Leopoldina Victoria Beatrice Princess of Great Britain and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Date of Birth: 20.04.1884 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Leopoldina Victoria Beatrice
2. Meeting Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
3. Marriage to Infante Alfonso
4. Family Life
5. Later Years

Biography of Leopoldina Victoria Beatrice

Leopoldina Victoria Beatrice, a British and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha princess, was born on April 20, 1884, in Eastwell Park, Kent County. She was the youngest daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, later ruling Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. Due to her father's role as Commander-in-Chief of the British Mediterranean Fleet, Beatrice and her family spent a significant amount of time abroad, particularly in Malta. She was affectionately called Bea by her loved ones.

Meeting Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich

In 1902, Beatrice met Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, brother of Tsar Nicholas II and the heir to the Russian throne at the time (Tsarevich Alexei was born in 1904). The young couple developed feelings for each other but were forced to part ways as Orthodox tradition prohibited marriage between first cousins.

Marriage to Infante Alfonso

Rumors soon circulated that Beatrice might marry King Alfonso XIII of Spain, but in reality, it was her cousin, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, who married the Spanish monarch. It was at their wedding that Beatrice met her future husband, Infante Alfonso, 3rd Duke of Galliera. Their relationship was looked upon unfavorably in Madrid as the Infante was the potential heir to Alfonso XIII, and Beatrice would have had to renounce her Lutheran faith in favor of Catholicism. The couple had to leave Spain and settled in Coburg, where they got married in 1909 (with two ceremonies).

Family Life

Beatrice and Alfonso had three sons: Alvaro, Alonso, and Ataúlfo. In 1912, Alfonso XIII allowed the couple to return to Spain, and they settled in Madrid. It was during this time that rumors of a connection between Beatrice and Alfonso circulated. Whether the connection was real or not remains unknown, but the gossip reached the ears of Queen Mother Maria Christina, who asked Beatrice to leave Spain. The Duke and Duchess of Galliera had to return to England. After a few years, they were finally allowed to return to Spain, and the couple decided to settle in Alfonso's family estates in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Later Years

The 1930s were a difficult period for the Spanish monarchy. The overthrow of Alfonso XIII and the proclamation of the Spanish Republic forced Beatrice and her husband to flee to England once again. In 1936, they tragically lost their middle son Alfonso, who died in the Spanish Civil War. After the war, Beatrice returned to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where she passed away on July 13, 1966. Her husband survived her and died in 1975. Their youngest son passed away without leaving any descendants, and Beatrice's grandchildren came only from her son Alvaro.