Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Princess Alexandra in 1905
Princess consort of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Tenure9 March 1913 – 16 April 1942
BornPrincess Alexandra of Edinburgh
(1878-09-01)1 September 1878
Schloss Rosenau, Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, German Empire
Died16 April 1942(1942-04-16) (aged 63)
Schwäbisch Hall, Free People's State of Württemberg, Nazi Germany
Spouse
Issue
Names
Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria
HouseSaxe-Coburg and Gotha
FatherAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
MotherGrand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia

Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria; 1 September 1878 – 16 April 1942) was princess consort of Hohenlohe-Langenburg from her husband Ernst II's accession as prince in 1913 until her death in 1942. The fourth child and third daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, she was also a granddaughter of both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

During Alexandra's formative years, she was often overshadowed by her elder sisters Marie and Victoria Melita for being considered less attractive and more reserved. Emphasis was placed on faith, the arts, and sports during different parts of her upbringing, depending on the authority figure in charge of her education, which often changed between residences. In 1896, she married Ernst II, with whom she had five children, including Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Marie Melita, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein. She became princess consort on his accession as prince in 1913. She thereafter lived in Germany, where during the First World War, she worked as a nurse for the Red Cross. After the November Revolution in 1918, the power held by German dynasties was overthrown, and her title as princess retained only nominal status. She became an early supporter of the Nazi Party, joining in 1937, where she remained a member until her death at Schwäbisch Hall in 1942. Her personal papers are preserved in Neuenstein Castle, reflecting research interest in a figure linked by ancestry to both the British royal and Russian imperial houses.