Princess Frederica of Hanover
Encyclopedia
Princess Frederica of Hanover, (9 January 1848 – 16 October 1926) was a member of the House of Hanover
. After her marriage, she lived mostly in England, where she was a prominent member of Society.
, the elder daughter of the Hereditary Prince of Hanover (later King George V of Hanover
) and of his wife, Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg
. She held the title of Princess with the style Her Royal Highness in Hanover
. In the United Kingdom
, she held the title of Princess with the style Her Highness as a male-line great-granddaughter of King George III
.
In January 1866, the Prime Minister of Prussia Otto von Bismarck
began negotiations with Hanover, represented by Count Platen-Hallermund, regarding the possible marriage of Frederica to Prince Albrecht of Prussia
. These plans came to nothing as tensions grew between Hanover and Prussia final resulting in the Austro-Prussian War
.
In 1866, Frederica's father was deposed as King of Hanover. Eventually the family settled at Gmunden
in Austria
, where they owned Schloss Cumberland (named for the British Ducal title held by Frederica's father). Frederica visited England
with her family in May 1876, and again, after her father's death, in June 1878.
(with whom she later became lifelong friends and confidantes), and by Alexander, Prince of Orange
. Frederica, however, was in love with Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen (1843–1932), the son of a government official of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
. Alfons had served as an equerry to Frederica's father. Alfons was naturalised as a British subject on 19 March 1880 and, on 24 April 1880, he and Frederica were married. The wedding took place in Windsor Castle
presided by the Bishop of Oxford
. Alfons' sister Anna was married to Baron Oswald von Coburg, the son of an illegitimate son of Prince Ludwig Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (third son of Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld).
Alfred Tennyson
, the Poet Laureate
, wrote a quatrain in honour of Frederica's marriage, focusing on her relationship to her blind father, who had died two years before:
After their marriage Frederica and Alfons lived in an apartment at Hampton Court Palace
. The apartment was in the south-west wing of the west front of the palace in the suite formerly called the "Lady Housekeeper's Lodgings". Frederica and Alfons had one daughter who was born and died at Hampton Court Palace:
Frederica and Alfons were frequent guests at Windsor Castle
and at Osborne House
.
. She was also patron of the Training College for Teachers of the Deaf at Ealing
, of the Strolling Players' Amateur Orchestral Society, of the Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta
of the Home for Foreign Governesses, of the Mission to the French in London, and of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
. She was President of the Middlesex Branch of SSFA (Soldiers'& Sailors' Families Association.
in France
where they had previously vacationed. They owned Villa Mouriscot there.
Frederica died in 1926 at Biarritz. She was buried in the Royal Vault in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. In 1927 a window in her memory was unveiled in the English Church in Biarritz.
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. After her marriage, she lived mostly in England, where she was a prominent member of Society.
Early life
Frederica was born 9 January 1848 in HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, the elder daughter of the Hereditary Prince of Hanover (later King George V of Hanover
George V of Hanover
George V was King of Hanover, the only child of Ernest Augustus I, and a grandchild of King George III of the United Kingdom. In the peerage of Great Britain, he was 2nd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, 2nd Earl of Armagh...
) and of his wife, Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg
Marie of Saxe-Altenburg
Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg was Queen of Hanover and the consort of George V, a grandson of George III of the United Kingdom and Queen Charlotte.-Early life:Marie was born at Hildburghausen, as Princess Marie of...
. She held the title of Princess with the style Her Royal Highness in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, she held the title of Princess with the style Her Highness as a male-line great-granddaughter of King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
.
In January 1866, the Prime Minister of Prussia Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
began negotiations with Hanover, represented by Count Platen-Hallermund, regarding the possible marriage of Frederica to Prince Albrecht of Prussia
Prince Albrecht of Prussia
Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Albrecht of Prussia was a Prussian general field marshal and, from 1885, regent of the Duchy of Brunswick.-Biography:...
. These plans came to nothing as tensions grew between Hanover and Prussia final resulting in the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
.
