Poor Alice, had it all and by all, I mean, riches, prestige, love, and also knew penny pinching hardship, distain, fear, and worry. She lived through wars, civil conflicts, revolts, insane asylums, illness, and always felt isolated and distant due to her deafness. Her story is told in Alice Princess Andrew of Greece by Hugo Vickers.
She was born in Buckingham Palace because her grandmother, Queen Victoria, wanted all her grandchildren to be born there. She was hard of hearing and I think as she got older, her deafness worsened. She learned to lip read in a few languages, but if the man had a bushy mustache, she couldn't. Consequently, she seemed strange, aloof, and unstable.
She married a Greek prince, but when the Greek monarchy was overthrown, the family had to flee. She was related to royalty in Germany and Russia, but their reigns were overthrown. Assassinations were always a threat. No wonder she had a nervous breakdown. She spent some time in Switzerland's hospitals, away from her family. They were ashamed of her and considered her religious obsessions ridiculous. She was Greek Orthodox and started an order of nuns. The family laughed at her smoking cigarettes and playing cards in her nun's habit.
She started a hospital and hid Jews from Nazis. Due to her work, helping the Jews she was awarded the Righteous Gentile honor and is buried in Jerusalem. During WWII, while she was in Switzerland and working in the hospital, she was separated from her family. Her husband hung out in the south of France and died there. Her children, by that time, had families of their own and living in different countries. Her only son, Philip was in an English school. This boy eventually married Princess of Elizabeth--Queen Elizabeth and he became her consort.
What an eventful life! The book was interesting, but at times, like all biographies, had too many details. Queen Victoria's progeny was too hard to keep track. The author made Alice's life sympathetic and interesting. I am happy to learn about her.
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