What if Queen Victoria had married Prince Alexander of the Netherlands?

Morty Vicar

Banned
WI Queen Victoria had preferred Prince Alexander of the Netherlands to Prince Albert, or had simply married Alexander to please her father?
 
You mean her uncle? Her father Duke of Kent died eight months after she was born. William IV wanted a Dutch match for Victoria, though, mirroring almost twenty years before when George IV wanted his daughter and heiress to marry the Prince of Orange.

Victoria was not too charmed by the boys, as she remarked to Leopold, her uncle: "The [Netherlander] boys are very plain and have a mixture of Kalmuck and Dutch in their faces, moreover they look heavy, dull, and frightened and are not at all prepossessing. So much for the Oranges, dear Uncle."

She was not disposed towards the marriage and pressed towards Albert from birth, although she never really got along with her mother and continuously argued with him. The Belgian King could be overbearing too. So I can see it possible, perhaps if Victoria throws one of her characteristic Hannoverian tantrums and her mother drives her over the edge. Vic despised her mother as well as her assistant of sorts, John Conroy, who dominated the household and forced the strict Kensington System upon Victoria. It might sweeten the deal as she'd be able to live away from her mother. William may sweeten it further by offering her what he offered her at eighteen OTL -- an establishment of her own as well as £10,000 per annum. She may jump and take it, over any opposition of her mother. She refused it IOTL, but only because of Conroy and her mother's threats. If she gets a little bit of a backbone, she may decide marriage is her only escape If she marries, he'll probably throw in a residence in London and within the country. Alexander probably gets the treatment dear Mr. Coburg got in 1817 -- the Garter, not to mention a generous pension (Leopold received £50,000 per annum for life; it was reduced to £20,000 as he claimed he gave to numerous charities when he became King of Belgium, but still).

I don't know too much about Alexander's character if Victoria would warm to him. Albert honestly was not too much her type, TBH. She liked balls and society when she was younger and he did not. She actually remarked in her youth that she preferred his brother Ernst. Albert was cultured, but what we'd probably call a Alexander might influence her towards a different lifestyle. Alexander died in 1848 from an accident back in the Netherlands, so that certainly doesn't happy. Victoria may get a long, happy marriage.

If the House of Orange still goes extinct, we may see a British Prince inherit that crown at the end of the century, rather than tiny, landlocked Coburg. Her reign would also lack an early political crisis: the bedchamber crisis.
 

Morty Vicar

Banned
Moved to the right Century.

Oops! :D

You mean her uncle?

I'm on a roll! :D :D

Her father Duke of Kent died eight months after she was born. William IV wanted a Dutch match for Victoria, though, mirroring almost twenty years before when George IV wanted his daughter and heiress to marry the Prince of Orange.

Cool, this is essentially a House of Orange wank.

Victoria was not too charmed by the boys, as she remarked to Leopold, her uncle: "The [Netherlander] boys are very plain and have a mixture of Kalmuck and Dutch in their faces, moreover they look heavy, dull, and frightened and are not at all prepossessing. So much for the Oranges, dear Uncle."

She was not disposed towards the marriage and pressed towards Albert from birth, although she never really got along with her mother and continuously argued with him. The Belgian King could be overbearing too. So I can see it possible, perhaps if Victoria throws one of her characteristic Hannoverian tantrums and her mother drives her over the edge. Vic despised her mother as well as her assistant of sorts, John Conroy, who dominated the household and forced the strict Kensington System upon Victoria. It might sweeten the deal as she'd be able to live away from her mother. William may sweeten it further by offering her what he offered her at eighteen OTL -- an establishment of her own as well as £10,000 per annum. She may jump and take it, over any opposition of her mother. She refused it IOTL, but only because of Conroy and her mother's threats. If she gets a little bit of a backbone, she may decide marriage is her only escape If she marries, he'll probably throw in a residence in London and within the country. Alexander probably gets the treatment dear Mr. Coburg got in 1817 -- the Garter, not to mention a generous pension (Leopold received £50,000 per annum for life; it was reduced to £20,000 as he claimed he gave to numerous charities when he became King of Belgium, but still).

I don't know too much about Alexander's character if Victoria would warm to him. Albert honestly was not too much her type, TBH. She liked balls and society when she was younger and he did not. She actually remarked in her youth that she preferred his brother Ernst. Albert was cultured, but what we'd probably call a Alexander might influence her towards a different lifestyle. Alexander died in 1848 from an accident back in the Netherlands, so that certainly doesn't happy. Victoria may get a long, happy marriage.

If the House of Orange still goes extinct, we may see a British Prince inherit that crown at the end of the century, rather than tiny, landlocked Coburg. Her reign would also lack an early political crisis: the bedchamber crisis.

I think Alexander may have been a more warlike influence, and less a 'man of the people' than Albert, who for instance perhaps helped quell any feelings of revolution to some degree with his sympathy for the working classes. Albert was also an educational reformer. His Dutch background may have had some influence on the Boer wars, either they never took place or the British were not quite so harsh, and more Boers supportive of British rule.
 
Cool, this is essentially a House of Orange wank.

I think Alexander may have been a more warlike influence, and less a 'man of the people' than Albert, who for instance perhaps helped quell any feelings of revolution to some degree with his sympathy for the working classes. Albert was also an educational reformer. His Dutch background may have had some influence on the Boer wars, either they never took place or the British were not quite so harsh, and more Boers supportive of British rule.

Yep, I guess you can say it'd be a sort of an Orange wank. If they don't all die out. :D You'd eventually have the House of Orange ruling in Britain, the Netherlands, and possibly the Duchy of Nassau, too.

