Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900-1974) and Princess Alice (1901-2004)


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I know it's an old thread, but I just learned about Princess Alice, so it's all new to me. Can anyone recommend a biography?
 
Welcome OlderthanILook!

You can try wikipedia first. Not much is written about the Gloucesters. They flint in and out of biographies of the Duke of Windsor, George VI, George and Queen Mary.

Princess Alice wrote a book, Memories of Ninety Years. You can try ebay or half.com. There is a book about the late Duke, but is hard to find.
 
Yes, I've just read her memoir ("90 Years"). I think an in-depth biography would be fascinating. If I were a historian, I'd write it. I think she's just lovely. She has such a direct gaze in her photos. She was very photogenic. It's difficult to believe she was so shy.
 
OlderThanILook said:
Yes, I've just read her memoir ("90 Years"). I think an in-depth biography would be fascinating. If I were a historian, I'd write it. I think she's just lovely. She has such a direct gaze in her photos. She was very photogenic. It's difficult to believe she was so shy.
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However the problem for an historian is that 'who would buy it?'. Without a commercial market there is no point. No publisher would publish it and so that creates additional costs to get it published and most historians aren't that wealthy - which is why they work in universities.
 
I'm afraid you are right, Iluvbertie. A pity, though. I would like to read good biographies about King George V.'s children and their spouses.
 
There was a book written about the children call Born Royal.

It was okay, but honestly it didn't say anything that isn't all ready well known via the biographies of Edward VIII or George VI or their wives. Or even wikipedia.

Unfortunately for us, Henry and Alice led normal (nothing too scandalous), did their duty, produced two children who also led somewhat quiet lives (with the exception of Wililams death). Which isn't a bad thing except for us royal watchers.
 
:previous:

Yes, indeed. There's this rather amusing anecdote of Henry saying that if he ever would write his memoirs he would call them "40 years of boredom". :D The only thing I own about the Gloucesters is the edition about them of "Royal Romances" , I know it's rather a bit gossipy, but it gives some information as well and at least tons of rare pictures of them. It is often available on ebay. I too would like to read a good biography about Henry & Alice.
 
I hate the fact that the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester never got the proper recognition and appreciation they deserved from media and public. They were only couple who had completely proper marital stability, good healthy lifestyle, and of course, right sexuality among George V's sons
They were a great support to the Queen in the 50s and 60s. The Duke was the one who literally 'baptised' the Queen into royal duties like Trooping the Colour and all.They performed all highest-profile engagements which now Prince Charles performs. And they never sought the flamboyance and extravagance like the QM. Ironically, 3 generations down, they have spared the Queen any sort of PR/media-headache from their side.
Maybe we didnt care that much for them, because they had neither glamour nor scandal..And BTW their grandson is way damn hottt:lol:
 
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I certainly agree that the Gloucesters have been the epitome of royalty, and I find them so refreshing and wonderful. But as far as having no glamour, surely their son William had plenty of that, but he died young. I think the present Duke and his wife Birgitta are glamorous in an appropriate (not scandalous) way. Birgitta seems to have an outstanding collection of jewels and tiaras, which she wears often, and she is glamorous even though no longer young. Her clothes are beautiful. The Duke has a courtly, refined expression which seems to have been born and raised in him, not put on. Princess Alice was a doll! These people lived a healthy life, and I believe some of this was due to the fact that they knew the Porphyria gene ran in their family, and drinking alcohol and staying up late would simply aggravate that; Forgive me for bringing up that subject again, but I think it had an important role in determining their lifestyle. For those who do not know already, Prince William, Alice and Henry's elder son, had Porphyria, a genetic neuro-visceral illness, thus one or both of his parents had it too. 50% inherit, on average, this dominant gene. Alice was aware of it was instrumental in getting William diagnosed, although his first dx came from a doctor in Africa who came from South Africa, where William's type of Porphyria is commoner (5 % of population today).
 
vkrish said:
I hate the fact that the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester never got the proper recognition and appreciation they deserved from media and public. They were only couple who had completely proper marital stability, good healthy lifestyle, and of course, right sexuality among George V's sons
They were a great support to the Queen in the 50s and 60s. The Duke was the one who literally 'baptised' the Queen into royal duties like Trooping the Colour and all.They performed all highest-profile engagements which now Prince Charles performs. And they never sought the flamboyance and extravagance like the QM. Ironically, 3 generations down, they have spared the Queen any sort of PR/media-headache from their side.
Maybe we didnt care that much for them, because they had neither glamour nor scandal..And BTW their grandson is way damn hottt:lol:
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I don't understand this statement - are you forgetting George VI and Queen Elizabeth?

I really appreciate this couple and the current Duke and Duchess who deserve more credit but prefer to be out of the limelight.

HMQ certainly appreciated Princess Alice as she allowed her to use the title, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester after the old Duke died.
 
^^^^
Whats the problem with that as long as it was consensual?
 
Cepe, I tried to get a picture of the Earl of Ulster, Richard's son, and all are unavailable due to copyright. I guess he is very "retiring", very careful of his privacy. I noticed he was sitting just behind the Queen's right shoulder in the St. Paul's group for her Anniversary service, right where the photographers would inevitably photograph him. So there one gets a chance to see him. And as someone said, he's good looking! He is married to a practicing physician, I believe (hard to keep all these royal descendants straight).
 
That's a shame Mariel, but the copyright is about the terms under which the NPG was given the image, i.e. they can have is for archive/historical purposes but cannot print or sell it.
 
What a great video! Thank you for sharing....
 
I've seen the video of the wedding before. Massive crowds even in those days.

I think Queen Mary, Queen Mother, The Queen and Princess Margaret had the most regal royal waves in the old days. The royals of today royal waves are no longer regal.
 
Its somehow hard to fathom in this day of instant information but back then, those Pathe newsreels were what people would see when they went to a movie theater. Makes me realize how far we've some in such a relatively short time.

All the elements of a royal wedding were there. The crowds, the pageantry and the appearance on the balcony. Traditions are really a wonderful thing.

Thanks for posting the video of this wedding.
 
At Buckingham Palace, in the first weeks of the First World War, King George V ordered that there should be strict rationing of all food. Prince Henry put up a revolt against the two-course rule for breakfast. He claimed that for health reasons it was essential he had two fried eggs and bacon for breakfast even if he was allowed nothing else. Queen Mary agreed. Thus Prince Henry got an extra fried egg.

Notes on Henry William Frederick Albert
Biography - first Duke of Gloucester - Australian Dictionary of Biography
 
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CyrilVladisla said:
At Buckingham Palace, in the first weeks of the First World War, King George V ordered that there should be strict rationing of all food. Prince Henry put up a revolt against the two-course rule for breakfast. He claimed that for health reasons it was essential he had two fried eggs and bacon for breakfast even if he was allowed nothing else. Queen Mary agreed. Thus Prince Henry got an extra fried egg.
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This is most surely a case of "if we only knew then what we know now" as we now know just how healthy fried eggs and bacon are to the human body.

Glad to see you back again Cyril! I've missed your interesting tidbits that you come up with. :flowers:
 
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Middle son of George V

Can anybody tell me some information about him? He's always overshadowed by his older and younger brothers and sister as well as his wife that lived to 100.
 
I was just wondering if he has a thread as his own as I've said before he always seems to get overshadowed
 
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