Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale - Prospective Royal Brides

Prospective Royal Brides

Several women were lined up as possible brides for Albert Victor. The first, in 1889, was Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine but she did not return his affection and refused his offer of engagement. She married Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in 1894, and was killed along with her husband and children after the Russian revolution of 1917. The second, in 1890, was a love match with Princess Hélène of Orléans, a daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, and great-granddaughter of King Louis-Philippe I, the last Bourbon King of France.

At first, Queen Victoria opposed any engagement because Hélène was Roman Catholic. Victoria wrote to her grandson suggesting another of her grandchildren Princess Margaret of Prussia, as a suitable alternative, but nothing came of her suggestion and once the couple confided their love to her, the Queen relented and supported the marriage. Hélène offered to convert, and Albert Victor offered to abdicate his succession rights to marry her. To the couple's disappointment, her father refused to countenance the marriage and was adamant she could not convert. Hélène travelled personally to intercede with Pope Leo XIII but he confirmed her father's verdict, and the affair ended. She later became the Duchess of Aosta.

In mid-1890, Albert Victor was attended by several doctors, but in correspondence his illness is only referred to as "fever" or "gout". Many biographers have assumed that he was suffering from "a mild form of venereal disease", perhaps gonorrhea, but there is no known source confirming this. It is claimed that in 1891 Albert Victor was subject to blackmail by two prostitutes to whom he had written incriminating letters. The letters supposedly referring to the case were sold at Bonham's auction house in London in 2002. Owing to discrepancies in the dates and spelling of the letters, however, they are suspected of being forgeries.

In 1891, Albert Victor wrote to Lady Sybil St Clair Erskine that he was in love once again, though he does not say with whom, but by this time another potential bride, Princess Mary of Teck, was under consideration. Mary was the daughter of Queen Victoria's first cousin Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck. Queen Victoria was very supportive, considering Mary ideal—charming, sensible and pretty. On 3 December 1891 Albert Victor, to her "great surprise" proposed to Mary at Luton Hoo, the country residence of the Danish ambassador to Britain. The wedding was set for 27 February 1892.