76-698: Coworth House , currently known as Coworth Park Hotel , is a late 18th-century country house situated at Sunningdale , near Ascot , in the English county of Berkshire . It is one of the ten hotels operated by the Dorchester Collection , a group of luxury hotels in Europe and the United States owned by the Brunei Investment Agency . In 2008, its interiors were rebuilt to facilitate the house's new use as
152-510: A decision over the Parliament Bill. Despite her personal views, Alexandra supported her son's reluctant agreement to Prime Minister H. H. Asquith 's request to create sufficient Liberal peers after a general election if the Lords continued to block the legislation. From Edward's death, Alexandra was queen mother , being a dowager queen and the mother of the reigning monarch. She did not attend
228-737: A few days before the scheduled coronation in June 1902, the King became seriously ill with appendicitis . Alexandra deputised for him at a military parade and attended the Royal Ascot races without him, in an attempt to prevent public alarm. Eventually, the coronation had to be postponed and Edward had an operation performed by Frederick Treves of the London Hospital to drain the infected appendix. After his recovery, Alexandra and Edward were crowned together in August:
304-517: A hotel. Coworth Park opened as a luxury resort in September 2010. It also includes an eco-spa and is the only hotel in the United Kingdom that has its own polo grounds. Coworth House dates in its oldest form from 1776. It takes its name from the surrounding hamlet of Coworth, which until a reorganisation in 1894, lay in the parish and manor of Old Windsor . The land that Coworth Park now stands on
380-532: A memorandum, distributed to senior British ministers and military personnel, warning against the planned exchange of the British North Sea island of Heligoland for the German colony of Zanzibar , pointing out Heligoland's strategic significance and that it could be used either by Germany to launch an attack, or by Britain to contain German aggression. Despite this, the exchange went ahead. The Germans fortified
456-452: A personal estate 's worn under £400,000. He gave Coworth House – then called Coworth Park – to his daughters, "for as long as more than two shall remain unmarried", then to his eldest son, William Arbuthnot (1833–1896) who at the time of his father's death was living on the estate with his family at Park Lodge. William Arbuthnot spent his formative years in India where in 1858 he married Adolphine,
532-748: A positive light, describing the crowds as "enthusiastic". As part of the same visit, she received a Doctorate in Music from Trinity College Dublin . Alexandra was deeply saddened by the death of her eldest son, Prince Albert Victor, in 1892. His room and possessions were kept exactly as he had left them, much as those of his grandfather Prince Albert were left after his death in 1861. Alexandra said, "I have buried my angel and with him my happiness." Surviving letters between Alexandra and her children indicate that they were mutually devoted. In 1894, her brother-in-law Alexander III of Russia died and her nephew Nicholas II of Russia became Tsar . Alexandra's widowed sister,
608-541: A previous lover. Alexandra shared a draughty attic bedroom with her sister, Dagmar , made her own clothes, and waited at table along with her sisters. Alexandra and Dagmar were given swimming lessons by the Swedish pioneer of women's swimming, Nancy Edberg . At Bernstorff, Alexandra grew into a young woman; she was taught English by the English chaplain at Copenhagen and was confirmed in Christiansborg Palace . She
684-525: A result, its former Surrey neighbourhoods merged with the rest in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead , in the Royal County of Berkshire (which became a non-administrative county in 1995). The area is popular with professional golfers due to its adjoining green buffers including Sunningdale Golf Club and Wentworth Golf Club . Charters is a Grade II- listed art deco mansion , built in 1938 for
760-732: A stiff leg. This came to be known as the "Alexandra limp". She used predominantly the London fashion houses; her favourite was Redfern's , but she shopped occasionally at Doucet and Fromont of Paris. Alexandra has been portrayed on television by Deborah Grant and Helen Ryan in Edward the Seventh , Ann Firbank in Lillie , Maggie Smith in All the King's Men , and Bibi Andersson in The Lost Prince . She
836-403: A wave of a hand or by claiming that she had not heard. Alexandra hid a small scar on her neck, which was probably the result of a childhood operation, by wearing choker necklaces and high necklines, setting fashions which were adopted for fifty years. Alexandra's effect on fashion was so profound that society ladies even copied her limping gait, after her serious illness in 1867 left her with