Yeah, from what I've read Alexander doesn't seem too philanthropic. You have to keep in mind the British were crazy xenophobic; even Albert, for all his good, was really, really disliked. He refused to walk the gardens at Kensington with the King of Hannover once, as he refused to be heckled. That is, until Ernst promptly told him: "They hated me much more than they hate you and never gave me much trouble!" ;)

Alexander did have a military background, so he may be made a general, perhaps a Field Marshal when he's older. Leopold was made a general upon his marriage and George IV made himself a Field Marshal when he became King... and he had never even been in a single military engagement. Perhaps instead of charities and the great exposition, Prince Alexander can work on military reform and organization. It'll be interesting that their children will be Princes of Great Britain as well as the Netherlands and Orange-Nassau.

I know there were some nasty business regarding Edward VII's Christening as Albert insisted his German titles come before his title as Prince of Wales, that is, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Duke in Saxony.

As for Anglo-British relations, it could be interesting what happens. Britain will probably stay spendidly isolated regardless, but it may favor the Netherlands. Victoria's marriage would be probably in 1837 at the earlest... so Belgium is still going to exist. I wouldn't be surprised if Leopold became quite anti-British because of Victoria's "betrayal." I know that the British government was Whig and typically pro-Belgium, but I think it was for more of a balance of power. We might see a different Dutch and Belgian border: I know it caused big issues until 1839, and Luxembourg ended up being partition. Luxembourg province, now in Belgium, with Liège as the capital, was part of the Grand Duchy before then. We could see that end in the Netherlands favor, but I don't know. Victoria's marriage is one thing, but I don't see it having a huge effect on British politics. They may simply choose the Dutch over the Belgians as their "outpost" on the continent too speak.

It's really too early to speak about the Boer Wars; butterflies and all, it may not happen.
 
Last edited:

Morty Vicar

Banned
Yep, I guess you can say it'd be a sort of an Orange wank. If they don't all die out. :D You'd eventually have the House of Orange ruling in Britain, the Netherlands, and possibly the Duchy of Nassau, too.

Yeah, from what I've read Alexander doesn't seem too philanthropic. You have to keep in mind the British were crazy xenophobic; even Albert, for all his good, was really, really disliked. He refused to walk the gardens at Kensington with the King of Hannover once, as he refused to be heckled. That is, until Ernst promptly told him: "They hated me much more than they hate you and never gave me much trouble!" ;)

Alexander did have a military background, so he may be made a general, perhaps a Field Marshal when he's older. Leopold was made a general upon his marriage and George IV made himself a Field Marshal when he became King... and he had never even been in a single military engagement. Perhaps instead of charities and the great exposition, Prince Alexander can work on military reform and organization. It'll be interesting that their children will be Princes of Great Britain as well as the Netherlands and Orange-Nassau.

I know there were some nasty business regarding Edward VII's Christening as Albert insisted his German titles come before his title as Prince of Wales, that is, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Duke in Saxony.

As for Anglo-British relations, it could be interesting what happens. Britain will probably stay spendidly isolated regardless, but it may favor the Netherlands. Victoria's marriage would be probably in 1837 at the earlest... so Belgium is still going to exist. I wouldn't be surprised if Leopold became quite anti-British because of Victoria's "betrayal." I know that the British government was Whig and typically pro-Belgium, but I think it was for more of a balance of power. We might see a different Dutch and Belgian border: I know it caused big issues until 1839, and Luxembourg ended up being partition. Luxembourg province, now in Belgium, with Liège as the capital, was part of the Grand Duchy before then. We could see that end in the Netherlands favor, but I don't know. Victoria's marriage is one thing, but I don't see it having a huge effect on British politics. They may simply choose the Dutch over the Belgians as their "outpost" on the continent too speak.

It's really too early to speak about the Boer Wars; butterflies and all, it may not happen.

Thankls for all your input here, sorry I've nothing much to contribute. I'm very interested in this possible TL, but I have very little to add. My speculations are usually way off the mark, and I don't know much about European history generally. But it would be great to see you and others here expand on this (and/ or the earlier George IV POD) if you're interested.. :) Because of the relative lessening of the Monarchs's power in that period (particularly that of the consort) I imagine although it will have a profound impact, it will not be so massively different as to be unfathomable.
 
Thankls for all your input here, sorry I've nothing much to contribute. I'm very interested in this possible TL, but I have very little to add. My speculations are usually way off the mark, and I don't know much about European history generally. But it would be great to see you and others here expand on this (and/ or the earlier George IV POD) if you're interested.. :) Because of the relative lessening of the Monarchs's power in that period (particularly that of the consort) I imagine although it will have a profound impact, it will not be so massively different as to be unfathomable.

I am actually working on a TL in the period: Europe's Hope & Britain's Glory which posits Princess Charlotte of Wales marrying Prince Frederick of Prussia and surviving. So you may look there... I know it's not what your POD asks, but you see a future British Queen marrying into a relatively military fellow...

I can't think much of Victoria/Alex off my head as a different Victoria personality wise as she grows older, perhaps a different end to the Netherlands issue with Belgium; perhaps Luxembourg gets a better border out of the deal. Surviving House of Orange-Nassau in the Netherlands; if not the line continues regardless. British military reforms a bit earlier... you could have a whole slew of butterflies, regardless with the idea. The Victorian/Gregorian period has lots of interest, esp. Charlotte and Victoria. They both had many suitors. One got her love and died, the other got hers and lost hers. :D
 
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