Princess Alice of Albany was born on this day at Windsor Castle. The eldest child of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (youngest son of Queen Victoria) and Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont (her cousin was Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands through her mother’s side and her younger brother was the reigning Grand Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha). Unfortunately, her father died a month after her first birthday. In 1903, Princess Alice married Prince Alexander of Teck, brother of Queen Mary. The couple had three children, but only their daughter survived them. In 1917, they renounced their German, Teck, title, and were made Earl and Countess of Athlone, though she retained her style of Princess as the male-line granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Princess Alice was one of the most well-traveled members of the royal family, visiting Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Malaya, Singapore, Siam (now Thailand), South Africa, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Uganda, Egypt, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, the West Indies, Canada, and the United States. Princess Alice was also the Vicereine of South Africa and Canada. The couple retired to their apartment in Kensington Palace after WWII, where she lived until she died in 1981. Princess Alice published her memoir, For My Grandchildren, in 1966.
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