Victoria Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeldskaya

Princess Maria Louise Victoria was born in Coburg on August 17, 1786 in the family of the Duke Franz Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeldsky (1750-1806) and his wife Augusta Reuss-Ebersdorf (1757-1831) ^[1] . The duke's family was large. Victoria's brother was Prince Leopold, who in 1816 married the English Princess Charlotte, the alleged heir to the throne, but she died during childbirth in 1817. In 1831, Leopold was elected king of Belgium. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Duke of Franz opened his home to German refugees, among whom was Prince Karl of Leiningen. At the age of 17, December 21, 1803, Victoria married him, having given birth to a son and daughter in marriage. In 1806, Victoria's father died almost in poverty ^[2] . In 1814, Prince Leiningensky died, making Victoria regent with his young son. In the same year, she received the first proposal to marry the Duke of Kent, but refused, citing the care of children and the administration of the principality ^[3] .

Second marriage

After the death of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales in 1817, the question of the survival of the Hanover dynasty arose. King George III had several sons, but not one of them had legal heirs. For this reason, the British princes began to look for brides in Germany. Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, was offered two candidates - Princess of Baden and Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfred ^[4] . The duke chose the latter, making a proposal to Victoria for the second time, and she accepted him. On July 11, 1818, the wedding of Victoria and Edward Augustus took place.

The couple traveled to Belgium and Germany, where the duke took parades and inspected the barracks. The Duke and Duchess of Kent settled in Amorbach , where they lived in a small estate. Soon, Victoria became pregnant, and Edward Augustus decided that the child, who in the future could take the British throne, should be born in the UK. Together with his wife, her daughter Theodora and the servants, the duke and duchess reached Germany through London and France, where on May 24, 1819, Victoria gave birth to a daughter, Alexandrina Victoria ^[5] . On January 23, 1820, the Duke of Kent died of pneumonia, leaving a large amount of debt to his wife. The duchess's annual income was £ 6,000 ^[6] .

The second husband of Victoria Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeldsky also died early, and all the efforts to raise her youngest daughter fell on her shoulders. Later, Victoria had a long relationship with John Conroy , who, at the expense of the mother of the future queen, sought to gain power and influence. This relationship affected the relationship between mother and daughter, who often did not even speak.

Children

• Karl Friedrich Wilhelm (12.09.1804–13.11.1856) - inherited from his father as the 3rd Prince of Leiningen; He was married to Countess Maria von Klebelsberg ( 03/27/1806 - 10/28/1880 ), from whom he had two sons;
• Anna Feodora Augusta Charlotte Wilhelmina (12/07/1807–23/09/1872) - in 1828 she married Prince Ernst I of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (05/07/1794 - 12/04/1860); had six children.
• Alexandrina-Victoria (Queen of Great Britain Victoria) (05.24.1819 - 01.22.01.1901) - Queen of Great Britain (June 20, 1837 - January 22, 1901). She married with Albert Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and had nine children. Her son Edward VII became the ancestor of the Windsor Dynasty.

Titles

• August 17, 1786 - December 21, 1803: Her Serene Highness Princess Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Saxony
• December 21, 1803 - January 9, 1807: Her Serene Highness Crown Princess Leiningen
• January 29, 1807 - July 4, 1814: Her Serene Highness Princess Leiningenskaya
• July 4, 1814 - May 29, 1818: Her Serene Highness Dowager Princess Leiningen
• May 29, 1818 - January 23, 1820: Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent and Stranster
• January 23, 1820 - March 16, 1861: Her Royal Highness the Dowager Duchess of Kent and Stranster

• Strechey, Lytton . Queen Victoria : [ Russian ] . - Moscow: Book Club of Bookies, 2010. - 240 p. - (Chosen Fate). - ISBN 978-5-4224-0065-2 .