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#1733093228547912-732: A year later on 9 September 1862 (after his affair with Nellie Clifden and the death of his father Prince Albert), Albert Edward proposed to Alexandra at the Royal Castle of Laeken , the home of his great-uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium . A few months later, Alexandra travelled from Denmark to Britain aboard the royal yacht Victoria and Albert and arrived in Gravesend, Kent , on 7 March 1863. Sir Arthur Sullivan composed music for her arrival and Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson , wrote an ode in Alexandra's honour: Sea King's daughter from over
988-464: Is a village and a civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead . It takes up the extreme south-east corner of Berkshire , England and is adjoined by green buffers including Sunningdale Golf Club and Wentworth Golf Club . Its northern peripheral estates adjoin Virginia Water Lake . Sunningdale adjoins Surrey , and is east of Sunninghill from which it takes its name. It
1064-459: Is grown on the estate and allows Coworth Park to use carbon-neutral fuel. The spa at the hotel was built to have minimum impact on the environment and was constructed partially submerged in the ground with timber and lime-hemp walls. It also grows herbs on its green roof . Coworth Park has 4 restaurants. 51°24′16″N 0°37′01″W / 51.40444°N 0.61694°W / 51.40444; -0.61694 Sunningdale Sunningdale
1140-519: Is south of Virginia Water Lake . It is centred 23.2 miles (37.3 km) west south-west of Charing Cross , London . The nearest major towns are Bracknell , Camberley , Staines upon Thames and Woking . It is connected to two of these by the A30 old trunk road . Sunningdale railway station is on the Waterloo to Reading line . The present-day civil parish of Sunningdale came into existence in 1894 under
1216-537: The Boer War . During the Boer War, Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, later renamed Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps , was founded under Royal Warrant. Alexandra had little understanding of money. The management of her finances was left in the hands of her loyal comptroller , Sir Dighton Probyn VC , who undertook a similar role for her husband. In the words of her grandson, Edward VIII (later
1292-658: The First World War the custom of hanging the banners of foreign princes invested with Britain's highest order of knighthood, the Order of the Garter , in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle , came under criticism, as the German members of the Order were fighting against Britain. Alexandra joined calls to "have down those hateful German banners". Driven by public opinion, but against his own wishes,
1368-630: The Salic law prevented inheritance through the female line, whereas no such restrictions applied in Denmark. Holstein, being predominantly German, proclaimed independence and called in the aid of Prussia . In 1852, the major European powers called a conference in London to discuss the Danish succession. An uneasy peace was agreed, which included the provision that Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg would be Frederick's heir in all his dominions and
1444-543: The City of London. Farmer, who was Sheriff of London 1890–1891, and high sheriff of Berkshire in 1895, was Master of the Gardeners' Company in 1898. About 1899 he sold Coworth House to Edward George Villers Stanley (1865–1948), Lord Stanley, who in 1908 succeeded his father as 17th Earl of Derby . Coworth House continued with Lord Derby until his death in 1948. It then became the home of his widow, Alice Stanley, Countess of Derby ,
1520-820: The Coworth Park Hotel , this is a late 18th-century country house which was the home of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby , the early 20th-century Secretary of State for War and British Ambassador to France . The Sunningdale Agreement was signed at Sunningdale Park , at the Civil Service Staff College (now the National School of Government ) on 9 December 1973, a precursor of the Northern Ireland peace process . Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925)
1596-458: The Crown lessee , and was still appearing as such in records when Coworth House was constructed in 1776. The land was conveyed in 1770 by William Hatch and Elizabeth his wife, who were presumably Powney's agents or sub-tenants, to one William Shepheard. No records survive to confirm as much, but in all likelihood it was William Shepheard who six years later constructed the dwelling seen today. Shepheard
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#17330932285471672-579: The Dowager Empress of Russia, leant heavily on her for support; Alexandra, who had gone to Russia accompanied by her husband, the Prince of Wales, slept, prayed, and stayed beside her sister for the next two weeks until Alexander's burial. Alexandra and her husband stayed on for the wedding of Nicholas to their niece Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine , who had taken the Russian name Alexandra Feodorovna and became
