General Chat

I think Louise has had the op now, Sharron.

Just checked and she had an op aged 2 which didn't work hence the family were worried about further surgery in case it didn't work too. However before last Christmas reporters noticed her eyes were better and she can now see normally for the first time. Lady Louise is 10 years old, her parents declined for the children to be Princess and Prince so they are Lord and Lady.

I am pleased that the surgery seems to have worked well so the poor girl can see better and will be confident in her looks.

Lizx

For somebody who asked.

yes she was a bridesmaid. she does have some problem with her eyes. not many pictures of her are available, i wonder why.

His daughter was a bridesmaid at the last Royal Wedding.

She has something that makes one of her eyes point a different way. I think it was reported in the paper once that they had opted to not have it operated on for some reason I can't remembe.

i have seen this before but watched again. the lost prince is worth watching if thats ever put on again. the royals have allways hid away family members with health issuses. have heard theres something wrong with prince edwards children. dont know how true it is, but they seem to be kept out of the limelight, dont think they have been given a titel.

Found this on my set-top box last night.I forgot I had recorded it.

nudge

This has been shown again.

I just wondered if anybody else caught it second time around.

Fidget

Thanks for that. Come to think, a lot of US citizens were born in East Anglia and a lot of Brits were born in Germany - so football teams could look very different in future.

I must look at the old royal albums again because there were and are close ties with these German nieces and nephews. The youngest of the 4 sisters was Princess Sophie (1914-2000). I think she was godmother of Prince Edward and she visited the Queen and Prince Philip regularly till her death 12 years ago. A very handsome lady, she looked a lot like Philip. And she had loads of children (9, I think) - most of whom are alive today.

Cecilie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse (the third of the 4 daughters of Princess Alice and Prince Andrew of Greece) had 3 children and was 8 months pregnant and flying to Britain in 1937. She and her husband had joined the Nazi Party 6 months earlier.

Plane hit a factory chimney near Ostend and all were killed. Two of her three children, her husband, herself and her baby was stillborn. Her one remaining child was adopted within the family but died of meningitis a couple of months before start of WW2.

If you think this is the stuff of novels, Jeffrey Archer seems to have beaten us to it. Apparently, this disaster is the the subject of his book "Matter of Honour"

Hi John, as someone with English, Irish, Welsh and Scotish roots, but born in Germany, (I really was).
I could play for anyone too. Except that I am usless at all spotrs.
Love watching, and shouting at football matches, athletics etc. but useless at playing!

It's a family joke that Germany's Angela Merkle (spl?) was named after my sister!

Elizabeth,
Thanks for that info. What a shame Princess Andrew (aka Alice) wasn't able to be there. I hope that her daughter Margarita, made a personal appearance.


Tess

Hi John, as someone with English, Irish, Welsh and Scotish roots, but born in Germany, (I really was).
I could play for anyone too. Except that I am usless at all spotrs.
Love watching, and shouting at football matches, athletics etc. but useless at playing!

It's a family joke that Germany's Angela Merkle (spl?) was named after my sister!


Thanks for that info. What a shame Princess Andrew (aka Alice) wasn't able to be there. I hope that her daughte rMargarita, made a personal appearance.


Tess

I found those finds really fascinating. I think the Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone was the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria.

Tess. The reason I said it was difficult was because of the war. You remember those Germans in Fawlty Towers - don't mention the war.

I think our Royal Family have been very keen to promote their English and Scottish roots. And ties with Europe in various ways. Spain, Netherlands and Norway in particular. And I remember reading that at one time they had a French-only rule in the royal household for one day a week. If you didn't ask for something in French that day, you didn't get it. Confirmation please?

But German connections have been played down. The connections between Edward VIII and Germany have been suppressed. But I could not see Princess Alice (Princess Andrew) and Prince Philip not keeping in touch with these 3 girls and their husbands and their children (and the husband and 3 children of the tragic Cecilie).

I hope it is a very interesting story to be told now that we are almost friends with Germany again. Just need to stop Ian Hislop from impersonating the German Ambassador first.

There are so many jokes about the Royal Family being German. Yet where were our monarchs from as far back as Quen Victoria born? Where was the mother of the Queen born. Prince Philip was born on the island of Corfu, but his mother Princess Alice was born in England.

They could all play for England or Scotland football team (Prince Philip because his mother was born in England). How many of them would qualify to play for Germany possibly only Philip. They are probably a lot more British than most members of the National Front

I've been googling too!
It was Princess Alice Countess of Athlone (who was the paternal aunt) who stood proxy godparent for Princess Alice (Andrew) - Princess Andrew was Anne's grandmother.

Have been Googling. Found that Princess Ann. The Princess Royal born 1950 had Princes Alice (her paternal Aunt) and Princess Margarita, (eldest daughter of Princess Alice and Prince Andrew, first cousin of Ann) as God Mothers.

So the Alice was in contact with her daughter at that time, as were "our" Royal Family.

Thanks for all that info. John.

I watched the program so saw the pictures of Cec.lie funeral.
Couldn't help but notice the men in Nazi uniform (Prince Philip's brothers-in-law, and Princess Alice's sons-in-law)
I wondered how they all got on in WW11.

Would be interested in what happened to Margarita, Theodora, Sophie and their children too.

You say that these sisters cannot be talked about. Can you tell us, why? and who says so?
Not trying to be rude, so hope it doesn't come over that way.

I really would like to know.


Tess

First interred here and then in 1988 her remains were interred at Church of Maria Magdalene, Gethsemane.

Further to Princess Alice of Battenberg (Princess Andrew) being a hero in Israel, was she not buried in Israel?

And it would be interesting to know what relationship she had after the war with her 3 surviving daughters (who all married Germans) and the 3 children of her daughter Cecilie who died in 1937. WW2 really split her family asunder.

Glad to help, Brummie46.

Princess Alice (later Princess Andrew of Greece) was eldest of 4 children:
Mother Princess Victoria of Hesse
Siblings (in order of birth):
Queen Louise of Sweden
George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma

Queen Louise of Sweden had no issue.
George Mountbatten had a son and daughter:
Lady Tatiana Elizabeth Mountbatten (Edinburgh, 16 December 1917 – Northampton, 15 May 1988)
David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven (12 May 1919 – 14 April 1970)
Louis Mountbatten had two daughters, who both appeared in the programme:
Patricia Mountbatten, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma (born on 14 February 1924), sometime lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II, and
Lady Pamela Carmen Louise (Hicks) (born on 19 April 1929).

So Lady Tatiana Mountbatten, David Mountbatten, Patricia Mountbatten and Pamela Mountbatten were the only first cousins of Prince Philip. He had 4 sisters, one of whom (Cecilie) died tragically just before the war.

Margarita, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Theodora, Margravine of Baden
Cecilie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse
Princess Sophie

Philip was at the funeral of Cecilie in the programme, and she was pregnant at time of death with her fourth child. These sisters cannot still be talked about, but they were lovely. And I wonder if Prince Philip attended their funerals also. And if the Royal Family keep in touch with their families? Perhaps still too soon?

thanks John, thanks for that info.
Didnt realise that they were brother and sister, was trying to ascertain if they were inlaws.

Princess Alice of Battenberg is remembered in Israel on the Yad Vashen (hope that's right) memorial for Holocaust victims. She is one of those who are "righteous among the nations". Non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews.

Also on list are Oskar Schindler, Jacques Chirac, Queen Elisabeth of teh Belgians, Zoltan Bay and Major Frank Foley. And others from several countries. What a great honour!!!!