Spanish historian and biographer Ana de Sagrera died in 2018, four years before her book,
Ena y Bee: En defensa de una Amistad, was translated into English and published by Fonthill in 2022 with the title
Ena and Bee Queen Victoria's Spanish Granddaughters.The original book was published in 2006.
De Sagrera was given full access to the Bourbon-Orleans archives in Sanlucar de Barrameda.
Ena and Bee were first cousins and granddaughters of Queen Victoria. Ena was born Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg and Bee was Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Both cousins married into the Spanish Royal Family. Ena was the wife of King Alfonso XIII and Bee married his first cousin, Infante Don Alfonso of Orléans-Borbon.
Ena's marriage was arranged. Bee's marriage to Ali was a love match with many hoops to jump through before they married.
For many years, it was assumed that Bee pursued Alfonso, causing a strain in his marriage with Ena. But Alfonso wanted Bee in his bed, and he was furious when she refused him. But the story that she was the pursuer was the one people believed.
Alfonso was unfaithful to Ena with numerous mistresses. Ali and Bee were devoted to each other. Ali's letters to Alfonso about the rumors with Bee make this clear that he knew Alfonso was the one who was guilty.
Rumors in Spain led to Ali and Bee spending several years in exile. Her political views were misrepresented, leading to further strain.
Ena and Bee's friendship remained the one constant. In time, Ali, Bee, and their three sons were allowed to return to Spain. In 1931, an election led to the establishment of the Spanish Republic. Alfonso and the Spanish royal family went into exile, Alfonso settling in Rome and Ena settling in Switzerland. The couple remained estranged for the rest of their lives.
Bee and Ali lived in England for several years but were finally allowed to return to Spain after Franco established his dictatorship. They settled at their estate in Sanlucar de Barrameda. Their golden years were not always easy. Bee focused on charity work, especially the establishment of maternity homes.
Princess Beatrice died in 1966, and Ena died three years later.
Ena and Bee has become one of my favorite royal books. This is because Beatrice is one of my favorite descendants of Queen Victoria. The book is rich in detail about the lives of two great friends who happened to be first cousins as well. There is only one English-language biography of Ena by Gerald Noel. It is not particularly good because the author depended solely on English language sources and no primary sources.
In Ena and Bee, Ana de Sagrera had the great fortune to have unrestricted access to Bee and Ali's correspondence, papers, and other materials. I wish the entire book had been translated into English, but this is the second-best thing.
Bee's life story is finally known. She was not responsible for the failure of Ena's marriage. Her life was not always happy. Her son, Prince Alonso, who served in the Spanish Air Force, was killed in an air crash in 1936.
This book is a worthy and recommended addition to royal book collections.
The book was edited and translated, respectively by John van der Kiste and Iain Dorward Stewart.
https://amzn.to/3SVyGDy
https://amzn.to/3OXvJRR
