Princess Alexandra Of Saxe-Coburg And Gotha

Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria) was born on 1 September 1878 and died on 16 April 1942. She was the princess consort of Hohenlohe-Langenburg from 1913 until her death. Her full name was Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria. She was the daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. She was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

Born at Rosenau Castle in Coburg during a family visit, Alexandra's birth occurred on 1 September 1878. Her father was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Her mother was Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, the only surviving daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. She was baptized on 2 October 1878 at Edinburgh Palace in Coburg. Her godparents included her maternal uncle, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia.

During her early years, Alexandra spent time in England, living at Eastwell Park and later at Clarence House. Her father, serving in the navy, was often absent, and her mother was the more dominant parental figure. Alexandra had four siblings: Alfred, Marie, Victoria Melita, and Beatrice. She was typically overshadowed by her elder sisters Marie and Victoria Melita, who were considered more attractive and outgoing.

The family moved to Malta in 1886 when her father was appointed commander of the Mediterranean Fleet. They resided in San Anton Palace, where her education was overseen initially by a French governess, later replaced by a German teacher. Alexandra and her sisters enjoyed activities such as painting, music, theatre visits, ice skating, and winter parties.

Her marriage was arranged by her mother. In 1895, her engagement was announced to Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the son of Prince Hermann of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden. They married on 20 April 1896 at Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg. At the time, Alexandra was 17 years old, and her marriage was met with some disapproval by her grandmother Queen Victoria and her father due to the disparity in rank.

Alexandra and Ernst had five children: Prince Gottfried (born 1897), Princess Marie Melita (born 1899), Princess Alexandra Beatrice Leopoldine (born 1901), Princess Irma Helene (born 1902), and Prince Alfred Christian (born and died in April 1911). Their oldest son, Gottfried, married Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, and their daughter, Marie Melita, married Wilhelm Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.

After her marriage, Alexandra resided mainly in Germany. Her father died in 1900, and her cousin Prince Karl Eduard ruled under her husband's regency until 1905. During World War I, she worked as a Red Cross nurse. Following the November Revolution in 1918, the German monarchy was abolished, and her titles became purely nominal.

Her mother died in 1920. Alexandra's son Gottfried married Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark in 1931. She became an early supporter of the Nazi Party, joining on 1 May 1937, and remained a member until her death in 1942 at Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg.

Her personal papers, including correspondence and photographs, are stored in the Hohenlohe-Langenburg family archive at Neuenstein Castle in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.