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

[Lady Meg]

Originally Posted by Grace Angel

I think they did get the waist slimmer through corseting over time. They were quite thin anyway. Alexandra and her family seemed to have that build that they remained youthful looking for a long time. But tight corseting got every one royal and non royal alike,- another royal example is Mary of Teck on her wedding day to George V. Her waist was tiny. They made it look effortless. I'm sure it didn't feel effortless though. But they wanted to be in style. It's like breast implants and plastic surgery today.

Eeek, gross. I dislike plastic surgery. Corsets are ok by me though. Womens bodies have evolved over time for sure because we don't look like that now. I remember Marilyn Monroe had a figure like that. Small waist, big hips. That would be my family. Ugh. Must start walking again.. lol.

Originally Posted by Furienna

Yeah, Mary of Teck really had a thin waist too.

I'm glad I wasn't a royal back then, because I would never have been able to pull that off.

Maybe that was why they never smiled. JK. They just looked so glamorous! I would have loved to dress like that.. I used to when I was in my "goth" phase. It helps your posture that's for sure.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Lady Meg

What I admire the most about her and the women of that time is their clothing. Have you seen some of those corsets that they wore? How do you get such a tiny waist?!

You suck it in while your servant pulls tight. Ever see Gone with the Wind?
Coco Chanel liberated everyone from the corset. . .

If you look at the fashions that Queen Alexandra wore to what Diana wore, it's amazing how much changed in 50 years.

[Lady Meg]

Originally Posted by betina

Many women at that time had their lower ribs removed so they could tighten the corsetts like that.
It cant be healthy at all.

Ok OUCH!! Yes, I have found so many beautiful pictures of Alexandra.

http://www.jewelrybloguncovered.com/.../09/alex21.jpg

http://img2.allposters.com/images/VAPOD/2007BP9890i.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Denmark02.jpg

Then of course you have this famous picture of Louise, Alexandra, and the Duchess of Fife
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ss_of_Fife.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...f_Denmark2.jpg

Like you were saying about Mary of Teck.. check out this pic.
http://bcisco.com/00442.jpg

Then you have Maud ---
http://bcisco.com/maudnorway1869-3.jpg
http://bcisco.com/00423_big.jpg

Then all three here...
http://www.jewelrybloguncovered.com/...d_victoria.jpg

[Vasillisos Markos]

Lady Meg,

Thank you for posting the links to all of the wonderful photographs. Maud appears to have been the most petite or perhaps slimmest of the women; at least she appears to be in that one photograph.

[Lady Meg]

Originally Posted by Russophile

You suck it in while your servant pulls tight. Ever see Gone with the Wind?
Coco Chanel liberated everyone from the corset. . .

If you look at the fashions that Queen Alexandra wore to what Diana wore, it's amazing how much changed in 50 years.

Even in Titanic.. that scene when her mother is lecturing her about marrying Cal.. vicious!

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

Lady Meg,

Thank you for posting the links to all of the wonderful photographs. Maud appears to have been the most petite or perhaps slimmest of the women; at least she appears to be in that one photograph.

I wanted to thank everyone before me that posted all the wonderful pics!! I just went back and looked at all of them. I'm in AWE of Alexandra. She's just gorgeous! She looks like a doll honestly... her face in every picture. Have you ever noticed her eyes? Is that a Danish attribute? The dark eyes? They are really piercing and striking to look at. Almost as if they were painted...Beautiful!

[maria-olivia]

And this beautiful Queen Alexandra was sadly deaf..

[Vasillisos Markos]

It is sad, because Alexandra was such an engaging royal and deafness is such an isolating condition--I've read that the deaf feel much more left out of society than the blind. Alexandra's condition, brought on by an illness, was shared by Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece, the mother of Prince Phillip but Alice's deafness was congenital I believe. However, both women were able to cope magnificently with this burden.

[Westminster]

I read that because the Queen was deaf she had such an extremely close relationship to her children. Because she was quite isolated.

[silverstar]

March 1863 and excitement was high
as the lovely Princess Alexandra arrived in England
go here
celebheaven :: Princess Alexandra of Denmark

[Vasillisos Markos]

Silverstar,

Thank you for the splendid link! Alexandra was so gorgeous and those portraits captured her beauty.

[Zonk]

Originally Posted by Westminster

I read that because the Queen was deaf she had such an extremely close relationship to her children. Because she was quite isolated.

Yes, she did have a close relationship with her children. Some say it was because of her deafness and others say it was a result of Edward's straying.

I have also read the closeness in some ways was not healthy. It certainly prevented poor Princess Victoria from marrying. It certainly didn't help in the education of her two sons. But from all accounts she was a great grandmother. The Wales children appeared to have adored her.

But it was also during that period that if there was a certain unmarried young daughter and a widow, it was suggested the widow keep one of the daughters at home for companionship. I know that almost happened with Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria suggested the same thing to the Empress Frederick. I believe it was Moretta and Mossy who were unmarried at one time, and Victoria tried to discourage the Empress from finding husbands for the last single daughter.

