliant sense of humor. She faced innumerable tragedies that included the deaths of her mother and 4-year-old sister, May in 1878, culminating with the murders of two more sisters, Grand Duchess Ella and Empress Alexandra of Russia, and Alexandra's husband, Nicholas II, and their five children, all dead at the hands of the Bolsheviks. 

Victoria wrote that her mother's death "was an  irreparable loss  to us all and left a great gap in our lives."  Alice was only 35 years old when she succumbed to diphtheria, leaving her eldest daughter, only 15 years old, as the mother figure to her younger siblings.  

Recollections offer readers limited insight into Victoria's life, her family, close and extended, her travels, and her relationship with Queen Victoria. Although Victoria and Louis and their family were largely based in England, Victoria was often traveling to visiting relatives in Germany and Russia, as well as spending holidays in Italy with siblings and friends.

The most important family member was Victoria's grandmother, Queen Victoria.  She and Prince Louis arrived at Osborne shortly after the queen died on January 22,1901.   The Queen's death  was a "great personal loss" to Princess Victoria, who wrote that the Queen's "affection for us was very warm and sincere."   She was also fond of Prince Louis and "relied on his judgment, " so it was not a surprise that Louis was named one of the Executors of Queen Victoria's will.

Victoria was also supportive when her sister-in-law, Victoria Melita told her that she was seeking a divorce from Ernst Ludwig.  Ducky made her feelings known after Ernie returned from a trip to Capri, Italy.  Ducky had shared "the subject of her married life" with Victoria, who wrote, "in the fairness of my judgement, and despite my being devoted to my brother, I can only say that I thought then, and still think that it was best for both that they should be apart from each other."

She and her younger daughter, Louise, were in Russia when World War I broke out.  As Victoria and Louise began their journey home, they had no idea that they would never again see Ella and Alix.

Victoria never anticipated that her memoirs would be published but it is unfortunate that she chose to end her memoirs with the first world war, thus leaving us without her thoughts on the Russian Revolution and the murders of her sisters, brother-in-law, and nieces and nephews.  I would have liked to have known her feelings or emotions when her husband was forced to resign as First Sea Lord because of his German ancestry.

I  also would have wanted to learn more about Victoria's relationship with her grandson, Prince Philip, the youngest child of Princess Alice and Prince Andrew of Greece.   Princess Alice was hospitalized after suffering a mental breakdown and Prince Andrew preferred his mistress to his wife and children.  In modern parlance,  Prince Philip grew up in a broken home.  His grandmother had an influential role in Philip's upbringing, and one can only wonder about her reaction when he married Princess Elizabeth.    

It is unlikely that Victoria would have predicted that her grandson would marry the future British queen, but it is important to note that Victoria and Alice had lunch with King George V and Queen Mary on April 21, 1926.  Perhaps a toast was raised to the Duke and Duchess of York's firstborn child.

The concluding chapter was written by Ilana Miller and Arturo Beeche as they take into account the last 34 years of Victoria's life, but this chapter, although chock full of information, cannot compare to Victoria's own words.

The book is complemented by several hundred photographs from the Eurohistory archive.  

Recollections is a true classic.   Many years ago, Victoria's granddaughter, Patricia, then Lady Brabourne, lent me a copy of the memoirs.  Now everyone can read it.

HRH so many thoughts on royal style by Elizabeth Holmes

Royal fashion is popular with writers, bloggers, and photographers, but it is not normally a subject that does not catch my attention.  HRH so many thoughts on royal style is different.  This is a book about how fashion plays a role for four women: Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duchess of Sussex.

Veteran style reporter Elizabeth Holmes, who now writes for Town & Country, is the author of HRH so many thoughts on royal style.  She knows the subject well.

This is not a book about what the royals wear, but a book that offers thoughts (and facts) on the hows and whys of royal fashion. 

These four women -- all royal women for that matter -- do dress for success, as what they wear is important.  There are reasons why they wear a certain color or longer hems when visiting another country.  Holmes writes that the Queen's wardrobe  is "about function, not fashion."   The Queen is not a slave to fashion. She dresses to be seen and her clothes reflect her role. 

The late Diana, Princess of Wales took fashion to a new level.  As she became more comfortable in her role, she moved from the fussy lace and prints, adopting a bolder style after her divorce. 

Holmes also discusses the importance of the tiaras that Diana wore, including the Spencer tiara.  She is wrong, however, when she writes that the tiara "has not been worn publicly since her passing."  Her niece, Celia McCorquodale, wore the Spencer tiara in 2018 when she married George Woodhouse.

Catherine's royal style has evolved since her marriage as Holmes noted that her wardrobe had gained a "noticeable vibe in the autumn of 2018."

Meghan's fashion style was firmly established even before she married Prince Harry.   She used fashion to empower and celebrate designers from all over the world and was not afraid to use unheralded designers.   For Meghan, it was easy to combine the traditional with a new bold look.

HRH is not a glossy coffee table book that gets only a few glimpses, never to be opened again.  It is a largely well-researched book, complemented by superb photographs of the four royal women.

Elizabeth Holmes' thoughts evolve into a truly brilliant and refreshing style of writing that offers readers a tantalizing avenue into an exceptional study of royal fashion.

A few quibbles, though.  Why HRH as a title?  The Queen is Her Majesty.   The late Diana, Princess of Wales was not stripped of her HRH.  It was not HER HRH.  It came with the marriage.  In Britain, a woman takes her husband's rank and title, unless her rank was higher.  Diana was HRH by marriage.  She had no right to it after the divorce.   The Queen confirmed in a Letters Patent that former wives of HRHs cease to have the style.

