On 5th December 1969, Princess Alice of Battenberg died at Buckingham Palace.
Princess Alice is one of the most remarkable people I have ever studied and one of my favourite royals to write about. Despite being born in the splendour of Windsor Castle and in the presence of Queen Victoria, Princess Alice’s life did not start as it meant to go on. She is one of the few royal princesses who has had a tougher life than most of us.
In the 1930s, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and committed to a sanatorium in Switzerland. She underwent heinous treatment and spent years isolated from her family.
In the 1940s, Princess Alice lived in Athens under Nazi occupation. The Princess was a remarkably thoughtful individual, and while living under the Nazis, she worked for the Red Cross, helped organise soup kitchens and organised the import of medical supplies. Alice also worked to help Jews, something she could have been killed for, and in recognition of her humanitarianism, she was recognised as Righteous Among the Nations in 1994. After the war, she founded a nursing order of Greek Orthodox nuns: the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary.
In her final years, The Princess lived with The Queen, Prince Philip and grandchildren in Buckingham Palace.
