Then, in 1938, she lost her eldest son George to bone cancer. Not long after the war ended, Victoria lost her husband of 37 years in 1921. With her German honours removed by King George V, her name changed from Battenberg to Mountbatten. Not only did she lose two sisters during the war, Ella and Alix, but she also lost her identity. The outbreak of war in 1914 heralded the next set of tragedies for Victoria. Known for her adventurous spirit, Victoria flew in a Zeppelin airship and a biplane and travelled throughout Europe visiting family. One of Victoria’s grandchildren was a certain prince called Philip, who'd go on to become the Duke of Edinburgh after marrying Queen Elizabeth II, making Victoria the great-grandmother of King Charles III. Her second eldest, Louise, married the Crown Prince of Sweden, eventually becoming the country’s queen in 1950. Victoria’s marriage, however, proved long-lived and happy with the couple having four children together. The move caused quite a stir across the European royal houses with the scandal stealing the spotlight from Victoria. Rather hypocritically, her father disapproved of the match and decided to marry his mistress on the same day as his daughter's wedding. So much so that after falling in love with her cousin, German prince Louis of Battenberg, she proceeded to marry him without her father’s blessing. The tragedies moulded Victoria into a courageous and strong woman. Read more about Kings and Queens The 'Godmother of Europe': Queen Victoria's family ties across the continent Victoria, as the eldest daughter of the family, was thrust into a newfound world of responsibility. Then, in 1878, her youngest sister Marie passed away from diphtheria before her mother succumbed to the same disease a short while later. The first came in 1873 when her younger brother Friedrich fell to his death from a window aged just two years old. Throughout her life, Victoria was presented with many hard challenges. The eldest daughter of Princess Alice (the third child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) and Louis IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, Victoria was born in Windsor Castle in April 1863. With their lives encompassing everything from a classic fairytale to a Greek tragedy, the true story of the Hesse sisters is far from dull. Set against a backdrop of a feuding continent spiralling towards war, the sisters found themselves on opposing sides at the advent of WWI. Their lives, loves and losses fractured, altered and shaped the royal makeup of Europe like never before. Victoria, Ella, Irene and Alix were granddaughters of Queen Victoria and each married into a European dynasty. Famous for their beauty, the Hesse sisters were known within royal circles as ‘The Four Graces’.
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