1748-465: The Dowager Empress of Russia, purchased a villa north of Copenhagen, Hvidøre , as a private getaway. Alexandra was denied access to the King's briefing papers and excluded from some of his foreign tours to prevent her meddling in diplomatic matters. She was deeply distrustful of Germans, particularly her nephew German Emperor Wilhelm II , and she invariably opposed anything that favoured German expansion or interests. For example, in 1890 Alexandra wrote
1824-520: The Duke of Windsor), "Her generosity was a source of embarrassment to her financial advisers. Whenever she received a letter soliciting money, a cheque would be sent by the next post, regardless of the authenticity of the mendicant and without having the case investigated." Though she was not always extravagant (she had her old stockings darned for re-use and her old dresses were recycled as furniture covers), she would dismiss protests about her heavy spending with
1900-595: The Greeks. Alexandra spent the next three years largely parted from her two sons as the boys were sent on a worldwide cruise as part of their naval and general education. The farewell was very tearful and, as shown by her regular letters, she missed them terribly. In 1881, Alexandra and Albert Edward travelled to Saint Petersburg after the assassination of Alexander II of Russia , both to represent Britain and so that Alexandra could provide comfort to her sister, who had become tsarina . Alexandra undertook many public duties; in
1976-650: The King by the Archbishop of Canterbury , Frederick Temple , and the Queen by the Archbishop of York , William Dalrymple Maclagan . Despite being queen, Alexandra's duties changed little, and she kept many of the same retainers. Alexandra's Woman of the Bedchamber , Charlotte Knollys , the daughter of Sir William Knollys, served Alexandra loyally for many years. On 10 December 1903, Knollys woke to find her bedroom full of smoke. She roused Alexandra and shepherded her to safety. In
2052-433: The King had the banners removed; but to Alexandra's dismay, he had taken down not only "those vile Prussian banners" but also those of her Hessian relations who were, in her opinion, "simply soldiers or vassals under that brutal German Emperor's orders". On 17 September 1916, she was at Sandringham during a Zeppelin air raid, but far worse was to befall other members of her family. In Russia, her nephew Tsar Nicholas II
2128-579: The Prince of Wales refused to speak to or see him. Alexandra spent the spring of 1877 in Greece recuperating from a period of ill health and visiting her brother King George of Greece. During the Russo-Turkish War , Alexandra was clearly partial against Turkey and towards Russia, where her sister was married to the Tsarevitch, and she lobbied for a revision of the border between Greece and Turkey in favour of
2204-446: The Queen to be present at their births. During the birth of her third child in 1867, the added complication of a bout of rheumatic fever threatened Alexandra's life and left her with a permanent limp. In public, Alexandra was dignified and charming; in private, affectionate and jolly. She enjoyed many social activities, including dancing and ice-skating, and was an expert horsewoman and tandem driver . She also enjoyed hunting , to
2280-621: The age of sixteen, Alexandra was chosen as the future wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the son and heir apparent of Queen Victoria . The couple married eighteen months later in 1863, the year in which her father became king of Denmark as Christian IX and her brother William was appointed king of Greece as George I . Alexandra was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has ever held that title, and became generally popular; her style of dress and bearing were copied by fashion-conscious women. Largely excluded from wielding any political power, she unsuccessfully attempted to sway
2356-775: The aid of two walking sticks, and was already pregnant with her fourth child. The royal couple undertook a six-month tour taking in Austria , Egypt and Greece over 1868 and 1869, which included visits to her brother George I of Greece , to the Crimean battlefields and, for her only, to the harem of the Khedive Ismail . In Turkey she became the first woman to sit down to dinner with the Sultan ( Abdulaziz ). The Waleses made Sandringham House their preferred residence, with Marlborough House their London base. Biographers agree that their marriage
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2432-583: The area of Denmark by two-fifths. To the great irritation of Queen Victoria and the Crown Princess of Prussia, Alexandra and Albert Edward supported the Danish side in the war. The Prussian conquest of former Danish lands heightened Alexandra's profound dislike of the Germans, a feeling which stayed with her for the rest of her life. Alexandra's first child, Albert Victor , was born two months premature in early 1864. Alexandra showed devotion to her children: "She
2508-489: The birth of a son in April 1871, but the infant died the next day. Despite Alexandra's pleas for privacy, Queen Victoria insisted on announcing a period of court mourning, which led unsympathetic elements of the press to describe the birth as "a wretched abortion" and the funeral arrangements as "sickening mummery", even though the infant was not buried in state with other members of the royal family at Windsor, but in strict privacy in
