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Social Victorians/People/Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein

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Also Known As

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  • Family name: Schleswig-Holstein

Acquaintances, Friends and Enemies

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Organizations

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Timeline

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1897 July 2, Friday, Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, along with her parents, Prince and Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. (Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein is #10 on the list of people who were present.)

1897 July 8, Thursday, "The Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein on the 8th inst. honoured Mr Alfred Ellis, at his studio, Upper Baker-street, with a sitting for photographs in the fancy dress worn by her at the Duchess of Devonshire's ball."[1]

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

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Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein as Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of James I. © National Portrait Gallery, London.
 
Princess Elizabeth, at 17 years old

At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was in the group of princesses who attended Alexandra, Princess of Wales.

Alfred Ellis's (not Lafayette's and not Bassano's) portrait of Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein as Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of James I, in costume is photogravure #16 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery.[2] The printing on the portrait says, "H.R.H. Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein as Princess Elizabeth, as eldest daughter of James I," with a Long S in Princess both times.[3]

Newspaper Accounts of Her Costume

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  • She was dressed as "a Princess, Elizabethan period. Dress made of old turquoise and gold brocade. The front and all round skirt richly embroidered gold, bands of white satin pearled. The sleeves of blue brocade with crevés of white crepe pearled and studded gold. Cherusque old lace, embroidered gold. Small pearl crown headdress. Ecran. Pearl necklace."[4]
  • Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was in pale blue brocade, with the design included of gold thread. This was slashed with pearl embroidered white satin.[5]:p. 5, Col. 6c
  • According to the London Daily News, she accompanied her mother the Princess of Wales, along with Princess Victoria of Wales, the Duchess of York, the Duchess of Fife, and Princess Charles of Denmark.[5]:p. 5, Col. 6 The London Daily News has her mother wrong here: she was Alix's niece, daughter of the Prince of Wales's sister, Princess Helena of Schleswig-Holstein.
  • She was dressed as a "Lady of the Elizabethan Court. Pale blue and silver brocade embroidered all down the front and round the skirt in a rich design of gold and pearls; the high collar of lace was worked in gold, and the sleeves of brocade had small puffs at the shoulder picked out with tiny pearls. A very small pearl coronet with pendant strings of pearls completed the costume."[6]:p. 7, Col. 6c
  • "Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was in blue and gold."[7]
  • "Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was also in this group [in the Princess of Wales's ladies of the court, along with Alex's three daughters], very becomingly dressed in pale blue, delicately ornamented with gold embroidery and seed pearls, a high-laced collar, and a little crown of pearls in her hair."[8]:p. 5, Col. 9a
  • "H.H. Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (Princess, Elizabethan period), dress made of old turquoise and gold brocade, richly embroidered gold, bands of white satin pearled; the sleeves of blue brocade, with crevés of white crêpe pearled and studded gold."[9]:p. 40, Col. 2b
  • This description accompanies a flattering line drawing of Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein in costume (Numeral 4 below the drawing, bottom left, facing very slight to her right, stand-up collar, feather fan, captures the pattern on the fabric of her dress, signed by “Rook”): "Made by Alias, 36, Soho Square. ... No. 4. PRINCESS VICTORIA OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN, Elizabethan Princess. — Turquoise and gold dress of old brocade embroidered, with bands of white satin and pearls. Sleeves of brocade with crevès of white crêpe. Pearl crown and necklace."[10]:Col. 1b–c
  • "The Princess of Wales [was attended by] Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, in pale blue brocade ornamented with pearls and silver ….. All the Princesses wore a profusion of diamonds."[11]

The Historical Princess Elizabeth

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Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I (19 August 1596 – 13 February 1662) was Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia.[12] Lady Ethel Mersey-Thompson was dressed as Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, an older version of who Princess Victoria was dressed as. Painted in 1613,[13] the portrait (lower right) shows Princess Elizabeth at about 17 years old; Princess Victoria was 27 years old at the time of the ball. Although this dress does not seem to be the original, if one exists, for the costume worn by Princess Victoria, the dress Princess Elizabeth is wearing could be read as pale blue with silver and gold embroidery with pearls in her hair and around her neck.

