Alexandra

Alexandra (1844–1925), queen of Edward VII. Born in Copenhagen, eldest daughter of the future Christian IX of Denmark, Alexandra retained warm Danish sympathies all her life. Her marriage to Edward, then prince of Wales, took place in 1863: she was hailed by Tennyson, poet laureate, as ‘sea-king's daughter from over the sea’. The couple, popular with the public, took much of the attention shunned by the widowed Victoria, and became society figures. Alexandra, with her stately beauty, fitted the part admirably, acting as a foil for Edward's ebullience. The marriage was affectionate, though Edward was far from faithful. Alexandra's tolerance is revealed by her insistence, when the king was dying, that Mrs Keppel, his mistress, be sent for. Family life was the focus of her existence, partly because of her initial difficulty with English, and then her growing deafness. She did not engage in politics but devoted much of her time to nursing and hospitals: Alexandra Day was instituted in 1913 to sell paper roses for hospital funds. Privately she was a keen photographer and collected Fabergé eggs, adding to the great royal collection. Following Edward's death in 1910 she led a quiet, private life, mainly at Sandringham, surrounding herself with her family. She is buried at Windsor.

Sue Minna Cannon