Sisters of the Duke of Edinburgh

[HRH Kimetha]

HRH Princess Friederike of Hanover, daughter of Prince Philip's sister Sophie and her 2nd husband Prince Georg of Hanover, was born in 1954 and married Jerry Cyr (b 1951) in Vancouver in 1979.

They have two children, both born in Vancouver:
• Julia Emma Cyr (1982)
• Jean-Paul Welf Cyr (1985)

Marlene Eilers in 'Queen Victoria's Descendants' stated that Princess Friederike was once thought to be a possible bride for the Prince of Wales.
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Warren,

I guess I have a curious streak about me when it comes to family relationships. So, my question is this: have you read anywhere that any of Prince Philips family ever visit with Prince Philip in England or whether the Duke leaves England to visit in Canada?

I am interested in knowing whether they are the royal family or not, what kind of relationship does everyone have and if there are visits within families, such as picnics, tea parties, etc. Have you read about these relationships anywhere? In other words, do any of these people get together for a game of cards or movie night with popcorn?

 

[trinny]

I only found out about Prince Philip's mum last night ... and so am reading everything I can find ... so this thread is brilliant and THANK YOU for the photos and info.

My respect for the Duke of Edinburgh has sky rocketed since finding out about his early life.

 

[Marengo]

I had a simular experience trinny (the sky rocketing). Perhaps you can barrow ´Princess Andrew of Greece by Hugo Vickers in your local library, it has even more about Alice and is most interesting.

 

[Warren]

We also have a thread on Prince Philip's mother in the Royal Family of Greece forum: Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece (1885-1969).

 

[acdc1]

In the second to last picture, who is the little boy the first at left?

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

In the second to last picture, who is the little boy the first at left?

The picture says, in German of course, that he is Grand Duke Thronfolger, and I know this was a title in the Romanov house. One of Alex III's sons (Nicky's brother) was titled Grand Duke Thronfolger as well as Grand Duke of Russia, but he died in 1899 without heirs apparently. I don't know who had the title afterwards.

 

[selrahc4]

The picture says, in German of course, that he is Grand Duke Thronfolger, and I know this was a title in the Romanov house. One of Alex III's sons (Nicky's brother) was titled Grand Duke Thronfolger as well as Grand Duke of Russia, but he died in 1899 without heirs apparently. I don't know who had the title afterwards.

I believe Thronfolger means heir to the throne, or "Crown Prince". I think the boy is Tsarevich Alexei.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

I believe Thronfolger means heir to the throne, or "Crown Prince". I think the boy is Tsarevich Alexei.

Yes, you're right. I just checked into it. It's the German word for Crown Prince.

 

[Val3275]

I think the boy is Tsarevich Alexei.

Yes, you are right, the boy is indeed Tasrevitch Alexei. I would not be surprised if the picture had been taken in 1910-1912 in Wolfsgarten.

 

[acdc1]

Ok, I thought it might be Alexei, I know he and Philip's mother were first cousins. Are those Philip's sisters with him?

 

[selrahc4]

Are those Philip's sisters with him?

Yes, the elder two, Margarita and Theodora.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Princess Margarita

With her husband Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (SOURCE)
on their wedding day (same source)
I think this one may have already been posted (sorry if it was)
http://www.thepeerage.com/100794_001.jpg (the peerage website)

 

[trinny]

Thanks very much for the information Marengo and Warren, very much appreciated.

 

[rebbevb]

Any other wedding pics of Pss sophie, cecile, and theodora ?

 

[Dierna23]

A video I found on youtube about Prince Philip's sister Cecile and her husband, which includes some pictures:

YouTube - George Donatus of Hesse and Cecilie of Greece

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Prince Philip's sister, Princess Sophie joined the Nazi's women's auxiliary, the NS-Frauenschaft in 1938.
​

 

[An Ard Ri]

I came across this photo of Prince Philip and his sister Princess Sophie,not sure what year or where it was taken,I hadn't seen it before.

https://41.media.tumblr.com/1b7e8c2148e4f7d151e1087b782c7bdd/tumblr_mlx8lv1W9C1rf9x2po1_500.jpg

 

[eya]

This picture is from October 31, 1994 in Jerusalem. Going there to received the award virtuous of nations that had been awarded to their mother Prince Alice because hidden at home in Athens during the war a jewish family!

