![]() Known for restoring the reputation of a monarchy tarnished by the extravagance of her predecessors and reigniting a faith in empire through an embrace of civic and diplomatic duties, the legacy of Queen Victoria (1819–1901, r. From left to right: Alice, Arthur, Prince Albert, Albert Edward, Leopold, Louise, Queen Victoria with Beatrice, Alfred, Victoria, and Helena. See more photographs from the Romanov’s family album in our online collection.Portrait of Queen Victoria with her husband, Albert, and nine children at Osborne circa 1857. Discover more about the science behind one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century in this series of blog posts. This blog was written alongside our free exhibition The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution, exploring the life and death of Tsar Nicholas II and his family and the forensic investigation into their murder. Had the Tsarina accepted this marriage, haemophilia might have been reintroduced back into the direct line of British rule, with potentially devastating consequences. However, according to some historians before marrying Nicholas, the Tsarina Alexandra turned down a proposal from Edward’s eldest son, the Duke of Clarence. Queen Victoria’s son, King Edward VII was not affected by the disease and neither were any of his heirs. Interestingly, the royal family from which the disease originated escaped the fate of many of their European counterparts. ![]() The Prince of Wales and Princess Alice, 1876-1877. Unfortunately, both of their sons were born with haemophilia, and the younger son sadly died from the disease at the age of four. Wilhelm’s brother Heinrich, however, was permitted to marry another of Alice’s daughters, Irene. She instead encouraged her son to seek out other matches, and he eventually married his second cousin Augusta Victoria, producing six healthy sons. The Princess Royal Victoria Adelaide (daughter of Queen Victoria), actively discouraged her own son Wilhelm from marrying the daughter of her sister Princess Alice, as one of Alice’s sons was believed to have been haemophiliac. The Royal Family at Osborne, 19 April 1870.īut not all royal families felt the effects of haemophilia quite as significantly. Their marriage was discredited, and the monarchy became weakened. But public opinion turned on Victoria Eugenie, as she was cruelly accused of “defiling” the Spanish royal bloodline and her husband began to distance himself from her. While they had seven children only their fourth son Juan was unaffected. ![]() ![]() Under Spanish law, an heir who was physically compromised could not take the throne. While Spain was a constitutional monarchy, the King still played a significant role. This decision had a significant impact on Spain’s political stability. Queen Victoria, c 1870.ĭespite warnings from King Edward VII and the Spanish Ambassador, King Alfonso XIII of Spain married Princess Victoria Eugenie, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Some of these royal families took precautions to secure their bloodline, but others were not so careful. ![]() As a result, haemophilia presented itself in various royal bloodlines throughout Europe including Spain, Russia, and Prussia. Haemophilia is thought to be passed down through the female line, and many of Victoria’s female descendants had married into other European royal families. As neither her maternal or paternal side had previously displayed symptoms of the disease, scientists believe that it was the result of a genetic mutation. The royal disease is thought to have originated with Queen Victoria. Thought to have originated with Queen Victoria and passed down through the female line, both the disease and women as potential carriers, played an integral role in shaping the political landscape of 20th century Europe. In the late 19th and early 20th century, haemophilia presented a huge threat to the future and stability of some of the oldest monarchies in Europe. Haemophilia played a major role in the downfall of the Russian royal family – but they were not the only royal house to feel its effects. ![]()
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