Out of all the royal children, sisters Princess Helena Victoria and Princess Marie Louise shared one of the closest bonds. Join me in today’s post as I take a look at their journey of living together!
Following her divorce from Prince Aribert of Anhalt in 1900, Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein moved into 21 Queensberry place in London. However, when the First World War began in 1914, the Princess then moved into Kensington Palace with her aunt, Princess Beatrice, whose youngest son – Prince Maurice – was killed while fighting on the frontline.
Once the war was over, Marie Louise moved back in with her mother and sister at her childhood home, Cumberland Lodge in Windsor. Following Princess Helena’s death in 1923, the two sisters moved out of their family home and into Schomberg House in London. It was here that they enjoyed hosting shows and musical performances.
Upon the outbreak of World War Two, the government deemed Schomberg House as being a prime target for German bombers due to its close proximity to parliament, and, as a result, the royal sisters were given no choice but to leave. From there they moved into an apartment near Ascot, which they rented from their friend, Lady Grace Weigall. Despite being advised to evacuate during air raids, Helena Victoria and Marie Louise refused to use a bomb shelter as they preferred the idea of dying at the top of the house opposed to being in a shelter buried under its rubble.
Throughout the second part of the war, Helena Victoria temporarily relocated to Brantridge Park in Sussex to be with Princess Beatrice, just as her sister had during the previous war. As predicted, Schomberg House was almost completely destroyed and the sisters never returned. Instead, they moved into number 10 Fitzmaurice Palace in Berkeley Square, London, where they remained for the rest of their lives.
The war had taken its toll on Helena Victoria’s health and she soon found herself limited to a wheelchair, and, unlike before the war, she rarely made public appearances. Tragically for Marie Louise, her sister passed away on 13th March 1948, aged 77. Marie Louise continued living at their home and remained an active member of the royal family until her death on 8th of December 1956. On 3rd of April 1957, her body was moved from St George’s Chapel to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, where she was laid to rest next to her beloved sister.
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