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{{short description|Member of the British royal family}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox royalty {{Infobox royalty
| name =Prince Henry of Battenberg | name = Prince Henry of Battenberg
| image =Prince Henry of Battenberg.jpg | image = Prince Henry of Battenberg.jpg
| caption = Prince Henry {{c.}} 1885
| spouse =]
| alt = Prince Henry aged about 27
| issue =]<br />]<br />]<br />]
| spouse = {{marriage|]|23 July 1885}}
| full name =Henry Maurice Battenberg
| issue = {{plainlist|
| titles =''HRH'' Prince Henry of Battenberg<br />''HSH'' Prince Henry of Battenberg<br />''HIllH'' Count Henry of Battenberg
* ]
| house =]
* ]
|house-type = Family
* ]
| father =]
* ]}}
| mother =]
| house = ]
| birth_date ={{Birth date|1858|10|5|df=y}}
| house-type = Family
| birth_place =], ]
| father = ]
| death_date ={{Death date and age|1896|1|20|1858|10|5|df=y}}
| death_place =''HMS Blonde'', n. ] | mother = ]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1858|10|5|df=y}}
| date of burial =5 February 1896
| birth_place = ], ], ]
| place of burial =], ]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1896|1|20|1858|10|5|df=y}}
| occupation =Military
| death_place = HMS ''Blonde'', near ]
|}}
| burial_date = 5 February 1896
], Isle of Wight]]]
| burial_place = ], ]
Colonel '''Prince Henry of Battenberg''' (Henry Maurice; {{lang-de|Heinrich Moritz}}; 5 October 1858 – 20 January 1896) was a ] descendant of the Grand Ducal House of Hesse, later becoming a member of the ], through his marriage to ].
| occupation =
}}

'''Prince Henry of Battenberg''' (Henry Maurice; 5 October 1858 – 20 January 1896), formerly '''Count Henry of Battenberg''', was a ] descendant of the Grand Ducal ]. He became a member of the ] by marriage to ], the youngest child of ]. Through his daughter, ], who became the ], Henry is a direct ancestor of the current ].


==Early life== ==Early life==
Henry was born on 5 October 1858 in ], ]. His father was ], the third son and fourth child of ] and ]. His mother was ]. Henry was born on 5 October 1858 in ], ]. He was the son of ], and his wife ]. His father was the third son and fourth child of ] and ].


His parents' marriage was a ], as Julia was not considered a proper wife for a Prince, being only a ]. As such, at the time of his birth, Henry could not take his title from his father, and was styled ''His Illustrious Highness Count Henry (Heinrich) Maurice of Battenberg''. On 21 December 1858, Henry's mother was created ''Princess of Battenberg'' with the style '']''. Henry inherited this style and became ''His Serene Highness Prince Henry of Battenberg''. His parents' marriage was ], as Julia was not considered a proper wife for a prince of a ]ing dynasty, being only a ]. As such, at the time of his birth, Henry could not bear his father's title or name, and was styled ''His Illustrious Highness Count Henry of Battenberg''. He was known as 'Liko' to his family. When his mother was raised to ''Princess von Battenberg'' and given the higher style of '']'' by Alexander's older brother, ], Henry and his siblings shared in their mother's new rank. He became ''His Serene Highness Prince Henry of Battenberg'', although he remained ineligible to inherit the throne of Hesse or to receive a ] stipend.


Prince Henry received a military education and took up a commission as a lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of the Rhenish Hussars in the ]. He served in the Prussian ] and was also Honorary Colonel of the 1st Infantry Regiment of Bulgaria,<ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26712/pages/955</ref> where his brother ] was Prince. Prince Henry received a military education and took up a commission as a lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of the Rhenish Hussars in the ]. He served in the Prussian ] and was also Honorary Colonel of the 1st Infantry Regiment of Bulgaria,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=26712 |date=17 February 1896 |page=955 }}</ref> where his brother ] was Prince.