Demographics

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  • Nationality: British

Family

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  1. Prince Christian Victor (14 April 1867 – 29 October 1900)
  2. Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (26 February 1869 – 27 April 1931)
  3. Princess Victoria (Helena Victoria) of Schleswig-Holstein (Helena Victoria Prinzessin von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg) (3 May 1870 – 13 March 1948)
  4. Marie Louise, Princess Aribert of Anhalt (12 August 1872 – 8 December 1956)
  5. Prince Harald (12 May 1876 – 20 May 1876)
  6. Unnamed male baby (7 May 1877)

Relations

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Questions and Notes

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  1. This Princess Helena Victoria and her mother had the same names, are easy to confuse, but her mother was called Princess Helena or Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, and the daughter was called Princess Victoria, although she had a cousin, the daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who was also called Princess Victoria (of Wales, in her case).

Footnotes

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  1. ↑ "The Upper Ten Thousand at Home and Abroad." The Queen 17 July 1897, Saturday: 59 [of 97], Col. 1b [of 3]. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002627/18970717/260/0060.
  2. ↑ "Devonshire House Fancy Dress Ball (1897): photogravures by Walker & Boutall after various photographers." 1899. National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait-list.php?set=515.
  3. ↑ "Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein as Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of James I." Diamond Jubilee Fancy Dress Ball. National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw158368/Princess-Helena-Victoria-of-Schleswig-Holstein-as-Princess-Elizabeth-eldest-daughter-of-James-I.
  4. ↑ "Ball at Devonshire House." The Times Saturday 3 July 1897: 12, Cols. 1a–4c The Times Digital Archive. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Duchess of Devonshire's Fancy Ball. A Brilliant Spectacle. Some of the Dresses." London Daily News Saturday 3 July 1897: 5 [of 10], Col. 6a–6, Col. 1b. British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000051/18970703/024/0005 and http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000051/18970703/024/0006.
  6. ↑ "Fancy Dress Ball at Devonshire House." Morning Post Saturday 3 July 1897: 7 [of 12], Col. 4a–8 Col. 2b. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18970703/054/0007.
  7. ↑ “The Duchess’s Costume Ball.” Westminster Gazette 03 July 1897 Saturday: 5 [of 8], Cols. 1a–3b [of 3]. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002947/18970703/035/0005.
  8. ↑ "The Duchess of Devonshire's Fancy Dress Ball. Special Telegram." Belfast News-Letter Saturday 03 July 1897: 5 [of 8], Col. 9 [of 9]. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000038/18970703/015/0005.
  9. ↑ “The Duchess of Devonshire’s Ball.” The Gentlewoman 10 July 1897 Saturday: 32–42 [of 76], Cols. 1a–3c [of 3]. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003340/18970710/155/0032.
  10. ↑ “Dress at Devonshire House on July 2.” The Queen, The Lady’s Newspaper 10 July 1897, Saturday: 39 [of 98 in BNA; p. 65 on print page], full page [3 of 3 cols.]. British Newspaper Archive  https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0002627/18970710/137/0039.
  11. ↑ “The Devonshire House Ball.” The Man of Ross 10 July 1897, Saturday: 2 [of 8], Col. 4b. British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001463/18970710/033/0002.
  12. ↑ "Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia". Wikipedia. 2022-01-15. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elizabeth_Stuart,_Queen_of_Bohemia&oldid=1065816717.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Stuart,_Queen_of_Bohemia.
  13. ↑ artists, Unknown authorUnknown authorUnidentified painter Description17th-century portrait paintings of women, with Not identified, Unspecified, Unmentioned, Unattributed, UnknownUnknown or Anonymous (1613), Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, retrieved 2022-01-19{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth,_Queen_of_Bohemia_from_NPG.jpg.
  14. ↑ Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein." Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Christian_of_Schleswig-Holstein(accessed 2019).
  15. ↑ "Helena Augusta Victoria Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess of the United Kingdom." "Person Page — 10066." The Peerage: A Genealogical Survey of the Peerage of Britain as Well as the Royal Families of Europe http://www.thepeerage.com/p10066.htm#i100654 (accessed May 2019).
  16. ↑ "Princess Helena of the United Kingdom." Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Helena_of_the_United_Kingdom (accessed April 2019).
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