2584-406: The churchyard at Sandringham, where he had lived out his brief life. For eight months over 1875–76, the Prince of Wales was absent from Britain on a tour of India, but to her dismay Alexandra was left behind. The prince had planned an all-male group and intended to spend much of the time hunting and shooting. During the prince's tour, one of his friends who was travelling with him, Lord Aylesford ,
2660-402: The coronation of her son and daughter-in-law in 1911 since it was not customary for a crowned queen to attend the coronation of another king or queen, but otherwise continued the public side of her life, devoting time to her charitable causes. One such cause was Alexandra Rose Day , where artificial roses made by people with disabilities were sold in aid of hospitals by women volunteers. During
2736-460: The dismay of Queen Victoria, who asked her to stop, but without success. Even after the birth of her first child, she continued to socialise much as before, which led to some friction between the Queen and the young couple, exacerbated by Alexandra's loathing of Prussians and the Queen's partiality towards them. Albert Edward and Alexandra visited Ireland in April 1868. After her illness the previous year, she had only just begun to walk again without
2812-605: The divorce was to proceed they would subpoena her husband as a witness and implicate him in the scandal. Distressed at their threats, and following the advice of Sir William Knollys and the Duchess of Teck , Alexandra informed the Queen, who then wrote to the Prince of Wales. The prince was incensed. Eventually, the Blandfords and the Aylesfords both separated privately. Although Lord Randolph Churchill later apologised, for years afterwards
2888-438: The end of the following year, Alexandra's father had acceded to the throne of Denmark, her brother William had become King George I of Greece , her sister Dagmar was engaged to Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia , and Alexandra had given birth to her first child. Her father's accession gave rise to further conflict over the fate of Schleswig-Holstein . The German Confederation successfully invaded Denmark, reducing
2964-819: The existence of any serious rift. Nevertheless, the prince was severely criticised from many quarters of society for his apparent lack of interest in her very serious illness with rheumatic fever . Throughout their marriage Albert Edward continued to keep company with other women, including the actress Lillie Langtry , Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick , humanitarian Agnes Keyser , and society matron Alice Keppel . Alexandra knew about most of these relationships and later permitted Alice Keppel to visit her husband as he lay dying. Alexandra herself remained faithful throughout her marriage. An increasing degree of deafness, caused by hereditary otosclerosis , led to Alexandra's social isolation; she spent more time at home with her children and pets. Her sixth and final pregnancy ended with
3040-595: The family of his nephew and son-in-law, John Alves Arbuthnot (1802–1875), a director of the London Assurance Company and of the London and Colonial Bank. John Alves Arbuthnot was a son of Sir William Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet . He married his cousin, Mary (1812–1859), with whom he had eleven children. He was the founding partner of the firm of Messrs, Arbuthnot Latham & Co. and was high sheriff of Berkshire in 1873. He inherited Coworth House from his uncle and died there 20 August 1875 aged seventy-three, leaving
3116-718: The first queen consort to visit the British House of Commons during a debate. In a remarkable departure from precedent, for two hours she sat in the Ladies' Gallery overlooking the chamber while the Parliament Bill , to remove the right of the House of Lords to veto legislation, was debated. Privately, Alexandra disagreed with the bill. Shortly afterwards, she left to visit her brother George in Corfu . While there, she received news that King Edward
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3192-446: The industrialist Frank Parkinson by the architects Adie, Button and Partners . It was built on the site of an earlier country house built in the late 1860s by William Terrick Hamilton. Parkinson's guests included Winston Churchill and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor . In 1949, the house was bought by Sir Montague Burton . It later became a corporate headquarters and has since been redeveloped as an apartment complex and spa . Now
3268-490: The island and, in the words of Robert Ensor and as Alexandra had predicted, it "became the keystone of Germany's maritime position for offence as well as for defence". The Frankfurter Zeitung was outspoken in its condemnation of Alexandra and her sister, the Dowager Empress, saying that the pair were "the centre of the international anti-German conspiracy". Alexandra despised and distrusted Emperor Wilhelm, calling him "inwardly our enemy" in 1900. In 1910, Alexandra became