==Marriage== ==Marriage==
Because of their close relationship to the Grand Ducal House of Hesse, the Battenbergs came into close contact with various Royal and Princely families of Europe, including the British Royal House. Henry's elder brother, ], had married ], his ] and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In 1884, Prince Henry became engaged to ], the fifth daughter and the youngest child of Queen Victoria and ]. Queen Victoria agreed to the marriage on the condition that the couple should make their home with her. The Queen formally gave her consent to the marriage at a meeting of the Privy Council on 27 January 1885.<ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25436/pages/357</ref> Because of their close relationship to the Grand Ducal House of Hesse, the Battenbergs came into close contact with various ruling families of Europe, including the British Royal House. In April 1884, Henry's elder brother, ], married ], his ], and a granddaughter of ], ]. Shortly after that wedding, Prince Henry became engaged to ], fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and ]. Queen Victoria agreed to the marriage on the condition that the couple make their home with her. The ] formally gave her consent to the marriage at a meeting of ] on 27 January 1885.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25436 |date=27 January 1885 |page=357 |nolink=yes }}</ref>


On 22 July 1885, the Queen made Prince Henry a ], and granted him the style ] to give him equal rank with his wife.<ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25493/pages/3425</ref> This style took effect in the ], but not in the German Empire (where the Prince was still considered a ''Serene Highness'').<ref name="Dennison, M. p.150">Dennison, M., The Last Princess, p.150</ref> On 22 July 1885, the Queen made Prince Henry a ], and granted him the style ] to give him rank equal to his wife.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25493 |date=24 July 1885 |page=3425 |nolink=yes }}</ref> This style took effect in the ], but not in the ] (where the Prince was still considered a ''Serene Highness'').<ref name="Dennison, M. p.150">Dennison, M., The Last Princess, p.150</ref>


Beatrice and Henry were married at St. Mildred's Church at ], near ],<ref>Beatrice and her siblings were confirmed here</ref> on 23 July 1885.<ref name=ODNB1>{{cite web Beatrice and Henry were married at ] at ], near ],<ref>Beatrice and her siblings were confirmed here</ref> on 23 July 1885.<ref name=ODNB1>{{cite ODNB
| last =Purdue | last =Purdue
| first =
| title =Beatrice, Princess; Battenberg, Prince Henry of | title =Beatrice, Princess; Battenberg, Prince Henry of
| publisher = | year =2004
| doi =10.1093/ref:odnb/30658
| date =
| url =http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30658 | url =http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30658
| access-date =8 November 2007 }}
| format =
</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25495 |date=28 July 1885 |page=3529 |nolink=yes }}</ref>
| accessdate =8 November 2007 }}
On the same day, a bill to naturalise Prince Henry a British subject passed the ]. The couple adopted the style ''Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg''.
</ref><ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25495/pages/3529</ref>
On the same day, a bill to naturalise Prince Henry a British subject passed the ]. The couple adopted the style, ''Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg''.


On 22 August 1885 he was made Honorary Colonel of the ], the ],<ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25503/pages/3948</ref> In early 1886 it was announced in ''The Times'' that he would be made a Captain in the ], but ] denied knowledge of this in the House of Commons and the appointment did not take place.<ref>http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1886/feb/26/army-prince-henry-of-battenberg</ref> On 22 August 1885, exactly a month after the wedding, Henry was made Honorary Colonel of the ], the ],<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25503 |date=21 August 1885 |page=3948 |nolink=yes }}</ref> In early 1886, it was announced in '']'' that he would be made a captain in the ], but the ] (]) denied knowledge of this in the House of Commons and the appointment did not take place.<ref>{{hansard|1886/feb/26/army-prince-henry-of-battenberg|access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref>


Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg had four children. By Royal Warrant of 13 December 1886, the Queen granted their children the style ]. This style took immediate effect in the ] and elsewhere except within the German Empire, where, as Princes and Princesses of Battenberg, they were only entitled to the style ''Serene Highness''.<ref name="Dennison, M. p.150"/> Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg had four children. By royal warrant of 13 December 1886, the Queen granted their children the style ].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25655 |date=14 December 1886 |page=6305 |nolink=yes }}</ref> This style took immediate effect in the ] and elsewhere except within the ], where, as Princes and Princesses of Battenberg, they were only entitled to the style ''Serene Highness''.<ref name="Dennison, M. p.150"/>


==Later life & death== ==Later life and death==
], Isle of Wight]]
In 1889 Prince Henry was made Governor of ] and Captain-General and ].<ref>Dennison, M., The Last Princess, p.182-183</ref> He was made Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army on 21 June 1887,<ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25712/pages/3366</ref><ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25773/pages/223</ref> Colonel on 22 February 1893<ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26374/pages/946</ref> and appointed to the ] on 20 November 1894.<ref>http://www.leighrayment.com/pcouncil/pcouncil2.htm</ref><ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26573/pages/6625</ref>