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Princess Margarita was a sponsor at Princess Anne's christening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkffa--rQZU

 

[Curryong]

I dont know about favourite but he was reportedly very close to Cecilie, who was killed in 1937 in a terrible aircrash along with most of her family. Even as a boy Philip never spoke emotionally about his family's tragedies but he did once show a school friend a piece of the plane he had kept in which she had died. I think it was just a sliver of wood. Later in life he would visit his sister Sophie and her family on a regular basis and would take his children sometimes.

 

[duke of poliganc]

i think sophie was the closest sister to prince philip .

 

[miss whirley]

I always liked that Sophie was nicknamed 'Tiny' even though she was the tallest sister. haha

 

[Countessmeout]

Considering the age difference and by 7 he was at school in the UK and living with his grandmother (and Uncles) he wasn't likely close to any. But Sophie and Cecile are closest in age (7 and 10 older) so likely closest. No surprise he is very close to the Mountbattan cousins He and David (his father George was Philip's guardian) were 2 years apart. He went to naval college with Philip and was his best man. Sisterly he likely closer to Louis' daughters. Unfortunately due to his mother's hospitalization and dad's estrangement, Philip was basically raised a Mountbatten, and that bond reflects later in his and his kids' lives. Iver (David's son) is Louise's godfather and of Charles/Louis/Knatchbulls is well known.

He did spend 2 terms at school in Germany thanks to his BIl Berthold (Theodora's husband) but with the rise of Naziism he moved back, the head of his German school founded Gordonstoun. Not sure if he would have seen her at all while in Germany. Berthold was one of 2 Nazi BILs.

 

[Curryong]

All Prince Philip's sisters and brothers in law were members of the Nazi Party by the later 1930's. It was expected of prominent members of German society, and there were disadvantages in not being members. However, I think that Sophie's husband Christoph was a far keener Nazi than the others. Berthold Baden after all came from a liberal family.

According to the book 'Young Prince Philip' by Philip Eade Prince Philip spent most of his holidays until war loomed, in Germany, both with his grandmother Victoria in visiting the Hesses at Wolfsgarten, where there were large family holidays, also at Salem where Berthold taught Philip how to fish, as well as regular visits to his other sisters.

He did spend shorter holidays with the Louis Mountbattens at Ashdean, their country home, but Edwina was often away travelling and Dickie Mountbatten didn't really become mentor to Philip until after his brother George's death. They became closer and saw more of each other in 1939 and occasionally during the war.

 

[maria-olivia]

Were they allowed to attend Queen Elisabeth II's Coronation ?

 

[duke of poliganc]

Were they allowed to attend Queen Elisabeth II's Coronation ?

all his living sisters and their spouses attended the coronation but not the wedding
this is the list of his sisters and their families who attended the coronation :
Margrave Berthold and Margravine Theodora of Baden
Hereditary Prince Maximilian of Baden
Prince Gottfried and Princess Margarita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Prince and Princess George William of Hanover
Princess Christina Margarethe of Hesse
Princess Dorothea of Hesse .

 

[Curryong]

One thing I've always wondered about is, what are Prince Philip's memories of Prince Andrea, his father? Prince Philip didn't seem to see much of his father in the years of his youth, before the war and after his mother was institutionalised in a clinic. That event really signalled the break-up of the family as Philip's sisters married and Prince Andrew went off to Monaco, where he lived from then on.

Andrea would sometimes turn up at the family holidays at Wolfgarten and there were family weddings, christenings, of course, but, although he was consulted about Philip's upbringing, education and so-forth, he abdicated much of the responsibility to George Milford Haven and his daughters.

Biographies of Philip don't go into his relationship with his father much at all. There's a throwaway anecdote I read somewhere of him visiting Andrea's longterm live-in lover just after the war (his father was then dead, of course) and him getting on well with her. However, biographers seem to have concentrated more on Philip's relationship with his mother, Alice. Andrea/Andrew seems in many ways to be the forgotten parent in Philip's story.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Prince Philip spent the Christmas holidays of 1934-1935 in Germany. He stayed with his sister Princess Sophie and her husband, Prince Christoph of Hesse.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark also used to visit the annual Windsor Horse Show every May.

https://goo.gl/images/P4v2xg

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Before their weddings, were any of Prince Philip's sisters considered as a possible wife for any non-German Royals? Was there a specific reason they all married German Royals?