Princess Victoria Melita Of Saxe-Coburg And Gotha

Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born on 25 November 1876 at San Anton Palace in Attard, Malta. Her father was Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, and her mother was Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. She was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Emperor Alexander II of Russia.

During her early years, Victoria Melita resided in Malta for three years while her father served in the Royal Navy. Following the completion of his service, the family moved to England, residing at Eastwell Park in Kent and Clarence House in London. In 1889, her family relocated to Coburg, where her father succeeded as reigning duke in 1893.

Victoria Melita was christened on 1 January 1877; her godparents included her paternal grandmother, Queen Victoria. She was styled as Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria of Edinburgh and was tenth in line to the British throne at her birth. She was known within her family by the nickname "Ducky." Her childhood temperament was described as shy, serious, and sensitive; she was talented in drawing, painting, and playing the piano. She shared a close bond with her sister Marie.

In her teenage years, Victoria Melita met her first cousin, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, during a visit to her maternal aunt. Despite their mutual attraction, her mother was hesitant to approve their marriage due to religious and familial considerations. Instead, Victoria married her paternal first cousin, Grand Duke Ernest Louis of Hesse, on 19 April 1894 in Coburg. The marriage produced one daughter, Princess Elisabeth, born on 11 March 1895. The marriage proved incompatible, and the couple divorced in 1901; their daughter Elisabeth died of typhoid fever in 1903.

Victoria Melita married Kirill Vladimirovich in 1905 without formal approval from the British or Russian authorities, leading to repercussions such as Kirill's loss of offices and honors from Emperor Nicholas II. They settled in Paris before moving to Russia in 1910, where Kirill was recognized as Grand Duke Victoria Feodorovna. Their daughters, Maria and Kira, were born in 1907 and 1909, respectively.

Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Victoria and Kirill fled to Finland, where she gave birth to their son Vladimir in August 1917. They later lived in Germany and Switzerland, dividing their time between Coburg and Nice, and eventually settled in Saint-Briac, Brittany, in the late 1920s. Kirill declared himself Emperor in exile in 1926, a claim Victoria supported.

Victoria Melita was involved in activities supporting the Russian monarchy-in-exile, including efforts to restore the throne, though with limited success. She was also engaged in charitable work during World War I, serving as a Red Cross nurse and organizing ambulance units. She remained dedicated to her family and her husband's claims until her death, which occurred on 2 March 1936 after suffering a stroke while visiting her daughter in Amorbach.

She was initially buried in Coburg but was reinterred in Saint Petersburg at the Peter and Paul Fortress in 1995. Her archives include letters preserved in the Hohenlohe Central Archive in Neuenstein, Germany. Her titles and honors included various orders from Britain, Hesse, Romania, Russia, and others.