In 1889, Prince Henry was made Governor of ] and Captain-General and ].<ref>Dennison, M., The Last Princess, p.182-183</ref> He was made Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army on 21 June 1887,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25712 |date=21 June 1887 |page=3366 |nolink=yes }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25773 |date=5 January 1888 |page=223 |nolink=yes }}
In November 1895, Prince Henry persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the ]. He served as the military secretary to the commander-in-chief of British forces, General Sir Francis Scott. He contracted malaria when the expedition reached Prahsu, about {{convert|30|mi|-1}} from Kumasi, and subsequently died aboard the cruiser HMS ''Blonde'' stationed off the coast of Sierra Leone. His body was repatriated by the cruiser ] from the ] and his funeral service took place on 5 February 1896, at the same ] on the Isle of Wight where he had been married. Interment followed in what became known as the Battenberg Chapel.<ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26712/pages/953</ref> The remains of his wife, Princess Beatrice, were placed there in August 1945 and those of his eldest son, the Marquess of Carisbrooke, in July 1961.
</ref> Colonel on 22 February 1893<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=26374 |date=21 February 1893 |page=946 |nolink=yes }}</ref> and appointed to the ] on 20 November 1894.<ref name="LG26573">{{London Gazette |issue=26573 |date=23 November 1894 |page=6625 |nolink=yes }}</ref>


In November 1895, Prince Henry persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the ]. He served as the military secretary to the commander-in-chief of British forces, Colonel Sir ]. He contracted ] when the expedition reached Prahsu, about {{convert|30|mi|-1}} from ], and subsequently died aboard the cruiser HMS ''Blonde'' stationed off the coast of ].
==Titles, styles, honours and arms==


His body was repatriated by the cruiser ] from the ] and his funeral service took place on 5 February 1896, at the same ], on the ], where he had been married. Interment followed in what became known as the Battenberg Chapel.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=26712 |date=17 February 1896 |page=953 |nolink=yes }}</ref> The remains of his wife, Princess Beatrice, were placed there in August 1945, and those of his eldest son, the Marquess of Carisbrooke, in July 1961.

Beatrice's sister ] told ] of "Prince Henry's attempted relations with her, which she had declined."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stamp|first1=Robert|title=Royal rebels: Princess Louise & the Marquis of Lorne|date=1 May 1988|publisher=Dundurn Press|isbn=9781550020397|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U_ckAAAAMAAJ&q=%22attempted+relations%22+battenberg}}</ref>

In 1896, Victoria erected a memorial to Prince Henry in the form of a ], near Connachat Cottage in the grounds of ]. It is inscribed "Brief Life! In sport and war so keen, morned by these winds in heath and fir as where the falling breakers stir the pains that crowned thy closing scene".<ref name=HES>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB51502|desc=Connachat, Prince of Battenberg Memorial|cat=C|access-date=20 April 2023}}</ref>

==Titles, styles, honours and arms==
===Titles and styles=== ===Titles and styles===
*5 October 1858 – 21 December 1858: ''His Illustrious Highness'' Count Henry of Battenberg
{{infobox hrhstyles|
*21 December 1858 &ndash; 20 January 1896: ''His Serene Highness'' Prince Henry of Battenberg
image=]|
royal name=Prince Henry of Battenberg| *In the UK: 22 July 1885 &ndash; 20 January 1896: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Henry of Battenberg
dipstyle=]|
offstyle=Your Royal Highness|
altstyle=Sir|}}
*'''5 October – 21 December 1858''': ''His Illustrious Highness'' Count Henry of Battenberg
*'''21 December 1858 &ndash; 23 July 1885''': ''His Serene Highness'' Prince Henry of Battenberg
*'''23 July 1885 &ndash; 20 January 1896''': ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Henry of Battenberg


===Honours=== ===Honours===
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
*'''KG''': ], ''1885''
* {{flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtum Hessen ohne Wappen.svg}} ]:<ref name="HofUndStaat">{{citation|title=Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen|year=1896|chapter=Genealogy|location=Darmstadt|publisher=Im Verlag der Invalidenanstalt|language=German|page=5|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
*'''PC''': ], ''1894''
** Grand Cross of the ], with Swords, ''18 May 1875''<ref name="ordensliste">{{citation|title=Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste|pages=5, 36|language=German|location=Darmstadt|year=1894|publisher=Staatsverlag|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
** Grand Cross of the ], ''23 April 1885''<ref name="ordensliste"/>
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}:
** '''KG''': ], ''23 July 1885''<ref name=p211>Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) ''The Knights of England'', '''I''', London, </ref>
** ], ''1887''<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
** '''PC''': ], ''20 November 1894''<ref name="LG26573"/>
* {{flagcountry|Principality of Bulgaria}}:<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
** ]
** Commemorative Medal for the Liberation of Bulgaria
* {{flagicon|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Altenburg}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Meiningen}} ]: Grand Cross of the ]<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
* {{Flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg}} ]: ], with Golden Crown<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
* {{flagcountry|Principality of Montenegro}}: Grand Cross of the ]<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
* {{flag|Ottoman Empire}}: ], 1st Class<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Portugal}}: ]<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Prussia}}: ]<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Romania}}: ]<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Serbia}}: ]<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
}}

