HRH Princess Alice Maud Mary Hanover Art

Queen Victoria’s Daughter, Princess Alice Maud Mary, of the House of Hanover. English ( b.1843 - d.1878 ). Long Life and Happiness – June 11th 1860 Watercolor. Signed and Dated. Image size 12.4 inches x 7.7 inches ( 31.5cm x 24cm ). Frame size 18.5 inches x 15.2 inches ( 47cm x 38.5cm ). Available for sale; this charming and delicate watercolor is by the second eldest daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Alice Maud Mary of the House of Hanover, and is dated 1860. This original watercolor is presented and supplied in a sympathetic contemporary frame (which is shown in these photographs), mounted using conservation materials and non-reflective Tru Vue UltraVue® UV70 glass. This intriguing and gentle piece will be of specific interest to those who have an interest in the Of the British royal family and its history. This antique piece is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. This intriguing and gentle piece will be of specific interest to those who have an interest in the British royal family and its history. A unique and very special painting, this charming delicate watercolour was painted by Princess Alice Mary Maud, of the House of Hanover, the second daughter of Queen Victoria. This is very significant because the artist is now the great- great grandmother of the current monarch, HM King Charles III. The artist herself was an extraordinary woman, the painting was created at a special time and place, and the subject of the painting is a mystery. The painting depicts a winged angel looking down at a small baby lying in a cradle. The angel holds a scroll, emblazoned with “Long life and happiness” A date, “June 8th, 1860”, is written clearly and prominently above the child, signifying a date of birth. The painting is signed simply “Alice” and the date of its completion is recorded as “June 11th, 1860.” The painting demonstrates that the young Princess, just 17 at the time, was an accomplished and sensitive artist. The work commemorates the birth 3 days earlier of a baby whose arrival must have been personally celebrated by the Princess. The identity of this child is a mystery. The fact that the cradle is decorated with blue ribbons and trimmings does not necessarily suggest that this is a male child as the custom of blue for a boy had not yet been adopted at this time. Princess Alice of the United Kingdom became Princess Louis and Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine by marriage. She was born on 25th April 1843 and was the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Like her siblings she spent her early childhood in the company of her parents and siblings, travelling between the British royal residences. Her birth prompted her parents to purchase Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight, and for Alice this was very much her family home. Here, at her father’s insistence, she and her siblings learnt family values and practical skills such as housekeeping, cooking, gardening and carpentry. During the Crimean War Alice, aged just eleven, toured London hospitals with her mother and elder sister. This triggered her interest in health and public welfare which continued all her life. Alice was considered the most emotionally sensitive of her siblings and was genuinely sympathetic to the burdens of others. Her compassion meant that she took on the role of the family caregiver. She nursed her grandmother, Victoria, Duchess of Kent, mother to Queen Victoria, throughout her final illness, and provided emotional support for all the family after her death. As Alice reached adulthood Queen Victoria made plans for her to be married. Queen Victoria wanted her children to marry for love, but the choice of suitors was nevertheless severely restricted by protocol. After Alice rejected the first two potential suitors her mother and elder sister suggested Prince Louis of Hesse, a minor German royal who was heir to the Grand Duchy of Hesse. He and his brother were invited to Windsor Castle in 1860, ostensibly so that they could watch the Ascot Races in the company of the royal family. In reality, the visit was an opportunity for the Queen to inspect her potential son-in-law. Louis and Alice got on together well, and Alice made it clear that she was attracted to him. They became engaged the following year. The visit to Windsor Castle by the German Princes...