That said, I must add that HRH is a fabulous book that will appear to fans of royal fashion and historians who will appreciate Holmes' research.  

HRH was published by Celadon Books.

Princess Mary: The First Modern Princess

 

This is a book I am looking forward to reading.    Elisabeth Basford has been working on this biography of Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary.

The book will be published in the UK on February 5 by the History Press.

Acclaimed biographer Hugo Vickers describes the book: "At last a biography of Princess Mary, the Queen’s aunt – and a good one ... She has long deserved a full study and in Elisabeth Basford, she has found a dedicated and sympathetic biographer, who has done her full justice."

The book can be ordered from Amazon UK.  Princess Mary will also be listed on the US Amazon, but it is not currently available.

Let's just say I am giddy with excitement about this book.  Except for two hagiographies written in the 1920s, this is the first real biography of Princess Mary.

The Windsor Diaries (1940-45) by Alathea Fitzalan Howard

At the start of the second world war the Hon. Alathea Alys Gwendolen Mary Fitzalan Howard, the elder daughter of the second and last Viscount Fitzalan of Derwent,  was sent to live with her grandfather, Lord Fitzalan at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park.  King George V offered Cumberland Lodge (formerly the residence of Princess Helena and Prince Christian of Schleswig Holstein) to the viscount, an elder statesman, and a devout Catholic.  If she had born a boy, Alathea would have succeeded her uncle Bernard as Duke of Norfolk.

Alathea's parents were estranged and her mother had a limited role in her life, and this often discussed by Alathea in her diaries as she sought (and found) emotional comfort from others.

Although life at Cumberland Lodge could be staid and dreary -- the rosary was said every night -- as Alathea lived with her elderly grandfather and his spinster sister, but as she was two and a half years older than Princess Elizabeth, she was often invited to Windsor Castle where Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret lived for the duration of the war.

It was at Cumberland Lodge when Alathea began to confide her thoughts in a diary.  She continued that tradition until 2001.  The diaries for 1940-1945 were published by Hodder & Stoughton with the title The Windsor Diaries.   Atria will publish a U.S. edition in May 2021.   I ordered the UK paperback edition from Amazon.

 She married the Hon. Edward Ward, younger son of the 2nd Earl of Dudley in 1953.  As her marriage was childless, she left her diaries to her nephew, Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland, Bt.  His wife, Lady Isabella, who edited the diaries, wrote: "The diaries were Alathea's greatest friend.  She confided in them completely ... a perfect confidante."

Her friendship with Queen Elizabeth II continued until she died in 2001.    

Alathea's diaries offer new insight into the lives of the two princesses during the war and their relationship with their parents and their social circle. Alathea was very much a part of this circle, often spending time with the princesses at French lessons and dancing classes.  There were also invitations to tea and movies at Windsor.  She also joined the princesses in their Christmas pantomimes.

She was very much conscious of her social position and had often dreamed of a grand marriage.  She had a distant relationship with her parents and rarely saw her younger sister, Elizabeth Anne, who was ten years her junior.  

What makes The Windsor Diaries so special is Alathea's observation of the people and events around her.   She relished the familial feeling that she experienced when she was with the Royal Family.  She had a crush on Hugh Euston (the earl of Euston), the heir to the Duke of Fitzroy.  On May 24, 1941, she wrote: "I saw my darling Hugh E.  After tea, the Q, the princesses and I played racing demon in her sitting room.  I'm so blissfully happy in the Court Circle and I would gladly die for that family if there were a Revolution."

Alathea's mother told her that "my royal friendship is not only utterly valueless but also a menace as it 'keeps me back.'  She also told me I should give up looking for impoverished men like H."

When she reached her eighteenth birthday,  Alathea began her war work with the Red Cross with other young women in her social circle.   Romance and marriage were often on her mind, not just her own marriage, but that of Princess Elizabeth.  January 4, 1944: "Had a letter from Mummy, who told me PE is 'keen' on David Milford Haven, who is in love with Bridget Elliot, and trying his best to escape PE, whom he thinks deadly...Personally, I doubt that PE does like David MH in that way and I certainly think Prince Philip would suit her far better."

Lady Isabella's seamless editing brings Alathea's voice and views to the fore allowing us -- the readers -- to feel that we are standing next to Alathea.  We are given a front-row seat, an entry into the private lives of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and the two princesses, especially Princess Elizabeth.   

She was refreshingly honest as well.  On March 15, 1945, she wrote: "Biked to the Castle for drawing-- PE  was wearing her ATS  battle dress, which consists of trousers and I thought  she looked awful and that  it is shockingly bad for her to be seen about in them."

A few days before,  she had tea with Crawfie, confiding to her diary: "...We had long discussions on everything and everybody. She said she regretted PE had no taste at all but she wanted them to be so perfect so she was inclined to be disappointed..."

She also observed the young princess' budding romance with Prince Philip.

 "Afterwards I tidied in PE's room today and notice a large photo of Prince Philip on her mantelpiece, although it was unsigned," she wrote on July 12, 1945.

The Windsor Diaries is a book that will be appreciated by historians and biographers, seeking new perspectives into the queen's life during the war years.  When Alathea wrote her diaries, she never expected that they would be published, certainly not in the 1940s, but thankfully, she provided a window, allowing us a peek into her life - and those who came into her life in the second world war, especially the future Queen Elizabeth II.

What a radiant read!