HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS ALICE LOUIS OF HESSE CDV PHOTO HELPED POOR TRAGEDY

Description

CARTE DE VISITE (CDV) with caption on front, at bottom of mount: "H.R.H. PRINCESS LOUIS OF HESSE." Handwritten in pencil on the back: "Princess Alice."
PHOTOGRAPHER. On front, at bottom of mount: "HILLS & SAUNDERS, REGISTERED." Backmark: "PHOTOGRAPHERS TO Her Majesty the Queen H.R.H the Prince of Wales HILLS & SAUNDERS, ETON & OXFORD."
SIZE. Approximately 4 1/8 x 2 7/16 inches.
CONDITION. Photo: Bottom of her dress is faded. Spots and marks. When tilted, scuffing is apparent. Mount: Wear at 3 corners, light wear at 1 corner. Front and back have spots and soiling.
APPEARANCE. Good to very good tones, except where faded. Nice pose.
PRINCESS ALICE (1843 - 1878). "She is somewhat of a brief footnote in history, often overlooked by the more celebrated members of her family. Many only know her as the daughter of England's Queen Victoria or as the mother of Russia's Tsaritsa Alexandra. However Alice, the Grand Duchess of Hesse-Darmstadt, was a unique individual in her own right... Alice's desire for helping others was not limited to the poor, for the Grand Duchess also found a purpose in aiding wounded soldiers. She had developed a great interest in nursing and befriended the infamous Florence Nightingale. It was this interest that caused Alice to take an active role during the second of Bismarck's wars, which occurred in 1866. Her gender limited Alice in what she could do; however she did what was allowed, which included making bandages for the wounded. Eventually the war ended though Alice's commitment to nursing did not. She started visiting hospital wards on a daily basis, often bringing her children along. In November of 1878, tragedy struck Alice's home. Her eldest daughter Victoria came down with diphtheria, and the girl's fever was extremely high. Four days later, Alice sent her mother a telegram stating another daughter, Alix, had also contacted the disease, and it appeared the child would die. Not soon after, May also became ill. Eventually all the children with the exception of Ella were infected with diphtheria. As it turned out, all but little May pulled through. The disease had resulted in a painful choking death for the little girl. Alice kept the news of May's death a secret from the others for as long as she could. Eventually the children started to question their mother about May's absence, and she finally confessed that their sister was dead. Ernie, still recovering from the illness, was extremely grieved. In an attempt to comfort him, Alice kissed the boy, and she contacted diphtheria as a result of this action. Weak from sleepless nights of nursing her family through the ordeal, Alice had no strength left to fight her illness. On December 14th, the 17th anniversary of her father's death, she passed away. She was only 35. Alice's attempts to improve the lives of the most humble, as well as her devotion to the sick and injured, speaks volumes of how far ahead she was of her time. Despite this, she is somewhat of a faded memory, caught in between a celebrated queen and a doomed tsaritsa." (source: Alexander Palace Time Machine website)