In 1866, Frederica's father was deposed as King of Hanover. Eventually the family settled at Gmunden
Gmunden
Gmunden is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden. It has 13,202 inhabitants . It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of goat, lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydropathic establishment, inhalation chambers, whey cure, etc...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, where they owned Schloss Cumberland (named for the British Ducal title held by Frederica's father). Frederica visited England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with her family in May 1876, and again, after her father's death, in June 1878.
Marriage
Frederica was courted by her second cousin, Prince Leopold, Duke of AlbanyPrince Leopold, Duke of Albany
The Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was the eighth child and fourth son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow...
(with whom she later became lifelong friends and confidantes), and by Alexander, Prince of Orange
Alexander, Prince of Orange
Willem Alexander Charles Henry Frederick, Prince of Orange , , was heir apparent to his father King William III of the Netherlands from 11 June 1879 until his death.-Life:...
. Frederica, however, was in love with Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen (1843–1932), the son of a government official of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the collective name of two duchies, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha, in Germany. They were located in what today are the states of Bavaria and Thuringia, respectively, and the two were in personal union between 1826 and 1918...
. Alfons had served as an equerry to Frederica's father. Alfons was naturalised as a British subject on 19 March 1880 and, on 24 April 1880, he and Frederica were married. The wedding took place in Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
presided by the Bishop of Oxford
John Fielder Mackarness
John Fielder Mackarness was a Church of England bishop.Mackarness was appointed Vicar of Tardebigge , Rector of Honiton and finally Bishop of Oxford...
. Alfons' sister Anna was married to Baron Oswald von Coburg, the son of an illegitimate son of Prince Ludwig Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (third son of Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld).
Alfred Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language....
, the Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
, wrote a quatrain in honour of Frederica's marriage, focusing on her relationship to her blind father, who had died two years before:
- O you that were eyes and light to the King till he past away
- From the darkness of life —
- He saw not his daughter — he blest her: the blind King sees you to-day,
- He blesses the wife.
After their marriage Frederica and Alfons lived in an apartment at Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
. The apartment was in the south-west wing of the west front of the palace in the suite formerly called the "Lady Housekeeper's Lodgings". Frederica and Alfons had one daughter who was born and died at Hampton Court Palace:
- Victoria Georgina Beatrice Maud Anne (7 March 1881 – 27 March 1881). She was buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Frederica and Alfons were frequent guests at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
and at Osborne House
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
.
Charitable works
Frederica was involved with numerous charitable activities. In August 1881, she established the Convalescent Home, an institution for poor women who have given birth but have been discharged from maternity hospitals. Because her father had been blind, she was a benefactress of the Royal Normal College and Academy of Music for the Blind at Upper NorwoodUpper Norwood
Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London, England within the postcode SE19. It is a residential district largely in the London Borough of Croydon although some parts extend into the London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Bromley. Upper Norwood...
. She was also patron of the Training College for Teachers of the Deaf at Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
, of the Strolling Players' Amateur Orchestral Society, of the Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta
Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta
Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta is a regatta on the River Thames in England which takes place at Thames Ditton, Surrey beside Hampton Court Palace....
of the Home for Foreign Governesses, of the Mission to the French in London, and of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
. She was President of the Middlesex Branch of SSFA (Soldiers'& Sailors' Families Association.
Later life and death
Frederica and Alfons gave up their apartment at Hampton Court Palace in 1898. While they continued to live part of the year in England, they subsequently spent more time in BiarritzBiarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where they had previously vacationed. They owned Villa Mouriscot there.
Frederica died in 1926 at Biarritz. She was buried in the Royal Vault in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. In 1927 a window in her memory was unveiled in the English Church in Biarritz.
Titles and styles
- 9 January 1848 – 24 April 1880: Her Royal Highness Princess Frederica of Hanover and Cumberland, Princess of Great Britain and Ireland
- 24 April 1880 – 16 October 1926: Her Royal Highness Princess Frederica of Hanover, Baroness von Pawel-Rammingen