The military career and death of Prince Alexander of Battenberg

Having spent most of his childhood living in the presence of his grandmother, Queen Victoria, Prince Alexander of Battenberg was known to be arrogant and egotistical. However, despite his high opinion of himself, Alexander would go on to serve in all three armed services and lived a reasonably modest life compared to his royal cousins.

When he was fourteen, the Prince moved to Stubbington House in Fareham before attending Wellington College in Berkshire. Throughout his time at both schools, Alexander would often found himself isolated from the other boys and longed to return to the company of his beloved grandmother. In March 1902, Alexander passed a qualification exam to join the Royal Navy as a service cadet and, in May that same year, he became a midshipman cadet in board the training ship HMS Britannia.

Having left the Navy in early 1909, Alexander joined the army on 4th April that same year. He was first placed in a probationary position as Second Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards. On 15th August 1913, the Prince was promoted to Lieutenant and he went on to play an active role in the First World War as part of the 60th Rifles Regiment, along with his two brothers – Leopold and Maurice – and the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII). In 10th April 1915 he was seconded to the staff to act as aide-de-camp and was promoted to Captain the same year. Like many, Alexander was injured in battle on two separate occasions and received countless awards and decorations for his service. He resigned his commission on 19th June 1919, instead going on the reserve list as a Captain.

On 17th July 1917, King George V relinquished all German titles and, as a result, Alexander was forced to drop his princely titles and change his name to ‘Alexander Mountbatten’. With many members of his family aware of his arrogance, they couldn’t help but snigger at his demotion. The following November, Alexander was given the new titles of Marques of Carisbrooke, Earl of Berkhamsted and Viscount Launceston. With just one daughter and no sons, all of Alexander’s tiles would become extinct following his death.

With no state allowance after the war, Alexander found him no choice but to find a job and began working for a banking house as an entry level clerk. He later went on to work with the Metropolitan Housing Corporation, overseeing housing estates for artisans and eventually took charge of social work on the estates. In 1921, he decided to permanently settle in the world of commerce.

When the Second World War began Alexander joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and, on 6th June 1941, was commissioned as an acting pilot officer and just two months later was promoted to Flight Lieutenant. Alexander later served as a Staff Officer to Air Chief Marshal, Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory. He once again relinquished his command in May 1945.

Following the war, Alexander and his wife, Irene, moved into King’s Cottage, a ‘grace and favours’ that overlooked Kew Gardens. They spent the next few years living a much more relaxed lifestyle of travelling and attending social events. Unfortunately, their home was burgled in May 1953 while Alexander was in hospital after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain. Seven years later, on 23rd February 1960, Alexander passed away from a cerebral haemorrhage at Kensington Palace. Aged 73, he was the last surviving grandson of Queen Victoria. His ashes were later interred in the Battenberg Chapel at St Mildred’s Church on the Isle of Wight alongside Irene’s ashes and his parent’s tomb.

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