King Edward VII (1841-1910) and Queen Alexandra (1844-1925)

[Zonk]

Alexandra definitely was too hands on. She totally spoiled her daughters and if she had her wish (at least IMO) would have seen that NONE of them married. I wonder if her distress in her marriage (Edward's constant cheating) played a role in how she clung to her children.

Its interesting to see how parenting was so different from George V. She appeared to be close to her children and he appeared to be somewhat standoffish.

[Royal Fan]

What was E VII like as a parent??

[Roderick]

By most accounts he was not a very involved father but he did love his children. He became very close to Prince George in his later years, after the death of the Duke of Clarence and in particular after he become king himself.

[Vasillisos Markos]

Originally Posted by Zonk

Alexandra definitely was too hands on. She totally spoiled her daughters and if she had her wish (at least IMO) would have seen that NONE of them married. I wonder if her distress in her marriage (Edward's constant cheating) played a role in how she clung to her children.

Its interesting to see how parenting was so different from George V. She appeared to be close to her children and he appeared to be somewhat standoffish.

Queen Victoria often thought the children of Bertie and Alexandra to be too unruly. This unruliness was simply their love of merriment, which Alexandra encouraged. But the Queen acknowledged that Alexandra instilled good qualities, such as an absence of pride, which the Queen fully supported.

It is true, however, that Alexandra, perhaps in reaction to her husband's extra-marital affairs, developed and encouraged a close dependency with her children and the ultimate sufferer was Toria, who never married and escaped from her mother's orbit. It was very common for Victorian widows to designate a daughter as the companion to the mother and perhaps Alexandra deemed herself "widowed" by Bertie's unfaithfulness and thus poor Toria had to be the designated companion.

[jonnydep]

but this was the custom amongst the members of the house of glucksburg. likwise her own parents king christian IX and queen louise of denmark and most of her siblings, smothered their offspring with happiness, love, and often treating them as children well into their adulthood. it can be said that this treatment fostered the freshness and fun of youth, it also conserved the love of the family which was so lacking in some of the royal houses of europe of the period.

alexandra was supported 100% by her husband bertie (albert edward, prince of wales) , whom wanted to be regarded as being a elder sibling to his own sons. not surpising given his owm harsh upbringing. it is said he regarded his own father as a hectoring bully who caused him nothing but misery and suffering in his childhood !!

as for the treatment of toria, in alexandra's own family there was another similar situation between her sister, the dowager empress of russia and her youngest daughter grand duchess olga. it is said that the empress in a streak of selfishness, had married olga off to the most unsuitable prince ever (peter of oldenburg), who lived in russia, to ensure that the grand duchess would remain at her beck and call at all times.........

the same can be said in regards alexandra's mother in law queen victoria, for instance princesses helena and beatrice, the queen only allowed the princesses to marry if they remained in england, to be forever at her side ........

[CarolinaLandgrave]

Wasnt Peter of Oldenburg a homosexual?

[silverstar]

yes, Princess Alexandra was a stunning lady,
she wowed the Victorians and became the leader of fashion.
Yet Ive read that as an adult she was very childlike
and loved fairytales and childrens stories etc.
In fact Hans Christian Anderson used to call at her
home in Denmark and read to the children.

Ive also read about Oliver Montagu... youngest son of Lord Sandwich... who was her constant companion for 25 years..... "but of course, their relationship was purely platonic...." say the books..... yes of course.. I believe that !!
But while her husband was swanning around Europe with a string of lovers and mistresses... are we expecting poor Alexandra to live the life of a nun ?

Again, drawing the parallel with Diana... it looks like
Oliver was Alexandra's .....James Hewitt !
( I ll have to try and find a pic of Oliver... better still
a pic of Oliver and Alexandra together ! )

[Roderick]

Oliver Montague was no James Hewitt. Ladies of Alexandra's day who possessed deep religious convictions and lived by them did not stray to affairs simply because their husbands chose to.

I do not know of one writer who claims the relationship was anything more than it should have been. Alexandra was a Lady, Montague the deeply admiring but consummate Gentleman.

[Tilla]

Aaahhh, those impressing, never seen photos of Queen Alexandra and her family ! Thank you !

[Furienna]

I have to agree with Roderick. Just because Edward had affairs, it doesn't mean, that Alexandra had one too. It was so much easier for men than for women to have affairs back then. And while it's maybe not impossible, that she had an affair, I've never heard anything about it before.

[Wisteria]

Originally Posted by Roderick

Oliver Montague was no James Hewitt. Ladies of Alexandra's day who possessed deep religious convictions and lived by them did not stray to affairs simply because their husbands chose to.

I do not know of one writer who claims the relationship was anything more than it should have been. Alexandra was a Lady, Montague the deeply admiring but consummate Gentleman.

Well said. I would just like to add that Queen Alexandra was certainly no Diana either. She was of the old school, a royal lady through and through and Montague was her very loyal friend who adored her - but from behind the social barrier that existed in those days between a Queen and a courtier.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by CarolinaLandgrave

Wasnt Peter of Oldenburg a homosexual?

Wiki says yes, though I would prefer a more reliable source. Nothing I have read so far has come right out and said it.

[CarolinaLandgrave]

Originally Posted by Russophile

Wiki says yes, though I would prefer a more reliable source. Nothing I have read so far has come right out and said it.

Thank you, Russo. I read it somewhere also - I think in something on the Romanov family. Have to just remember where.
But it was on the subject of how Marie Feodorovna wanted to keep her daughters close.
Like Alexandra....

[Grace Angel]

I really doubt she ever had a lover too. I read the biograohy of her a few years ago ( can't remember the author, it's an older biography) and it never gave me the impression she did, actually that biography gave me the impression she had a rather sad life in some ways since, since like Diana she was the beautiful ignored wife of a Prince of Wales, but she was also a foreigner and deaf. It's really not surprising she kept her children close.

[Furienna]

She was deaf? I didn't know that.

[Dierna23]

Originally Posted by Furienna

She was deaf? I didn't know that.

Yes, she was. She had osteosclerosis and also rheumatism, which disabled one of her legs.

[Furienna]

Wow... Was she deaf already as a child, or did she lose her hearing as a grown-up?

[Roderick]

She was not deaf as a child but began to lose her hearing in early adulthood particularly after her serious bout of rheumatic fever [which also caused the permanent stiffening of one knee] in 1867 when she was aged only 22 years old and was also pregnant with her first daughter Louise. Queen Victoria recorded that from this time onwards it was noticeably difficult to make her hear conversation.

As has already been said she suffered from otosclerosis, an hereditary condition passed on by her mother which can today be surgically corrected. It was noted to become worse after illness or stress.

[Russophile]

It's a pity she didn't use sign language, it had been around since 1620 (see Juan Pablo Bonet). Though it may have not been widely used?

[Furienna]

I don't think it was widely used in the 19th century.