Marriage
During Alexandra's formative years, her father, occupied with his career in the Navy and later as a ruler in Coburg, paid little attention to his family. It was Alexandra's mother who was the domineering presence in their children's life. The duchess believed in marrying her daughters young, before they began to think for themselves. At the end of 1895, she arranged Alexandra's engagement to Prince Ernst, of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (13 September 1863 – 11 December 1950). Alexandra's grandmother, Queen Victoria, complained that she was too young. Alexandra's father objected to the status of his future son-in-law. The House of Hohenlohe-Lagenburg was mediatized - a formerly ruling family who had ceded their sovereign rights to others while (in theory) retaining their equal birth. It was not considered a brilliant match, but they were also related. Ernst was a grandson of Princess Feodora of Leiningen, Queen Victoria's half-sister. The wedding took place on 20 April 1896 in Coburg, Germany. Together, they had five children:
- Prince Gottfried, 8th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (24 May 1897 – 11 May 1960); married Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark had issue
- Princess Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (18 January 1899 – 8 November 1967)
- Princess Alexandra of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (2 April 1901 – 26 October 1963)
- Princess Irma of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (4 July 1902 – 8 March 1986)
- Prince Alfred of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (16 April 1911 – 18 April 1911)
Read more about this topic: Princess Alexandra Of Saxe-Coburg And Gotha
Famous quotes containing the word marriage:
“For the marriage bed ordained by fate for men and women is stronger than an oath and guarded by Justice.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)
“In almost every marriage there is a selfish and an unselfish partner. A pattern is set up and soon becomes inflexible, of one person always making the demands and one person always giving way.”
—Iris Murdoch (b. 1919)
“Yes, marriage is hateful, detestable. A kind of ineffable, sickening disgust seizes my mind when I think of this most despotic, most unrequited fetter which prejudice has forged to confine its energies.”
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)