3344-546: The new tsarina. With the death of her mother-in-law , Queen Victoria, in 1901, Alexandra became queen-empress with her husband's accession as Edward VII. Just two months later, her son George and daughter-in-law Mary left on an extensive tour of the empire, leaving their young children in the care of Alexandra and Edward, who doted on their grandchildren. On George's return, preparations for Edward and Alexandra's coronation in Westminster Abbey were well in hand, but just
3420-427: The opinion of British ministers and her husband's family to favour Greek and Danish interests. Her public duties were restricted to uncontroversial involvement in charitable work. On the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Albert Edward became King-Emperor as Edward VII, with Alexandra as queen-empress. She became queen mother on Edward VII's death in 1910, at which point their son George V acceded to
3496-527: The prior claims of others (who included Christian's own mother-in-law , brother-in-law and wife) were surrendered. Prince Christian was given the title Prince of Denmark and his family moved into a new official residence, Bernstorff Palace . Although the family's status had risen, there was little or no increase in their income; and they did not participate in court life at Copenhagen, for they refused to meet Frederick's third wife and former mistress, Louise Rasmussen , because she had an illegitimate child by
3572-483: The property's first polo field. Coworth Park was purchased by the Dorchester Collection , owned by the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), in 2001. Dorchester closed the establishment in 2008 for several years to refurbish the original Coworth House and surrounding buildings, and create a five-star resort. Coworth Park reopened and began operating on 25 September 2010. The official launch was held in April 2011 and
3648-640: The provisions of the Local Government Act 1894 ; the village had previously been part of Old Windsor . It was, until 1995, partly in Berkshire and partly in Surrey . The Surrey area of the village, known as Broomhall, was also split between the boroughs of Surrey Heath and Runnymede . This original arrangement caused problems and was resolved after much consultation locally between the two county councils , three borough councils and four parish councils. As
3724-467: The sea, Alexandra! Saxon and Norman and Dane are we, But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee, Alexandra! Thomas Longley , the Archbishop of Canterbury , married the couple on 10 March 1863 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle . The choice of venue was criticised. As the ceremony took place outside London, the press complained that large public crowds would not be able to view the spectacle. Prospective guests thought it awkward to get to and, as
3800-537: The second daughter of Edward Lecot, the French Consul at Madras. Adolphine died in the year of her marriage. Seven years later, William married (Margaret) Rosa, the eldest daughter of John Campbell of Kilberry, Argyll, with whom he had three daughters, Mary, Alice and Rosa, but no son. In 1883, William Arbuthnot sold Coworth House to William [afterwards Sir William] Farmer (1832–1908), chairman of Messrs. Farmer & Co. Ltd., Australia merchants, of No 48 Aldermanbury in
3876-761: The throne. Alexandra died aged 80 in 1925. Princess Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia, or "Alix", as her immediate family knew her, was born at the Yellow Palace , an 18th-century town house at 18 Amaliegade , immediately adjacent to the Amalienborg Palace complex in Copenhagen . Her father was Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and her mother was Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel . She had five siblings: Frederick , William (later George I of Greece), Dagmar (later Empress of Russia), Thyra and Valdemar . Her father's family
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#17330932285473952-528: The venue was small, some people who had expected invitations were disappointed. The Danes were dismayed because only Alexandra's closest relations were invited. The British court was still in mourning for Prince Albert, so ladies were restricted to wearing grey, lilac, or mauve. As the couple left Windsor for their honeymoon at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight , they were cheered by the schoolboys of neighbouring Eton College , including Lord Randolph Churchill . By
4028-454: The words of Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , "We must give credit to old Charlotte for really saving [Alexandra's] life." Alexandra again looked after her grandchildren when George and Mary went on a second tour, this time to British India , over the winter of 1905–06. Her father, Christian IX of Denmark, died that January. Eager to retain their family links, both to each other and to Denmark, in 1907 Alexandra and her sister,
