Community Chat

[drizzellla]

I just read a brief biography of Princess Alice. She was the Great Granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was born deaf. But learned to speak English and German.

She fell in love with Prince Andrew of Greece. And they married in 1903 and settled in Athens. She had 4 daughters and 1 son, Prince Philip. Prince Andrew was quite a playboy.

Princess Alice converted to Greek Orthodox religion. She became very religious and thought she was receiving divine messages. People thought she was a lunatic. She had a nervous breakdown and was sent away in 1930 to a Swiss mental institution. She never got to say good bye to Philip. He was 9 years old. And he came home from a picnic and she was gone. 

She was released from the mental institution in 1932. She had missed the wedding of all 4 of her daughters.

After being released from the mental institution she lived alone in a small apartment in Athens.

In 1941 the Nazis occupied Athens. So she set up soup kitchens, medical clinics and shelters for the orphan children. In 1942 the Nazis started to deport Athenian Jews to concentration camps. Princess Alice was good friend of Rachel Cohen whose late husband was an adviser to the King of Greece. Princess Alice hid Rachel Cohen and her children in her apartment for over a year. Her apartment was yards away from the Gestapo Headquarters. And whenever she was questioned, she would use her deafness  not to answer them.

After the war she became a nun and founded an order. She moved into the poorest sections of Athens and helped orphan children.

In 1967 she moved into Buckingham Palace with Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth. ANd she died in 1969. She was buried in England in the Royal crypt. But in 1988 she was reburied on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. She had wanted to be buried in Jerusalem.

In June 2108 Prince William visited her grave.

I had never heard of Princess Alice before reading this.

[Annabellethecat66]

@drizzellla  Thank you for taking time to post this.  I found it very interesting.  I'd never heard about her or her story before.  Thanks again, I enjoyed reading it.

I love history of all kinds.

[spud188]

Watched a Documentary about her. Such a sad life but she ended up fulfilled I think.

[Oznell]

Thanks for that fascinating summary, @drizzellla.  Prince Philip had a very complicated, tumultuous background.

[goldensrbest]

I have read about her,  she really  was not mentally ill, i do not think ,but she gave her life to all the poor people ,what a honorable women she was.

[chrystaltree]

Interesting...

[OKPrincess]

@drizzellla I enjoyed reading about Princess Alice. Thank you for sharing.

[Sooner]

For all of the twists and turns and sadness of Philip's life, I do feel that with him pretty much what you see is what you get.  He was kicked around a lot, is rough and tumble but I guess he had to be to make it through.  He doesn't seem to be very apologetic for who he is, but who knows what his life was like.

And Elizabeth must see something in him.  I think he would be an interesting person to talk to--just one on one. 

[ShowMe]

Thank you so much for this.....Really enjoyed reading it.  Have always been interested in the British.  And even more so since watching the Queen Victoria special series on PBS.  

[Love my grandkids]

@drizzellla About a year ago I watched a very detailed documentary about her, very interesting and did cover everything you discussed. She was ill treated but did so much good for others.