Louise Mountbatten

Louise Alexandra Marie Irene Mountbatten (born Princess Louise of Battenberg; later Lady Louise Mountbatten; 13 July 1889 – 7 March 1965) was Queen of Sweden from 29 October 1950 until her death in 1965 as the wife of King Gustaf VI Adolf. Born a princess of the German House of Battenberg, Louise was closely related to the ruling families of Britain, as a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and of Russia, as a niece of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia. She was also an older sister to Lord Mountbatten and aunt to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. During the First World War, Louise served as a nurse in the Red Cross. She married the widowed Swedish crown prince Gustaf Adolf in 1923 and held the title of crown princess until his accession in 1950, when she became queen. Louise was noted for her eccentricity and progressive views.

Early life

Louise was born a Princess of Battenberg at Schloss Heiligenberg, Seeheim-Jugenheim, in the Grand Duchy of Hesse.

Her father, Prince Louis of Battenberg, who was an admiral in the British Royal Navy, renounced his German title during the First World War and anglicised his family name to "Mountbatten" at the behest of George V. He was then created the first Marquess of Milford Haven in the peerage of the United Kingdom. From 1917, therefore, his daughter was known as "Lady Louise Mountbatten".

Her mother was Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Louise was a sister of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and of Princess Alice of Battenberg who was the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. She was also a maternal niece of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia.

Because of her father's work, the family moved around between different territories in the British Empire, such as Malta, but they returned often to the Heiligenberg outside Darmstadt which they considered their holiday home, always retaining a residence in England. Louise often visited her great-grandmother Queen Victoria on the Isle of Wight with her mother during her childhood. Later during the war, while she volunteered as a nurse in Nevers, she began a relationship with Alexander Stuart-Hill, a Scottish artist living in Paris. Anticipating that her parents would be disappointed in her choice, Louise kept their engagement a secret. Eventually, she confided in her parents, who were understanding, and invited Stuart-Hill for visits at Kent House twice. In response, the Swedish Foreign Ministry, citing the law in question, clarified the term "a private Swedish or foreign man's daughter" to mean "he who did not belong to a sovereign family or to a family which, according to international practice, would be equal thereto" (som icke vore medlem av suverän familj eller familj som enligt internationell praxis vore därmed likställd), and announced that the Swedish government had "requested the British government's explanation of Lady Louise Mountbatten's position in this respect." The treaty stated, in part, that the kings of the United Kingdom and Sweden "having judged it proper that an alliance should again be contracted between their respective Royal Houses by a marriage...have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles", which articles declared that the marriage would be celebrated in London and duly authenticated, that the couple's financial settlements would be expressed in a separate marriage contract which was declared to be "an integral part of the present Treaty", and that the two nations' ratifications of the treaty would be exchanged in Stockholm, which formally occurred 12 November 1923.

On 3 November 1923, at age 34, Louise married Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf,

Death and funeral

Louise died on 7 March 1965 at Saint Göran Hospital, in Stockholm, Sweden, following emergency surgery after a period of severe illness. She had made her last public appearance at the Nobel Prize Ceremony in December 1964. Louise is buried beside her husband and his first wife, Crown Princess Margaret, in the Royal Cemetery in Solna north of Stockholm.

Honours Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria Knight of the Order of the Elephant Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose Dame of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour Recipient of the Medal of French Gratitude Recipient of the Queen Juliana Investiture Medal Member of the Royal Order of the Seraphim Recipient of the Royal Family Order of King Gustaf V Recipient of the Royal Family Order of King Gustaf VI Adolf Recipient of the 90th Birthday Badge Medal of King Gustaf V Recipient of the 70th Birthday Badge Medal of King Gustaf V Recipient of the Royal Red Cross (RRC) Recipient of the British War Medal