4104-400: The words of Queen Victoria, "to spare me the strain and fatigue of functions. She opens bazaars, attends concerts, visits hospitals in my place ... she not only never complains, but endeavours to prove that she has enjoyed what to another would be a tiresome duty." She took a particular interest in the London Hospital , visiting it regularly. Joseph Merrick , the so-called "Elephant Man",
4180-476: The youngest daughter of the 7th Duke of Manchester , and a lady-in-waiting to her friend, Alexandra of Denmark . Lady Derby died there 24 July 1957, aged ninety-four. A month later her former home was advertised for sale in The Times ; and at this or a subsequent date was converted to use as a Roman Catholic convent school. The entrepreneur Harold Bamberg converted the house to multi-occupation use as offices. Bamberg
4256-538: Was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions , and Empress of India , from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of Edward VII . Alexandra's family had been relatively obscure until 1852, when her father, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg , was chosen with the consent of the major European powers to succeed his second cousin Frederick VII as King of Denmark . At
4332-412: Was a director of the travel agency Sir Henry Simpson Lunn Limited (later to become Lunn Poly travel, then part of Thomson Holidays ) and chairman of British Eagle Airways. During the 1970s James and Veronica Welch trained thoroughbred racehorses from the rented Victorian stables. In the mid-1980s, Coworth Park was acquired by Galen Weston , owner of Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason, who developed
4408-406: Was a distant cadet branch of the Danish royal House of Oldenburg , which was descended from King Christian III . Although they were of royal blood, the family lived a comparatively modest life. They did not possess great wealth; her father's income from an army commission was about £ 800 per year, and their house was a rent-free grace and favour property. Occasionally, Hans Christian Andersen
4484-490: Was a prosperous East India merchant with offices in London. He was the first of two men associated with British India to own the property. When Shepheard died about 1810, Coworth House passed to his son, also called William, whose executors sold it before 1836 to George Arbuthnot (1772–1843), a Scottish colonel who served in Madras. The 1841 census finds Arbuthnot sharing the house, perhaps as two distinct entities perhaps not, with
4560-447: Was attended by Prince Azim of Brunei. Coworth Park is a luxury countryside resort. The property consists of several buildings, including the original Coworth House, built in 1776. Nearby stables and cottages were converted into rooms and suites for a total of 70 rooms. The property spans over 240 acres and includes facilities such as a spa, polo and equestrian grounds, stables for 30 horses, heated pool, and helicopter pad. Coworth Park
4636-430: Was built in a Georgian architectural style featuring high ceilings, grand proportions and original period windows. The hotel incorporates a contemporary design with mostly British-made sculptures and art throughout the rooms. The hotel was also the first UK hotel of its kind to incorporate sustainable measures, such as a biomass boiler within an underground energy centre that is fueled from burning willow trees. The willow
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#17330932285474712-402: Was described by gossips as having her face "enamelled". She made no more trips abroad, and her health worsened. In 1920, a blood vessel in her eye burst, leaving her with temporary partial blindness. Towards the end of her life, her memory and speech became impaired. She died on 20 November 1925 at Sandringham House from a heart attack. Queen Alexandra lay in state at Westminster Abbey and
4788-524: Was devout throughout her life, and followed high church practice. Given that Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales , would reach the age of twenty in November 1861, his parents Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert , were taking steps to find a bride for him. They enlisted the aid of their eldest (and already-married) daughter, Crown Princess Victoria of Prussia , in seeking a suitable candidate. Alexandra
4864-647: Was granted in 1066 by the saintly Edward the Confessor to Westminster Abbey . William the Conqueror regained possession of it from the Abbey in exchange for lands in Essex . Theoretically, the manor of Old Windsor still remains with the Crown. In 1606 it was leased by James I to Richard Powney, whose great-grandson, Penyston Powney, was administering it in 1737. After his death in 1757, his son and heir, Penyston Porlock Powney, became
4940-470: Was in her glory when she could run up to the nursery, put on a flannel apron, wash the children herself and see them asleep in their little beds." Albert Edward and Alexandra had six children in total: Albert Victor, George, Louise , Victoria , Maud , and Alexander . All of Alexandra's children were apparently born prematurely; biographer Richard Hough thought Alexandra deliberately misled Queen Victoria as to her probable delivery dates, as she did not want
