Figure 1.--

Queen Alexandra was not a person greatly concerned with history or European power politics. She did, however, have one political obsession, a deeply felt dislike for the Gerrmnas. The Prussian war with Denmark in 1864 and the loss of Scheswig-Holstein, however, intensified a life-long distaste for the Germans. Her dislike was sometimes irrational and she would often not heed even the diplomatic nicieties. For her it was a very personal matter. As Princess of Wales, she played a small, but not unimportant role in helping to reshape English opinions toward the Prussians/Germans. Alix had little influence on the British Foreign Office, but the English people's Danish Princess was enormously popular and the some of this popularity affected how many viewed Denmark. Prussia was seen as bullying and agressive. (Victoria at this stage still favored the Prussians and it was a source of irritation between them. It was only after the Prussians attacked Austria that Victoria's opinions began to change.) Alix's influence was one of many factor's that was bringing about a major shift in British public opinion. The English had traditionally viewed France as their mortal enemy and the Prussians as potential allies. This view lasted well into the 19th century, as it was the Prussians under Blutcher that had saved Wellington at Waterloo in his 1815 stand against the Emperor Napoleon. This shift in attitudes toward the Prussians was to have enormous consequences in the 20th century. Alexandra's husband after the assumption of his nephew Wilhelm to the German imperial throne had his own difficulties with the Germans.

Personal Matter

Queen Alexandra was not a person greatly concerned with history or European power politics. She did, however, have one political obsession, a deeply felt dislike for the Gerrmnas. The Prussian war with Denmark in 1864 and the loss of Scheswig-Holstein, however, intensified a life-long distaste for the Germans.

Prussia War with Denmark

Although now a little known historical footnote, the consequences of the Danish War were incalcuable. It was the first step in the organizatin of a future Germany under the most miliataraistic and conservative state in the German Confederation. There were German states with more liberal, democratic institutions (Bavaria, Hanover, and others) and less belicose, militaristic outlooks. The Danish War was the first step in Prussia's absorbtion of some of the more liberal German states such as Hannover and Hesse and the end of their constitutional monarchies. If there had been a more democratic, less miliatristic approch taken to German unification, the history of the 20th century may have been quite different. The Danish War was also an important step in changing the British perception of Prussia and Germany from a potential ally against their historical enemy France to a dangerous enemy. The fact that their popular Princess of Wales was Danish was an important factor in shaping British attitudes.

Personal Matter

Alix's dislike for the Germans was sometimes irrational and she would often not heed even the diplomatic nicieties. For her it was a very personal matter.

Approach

Alix's special ire was directed at the Prussians, but she had little patience for many other Germans, including many German members of Queen Victoria's expanding family. This was of course especially true when questions concerning Denmark arose. A good example of how she dealt with the Germans in the family was reported by Lord Ponsoby in an exchange between Alix and Grand Duke (Prince) Louis IV of Hesse, who had married Princess Alice Queen Victoria's second daughter. The exchange took place during a family gathering at Balmoral:

"When something arose he kept on insisting violently, 'Ja, ja es war Dannische nicht Deutsch'. The Princess of Wales quietly replied, 'Nein, es war Deutsch'. The Grand Duke hallooed his reply that it was Danish, Danish, Danish (I don't know what). The Princess grew hard and cold as I have never seen her, simply saying 'nein'. This he me with a long explanation to which she became uterly deaf, and further discussion was hopeless, at which she turned with a smileto her daughter as if to say "I've settled him'" [Battiscombe, p. 171.]

Trips to Germany

Princess Alexandra was a delightful host. She performed her social duties with great charm and tact. She also loved to travel. One major disappointment in her life was that she never was able to visit India. The one exception to all of this was she hated visiting Germany and when there was not always her usual tactful self. She did not even like her family going to Germany. Once Prince George accompanied his father to Germany where she was horrified tomlearn that he had been made an honorary colonel in a Prussian regiment. The Princess wrote him, "... my Georgie boy has become a real, live, filthy, blue-coated. Picklehaube German soldier!!!" She added though, "It was your misfortune, not your fault." [Battiscombe, p. 176.]

Wilhelm II

Of course there was no German more capable of stiring up Queen Alexandra than Kaiser Wilhelm II, both before and after he bacame kaiser. As Princess of Wales, and only at Queen Victoroia's personal reqquest, she accompanied her husband to Prussia for the funeral of Emperor Frederich III who died of cancer after being kaiser for only a few months. She was not happy about going to Germany, but Alix felt deeply sorry for her sister in law, the Emperor's wife. Alix was especially apauled at Wilhelm's behavior. She complained "that young fool Wilhelm" was no comfort to his mother. She found. "He gets more foolish and conceited every day." Sehe also observed, "... evidently he wants to show and teach the wkorld how an Emperor should behave!!!" Although Prince Eddy posed a range of problems for Alox, he was never undutiful to his mother. [Battiscombe, pp. 174-175.] The Kaiser frequently England to visit with his Grandmother Queen Victoria. The visits began as an infant when his mother would bring him. Primarilt because of his boorish behavior, the Queen began trying to discourage him. Alix in particular dreaded the visits when he included Sangringham on the itinerary. On one visit when she learned that he was beinging a barber along to care for his mustache she began telling jokes about it. [Battiscombe, p. 212.]

German Relatives

Pricess Alexandra thought that there were all too many Gernmans in the royal family. She was not at all happy when Princess Helena married Prince Prince, (Frederick) Christian Charles Augustus of Schleswig-Holstein-Augustenburg, in effect a Danish prince that had become German. For that reason she may have disliked him and especially his father more than an actual German prince. This was also the reason that despite her sister-in-law the dowger Empress Friederich (Victoria), who was in a position to know the German royal families, she flatly refused to consider available German princes for her daughters.

Significance

As Princess of Wales and latter Queen, Aleanadra played a small, but not unimportant role in helping to reshape English opinions toward the Prussians/Germans. Alix had little influence on the British Foreign Office, but the English people's Danish Princess was enormously popular and the some of this popularity affected how many viewed Denmark. Prussia was seen as bullying and agressive. Alix's influence was one of many factor's that was bringing about a major shift in British public opinion. The English had traditionally viewed France as their mortal enemy and the Prussians as potential allies. This view lasted well into the 19th century, as it was the Prussians under Blutcher that had saved Wellington at Waterloo in his 1815 stand against Napoleon. This shift in attitudes toward the Prussians was to have enormous consequences in the 20th century.

Queen Victoria

Victoria at this stage still favored the Prussians and it was a source of irritation between them. It was only after the Prussians attacked Austria and annexed Hannover that Queen Victoria's opinions began to change.

Edward VII

Alexandra's husband after the assumption of his nephew Wilhelm to the German imperial throne had his own difficulties with the Germans, especially Wilhelm, both as Prince of Wales and King.

Sources

Battiscombe, Georgina. Queen Alexandra (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1969).

Created: July 3, 2002
Last updated: July 6, 2002