Princess Alexandrine of Baden

Alexandrine of Baden (Alexandrine Luise Amalie Friederike Elisabeth Sophie; 6 December 1820 – 20 December 1904) was Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 29 January 1844 to 22 August 1893 as the wife of Duke Ernest II. She was the eldest child of Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden, and his wife Princess Sophie of Sweden.

Marriage Background

Before he ascended the throne, Alexander II of Russia was sent to Baden in order to present himself as a suitor for Alexandrine's hand in marriage. Alexandrine already regarded herself as his betrothed, as all the preliminary negotiations had taken place. On the journey there, however, Alexander visited the court of Hesse-Darmstadt and met Princess Marie of Hesse and eventually married her instead. Albert believed that a wife would be good for his brother: "Chains you will have to bear in any case, and it will certainly be good for you... The heavier and tighter they are, the better for you. A married couple must be chained to one another, be inseparable, and they must live only for one another." To the consternation of his brother and sister-in-law Queen Victoria, the marriage failed to "settle down" Ernest. Alexandrine accepted all his faults cheerfully enough, however, and began a fierce devotion to Ernest that became increasingly baffling to the outside world. Though Victoria was eager to see Alexandrine again, and though plans had been arranged the previous year for her to visit, Ernest chose to not bring her along. It was clear that as the chances of producing children had faded, Ernest was taking less and less interest in his wife. Although she loved Alexandrine, Victoria was appalled by her willingness to accept his affairs: "Uncle E.'s conduct is perfectly monstrous and I must blame Aunt very much. They have not written to me yet - but when they do I shall have to write very strongly." Marie, a daughter of Ernest's nephew and successor Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh later recalled Ernest as "an old beau, squeezed into a frock-coat too tight for his bulk and uncomfortably pinched in at the waist', sporting a top hat, lemon-coloured gloves, and a rosebud in his lapel".

Ernest died on 22 August 1893 after a short illness. Alexandrine died on 20 December 1904, having survived her husband by eleven years.

Alexandrine is buried in the ducal mausoleum at , Coburg.

Honours Dame Grand Cross of St. Isabel

Ancestry