Queen Alexandra, consort of King Edward VII was a keen photographer.
The blog was written to highlight some of her work, I'm sure you'll agree, she had talent, especially in the early days of photography. I have selected some of the best photos from her historic collection.
George, Duke of York (later George V), & his children Prince Albert (later George VI), Prince Edward (later Edward VIII) & Princess Mary, on board HMY 'Osborne' Aug 1899.
Queen Alexandra - A Brief Biography;
Alexandra of Denmark (Born.1 December 1844 – Died.20 November 1925)
Alexandra was Queen consort of the United Kingdom & the British Dominions & Empress of India as the wife of King Edward VII.
Her family had been relatively obscure until 1852, when her father, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was chosen with the consent of the great powers to succeed his distant cousin, Frederick VII, to the Danish throne.
At the age of sixteen, Alexandra was chosen as the future wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent of Queen Victoria. They married on 10 March 1863 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, the same year her father became king of Denmark as Christian IX & her brother was appointed to the vacant Greek throne as George I.
Alexandra was the Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has ever held that title. She became very popular & her style of dress & bearing were copied by fashion-conscious women. Largely excluded from wielding any political power, she unsuccessfully attempted to sway the opinion of British ministers and her husband's family to favour Greek & Danish interests. Her public duties were restricted to uncontroversial involvement in charitable work.
On the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Albert Edward became king-emperor as Edward VII, with Alexandra as queen-empress. She held the status until Edward's death in 1910. She greatly distrusted her nephew, German Emperor Wilhelm II, & supported her son during the First World War, in which Britain & its allies fought Germany.
British & Russian Royal Families;
Between 5 & 14 June 1908, King Edward VII & his nephew-in-law, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, with members of their families, met on board their yachts, the Victoria and Albert & the Standart, off Reval in the Baltic. The meeting had political significance, as Britain & Russia had signed a friendly agreement in 1907, but it was also a family party.
Queen Alexandra kept an album commemorating the occasion: she had brought her No.4 Kodak camera with her & took a number of photographs, some showing the children of the Tsar.
Photograph of King Edward VII (1841-1910) and Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) on board the Imperial Yacht Standart, at Reval, Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia), taken during a State Visit to Russia, Reval. June 5-14 1908
Photograph of Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918), on board the Imperial Yacht Standart, at Reval, Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia), taken during a State Visit to Russia, Reval. June 5-14 1908
Photograph of King Edward VII (1841-1910) and Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) on board, probably the Imperial Yacht Standart, at Reval, Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia), taken during a State Visit to Russia, Reval. June 5-14 1908.
Photograph of Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918), on board the Imperial Yacht Standart, at Reval, Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia), taken during a State Visit to Russia, Reval. June 5-14 1908.
Photograph of Tsarevitch Alexis Nicholaievitch of Russia, dressed in sailor's suit.
Photograph of Grand Duchess Marie, Princess Victoria talking to Empress Alexandra, Dowager Queen Maria Feodorovna, Tsarveitch Alexis and Grand Duchesses Olga, Anastasia, Alexandrovna and Tatiana. on board the Imperial Yacht Standart, at Reval, Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia).
Group photograph, taken on board the royal yacht Standart, Reval. Central group, incudes, from left to right: Queen Alexandra, Tsar Nicholas II, King Edward VII, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (Princess Peter of Oldenburg), Princess Victoria, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovitch of Russia. taken by Empress Maria Feodorovna.
Dowager Empress Marie of Russia, with Grand Duchess Olga, Princess Peter of Oldenburg, & Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie & Anastasia, Jun 1908 .
Photograph of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia, third daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, on board the Imperial Yacht Standart, at Reval, Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia)
Photograph of Princess Victoria (centre) with the four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II: left to right, Grand Duchess Anastasia (moving out of picture), Marie, Tatiana and Olga. Empress Alexandra is seated to right. Taken on board the Imperial Yacht Standart, at Reval, Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia.
Photograph of Prince Edward of Wales ('Little David'), standing in naval cadet uniform. Probably taken at the Naval Review on 3 August 1907.
Photograph showing full length portraits of King Edward VII, George, Prince of Wales, & Princes Edward and Albert of Wales stand on deck, all in naval uniform, at Cowes.
This photograph, taken at the Review of the Fleets on 2nd August 1905, was published in Queen Alexandra's Christmas Gift Book in 1908. It shows her husband King Edward VII with three future Kings: George V, Edward VIII and George VI. Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021
Circular photograph of Queen Victoria and Princess Louise, standing in the garden of Abergeldie. Queen Victoria is stooping, looking at camera, wearing a bonnet and embroidered cap. Princess Louise stands to right, wearing a hat and veil, jacket and plaid skirt. Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021
Photograph of the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle with formations of guardsmen standing in the foreground. The State Entrance is in the background. This print, which bears an inscription in Queen Alexandra's hand, was probably taken around 1902 & may have been enlarged for display in one or more of the Kodak exhibitions.
Other creations;
Sheet of writing paper with Queen Alexandra's cipher featuring signatures of members of the British and Russian royal families, politicians & diplomats who attended a banquet during the State Visit to Reval (now Tallinn, Estonia) on 9 June 1908.
Queen Alexandra was also a keen artist.
A collage design drawing of the interior of a drawing room with red curtains and furniture by Queen Alexandra when Alexandra, Princess of Wales, including portrait photographs pasted onto the design, including King Edward VII,when Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in the foreground of the collage. Other individuals include Alexander III of Russia ; Maria Feodorovna, Dagmar of Denmark both standing by a window; with small portraits of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel incorporated in frames on the wall of the room. The other individuals are unidentified but are possibly members of the Danish Royal Family.
A collage design of an outdoors scene by Queen Alexandra, when Alexandra, Princess of Wales, including single portrait photographs of members of the Royal Family, pasted among the scenery. Photographs include the Princess of Wales on horseback, Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Oliver Montagu in the montage of photographs.
All photos: Royal Collection Trust/(c) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021
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