5016-453: Was in many ways a happy one; however, some have asserted that Albert Edward did not give his wife as much attention as she would have liked and that they gradually became estranged, until his attack of typhoid fever (the disease which was believed to have killed his father) in late 1871 brought about a reconciliation. This is disputed by others, who point out Alexandra's frequent pregnancies throughout this period and use family letters to deny
5092-477: Was interred on 28 November next to her husband in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle . The Queen Alexandra Memorial by Alfred Gilbert was unveiled on Alexandra Rose Day 8 June 1932 at Marlborough Gate, London. An ode in her memory, "So many true princesses who have gone" , composed by the then Master of the King's Musick Sir Edward Elgar to words by the Poet Laureate John Masefield ,
5168-425: Was invited to call and tell the children stories before bedtime. In 1848, Christian VIII of Denmark died and his only son Frederick acceded to the throne. Frederick was childless, had been through two unsuccessful marriages, and was assumed to be infertile. A succession crisis arose because Frederick ruled in both Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein , and the succession rules of each territory differed. In Holstein ,
5244-435: Was named after her, after a patent letter was granted by the King, her husband Edward VII. British She was the first woman since 1488 to be made a Lady of the Garter . Foreign Queen Alexandra's arms upon the accession of her husband in 1901 were the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom impaled with the arms of her father, the King of Denmark. The shield is surmounted by the imperial crown, and supported by
5320-625: Was not their first choice because the Danes were at loggerheads with the Prussians over the Schleswig-Holstein Question , and most of the British royal family 's relations were German. Eventually, after rejecting other possibilities, they settled on her as "the only one to be chosen". On 24 September 1861, Crown Princess Victoria introduced her brother Albert Edward to Alexandra at Speyer . Almost
5396-430: Was one of the patients whom she met. Crowds usually cheered Alexandra rapturously, but during a visit to Ireland in 1885, she suffered a rare moment of public hostility when visiting the City of Cork , a hotbed of Irish nationalism . She and her husband were booed by a crowd of two to three thousand people brandishing sticks and black flags. She smiled her way through the ordeal, which the British press still portrayed in
5472-431: Was overthrown and he, his wife and their children were killed by revolutionaries . Alexandra's sister, the Dowager Empress, was rescued from Russia in 1919 by HMS Marlborough and brought to England, where she lived for some time with Alexandra. Alexandra retained a youthful appearance into her senior years, but during the war her age caught up with her. She took to wearing elaborate veils and heavy makeup, which
5548-541: Was portrayed in film by Helen Ryan again in the 1980 film The Elephant Man , Sara Stewart in the 1997 film Mrs Brown , and Julia Blake in the 1999 film Passion . In a 1980 stage play by Royce Ryton , Motherdear , she was portrayed by Margaret Lockwood in her last acting role. Also, in 1907, the Royal Alexandra Theatre was built in Toronto , Canada , as North America's first royal theatre. The venue
5624-502: Was seriously ill. Alexandra returned at once and arrived only the day before her husband died . In his last hours, she personally administered oxygen from a gas cylinder to help him breathe. She told Frederick Ponsonby , "I feel as if I had been turned into stone, unable to cry, unable to grasp the meaning of it all." Later that year she moved out of Buckingham Palace to Marlborough House , but she retained possession of Sandringham. The new king, Alexandra's son George V, soon faced
5700-520: Was sung at the unveiling and conducted by the composer. Alexandra was highly popular with the British public. Unlike her husband and mother-in-law, Alexandra was not castigated by the press. Funds that she helped to collect were used to buy a river launch, called Alexandra , to ferry the wounded during the Sudan campaign , and to fit out a hospital ship, named The Princess of Wales , to bring back wounded from
5776-585: Was told by his wife that she was going to leave him for another man, Lord Blandford , who was himself married. Aylesford was appalled and decided to seek a divorce. Meanwhile, Lord Blandford's brother, Lord Randolph Churchill , persuaded the lovers against an elopement. Now concerned by the threat of divorce, Lady Aylesford sought to dissuade her husband from proceeding, but Lord Aylesford was adamant and refused to reconsider. In an attempt to pressure Lord Aylesford to drop his divorce suit, Lady Aylesford and Lord Randolph Churchill called on Alexandra and told her that if
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