[silverstar]

I think she was really worshipped back then and became the
leader of fashionable society.
Bertie was a young , dashing Prince and they both revilled in
the London social scene.
I think that Princess Alexandra and Elizabeth of Austria were the two outstanding
Royal beauties of the day and they actually
met up ..... (in Vienna I think ) .... when Alix and Bertie were en routeto Egypt..........
( I wonder if any enterprising artist captured the scene ? )

[jonnydep]

it is said, the british monarchy has survived due to the love, affection and respect which britain held towards its queens !!

however the impact of queen alexandra is often largely forgotten !!
yes the part played by alexandra, consort of king edward VII, deserves far more emphasis than it is usually given compared with that of the following queens : victoria, mary, elizabeth and our present queen elizabeth II

alexandra was in many ways (for her time), a modern thinker. her views in the spheres of education, nursing, welfare and politics was a century ahead of her !!. the british people owe much to the humanity stemming from this queen, whose love extended far beyond her own family....she showed compassion to disabled children, the ill , the wrongdoer and adove all to the poor !!. it was she who kept the throne safe for queen victoria's heir, as she showed steadfastness , courage and dignity within an incompatible marriage, she put the royal family first and showed the true meaning of loyalty.....

queen alexandra has earned a special place in the hearts of the british people, she arrived in britain as young poor danish princess with a daunting future a head of her. yet she overcame her difficulties- ill health (a illness had left her deaf and lame), frequent criticisms from the differant factions (pro german) at court and in society, and the death of two sons - to earn respect of those who knew her !!

[silverstar]

Even as adults Alexandra and her sister Dagmar used to
like dressing up in identical clothes.
Dagmar of course married Tsar Alexander 111
go here
Celebheaven • View topic - Princess Alexandra of Denmark

[MAfan]

It's a wonderful picture, Silverstar, thanks for having shared it!

[jonnydep]

thanks silverstar.......my favourite of your pictures...... is the arrival of the princess alexandra and her family at greavesend 7th march 1863. to the crowds delight her future husband, ran up the pier and kissed her in welcome....as the couple walked towards the royal train, sixty maidens dressed in the red and white of denmark, strewed violets and primroses in their path !!

[jonnydep]

Originally Posted by silverstar

Dagmar of course married Tsar Alexander 111

in fact all of alexandras siblings made marriages with other royal houses. they were often called "the international brigade" having loyalties to denmark, great britain, russia, greece, hanover, sweden, norway and france.

crown prince frederick of denmark married priness louise of sweden and norway.
prince william (king george I of the hellenes / greece) married grand duchess olga of russia.
princess thyra married ernest augustus, duke of cumberland / crown prince of hanover
prince waldmar married a french princess, marie d'orleans.

this last dynastic manoeuvre would seem to the imperial court in berlin, to bear out that everything was not as innocent as it looked. with franco-prussian hostility the most constant factor in the late 19th century. prince waldmars choice of bride looked like a slap in the face of germany. that her family was not a reigning one was niether here or there, marie was french, who revealed herself to be an ardent french patriot and violently anti-german....it is said that a huge french tricolor hung from the ceiling to the floor in her drawing room at bernstorff !!

one must remember that alexandras danish family was anti-german due to schleswig-holstein war of 1864, whereby her father king christian IX had lost a third of his kingdom to prussia !!

[MAfan]

Originally Posted by jonnydep

one must remember that alexandras family was anti-german due to scheleswig-holstein war of 1864, whereby her father king christian IX had lost a third of his kingdom to prussia !!

Yesterday night I was reading a chapter of the biography of Empress Alexandra of Russia, by Greg King; the chapter was about Alexandra's mother, Alice, and talked about the contrast inside the British Royal Family due to the Schleswig-Holstein War: Queen Victoria supported Prussia, the Prince and Princess of Wales (Edward and Alexandra) supported Christian IX of Denmark, while Alice and her husband, Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, supported the claims of Duke Christian August of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (later father in law of Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria and sister of Edward and Alice).

[jonnydep]

in 1865 it was announced that the queens third daugther princess helena was to be engaged to marry prince christian of schleswig-holstein-sonderburg-augustenburg. he was the younger brother of the frederick who claimed the duchies of schleswig-holstein upon the accession of king christian IX of denmark back in 1863 and thus precipitating the 1864 war (his father duke christian august having ceded his rights in his favor at the time).

alexandra was furious. regarding the match to be gross insult to her family and herself. she even let to be known that she would not attend the wedding !!.the queen then explained to the prince of wales, as princess helena was not a great beauty and possessed little charm, if this suitor was turned away, it would be difficult to find another. the bridegroom was not a romantic figure himself: he was a fat, balding, lazy, thirty five year old (15 years older than helena), for eversmoking on his pipe. when summoned to the court at windsor, he was expecting a much greater prize than princess helena. the queen herself !!

when princess alexandra realised that helena might remain a spinster, if the marriage was not to go ahead, she forever thinking of the happiness of others withdrew her opposition. however the queen did not forget her opposition and was heard to say "it will be long, if ever before alexandra regains my confidence"

[Katrianna]

Thank you jonnydep, very fascinating information you've provided from the book. It's always interesting learning about the intrigues that happen behind walls with the Royal Families.