===Arms===
]


==Issue== ==Issue==
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!Image!!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes !Image!!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|- |-
|align=center| ] ||]||3 November 1886||23 February 1960||Married, 1917 Irene Denison (4 July 1890 – 16 July 1956); had issue. |align=center| ] ||Prince Alexander of Battenberg <br /> ''later'' <br /> ]||23 November 1886||23 February 1960||Married, 1917 Irene Denison (4 July 1890 – 16 July 1956); had issue.
|- |-
|align=center| ] ||]||24 October 1887||15 April 1969||Married, 1906, ] (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941); had issue. |align=center| ] ||]||24 October 1887||15 April 1969||Married, 1906, ] (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941); had issue.
|- |-
|align=center| ] ||]||21 May 1889||23 April 1922||Suffered from ]; died unmarried and without issue during a knee operation. |align=center| ] ||Prince Leopold of Battenberg <br /> ''later'' <br /> ]||21 May 1889||23 April 1922||Suffered from ]; died unmarried and without issue during a knee operation.
|- |-
|align=center| ] ||]||3 October 1891||27 October 1914||Killed in action during World War I. |align=center| ] ||]||3 October 1891||27 October 1914||Killed in action during World War I.
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==Ancestry== ==Ancestry==
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|1= 1. '''Prince Henry of Battenberg''' |1= 1. '''Prince Henry of Battenberg'''
|2= 2. ] |2= 2. ]
|3= 3. ] |3= 3. ]
|4= 4. ] |4= 4. ]
|5= 5. ] |5= 5. ]
|6= 6. ] |6= 6. ]
|7= 7. Sophie Lafontaine |7= 7. Sophie Lafontaine
|8= 8. ] |8= 8. ]
Line 108: Line 130:
|10= 10. ] |10= 10. ]
|11= 11. ] |11= 11. ]
|12= 12. ] |12= 12. ]
|13= 13. ] |13= 13. ]
|14= 14. ] |14= 14. ]
|15= 15. Maria Theresia Kornély |15= 15. Maria Theresia Kornély
}}
|16= 16. ]
|17= 17. ]
|18= 18. ]
|19= 19. Princess Maria Luise of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg
|20= 20. ]
|21= 21. ]
|22= 22. ] (= 16)
|23= 23. ] (= 17)
|24= 24. Ignatz Marianus Hauck
|25= 25. Baroness Maria Franziska ] zu Eisenbach
|26= 26. Heinrich Wilhelm Schweppenhäuser
|27= 27. Charlotte Philippine Juliane Westermann
|28= 28. Benno Leopold Ignatius Lafontaine
|29= 29. Maria Katharina Franziska Leonhardt
|30= 30. Markus Kornély<ref name="paget">{{Citation|last=Paget|first=Gerald|year=1977|title=The Lineage & Ancestry of HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales|publisher=Charles Skilton|location=Edinburgh and London}}</ref>
|31= 31. Unknown<ref name="paget"/>
}}</center>
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==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{NPG name|name=Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg}}


{{s-start}} {{s-start}}
{{S-hou|]|5 October|1858|20 January|1896|]}}
{{s-hon}} {{s-hon}}
{{succession box | before=] | title=] | years=1889&ndash;1896 | after=]}} {{succession box | before=] | title=] | years=1889&ndash;1896 | after=]}}
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{{Battenberg family}} {{Battenberg family}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry of Battenberg, Prince}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME = Henry Of Battenberg, Prince ]
]
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
]
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
]
| DATE OF BIRTH = 5 October 1858
]
| PLACE OF BIRTH = ], ]
]
| DATE OF DEATH = 20 January 1896
]
| PLACE OF DEATH = ''HMS Blonde'', n. ]
]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry Of Battenberg, Prince}}
] ]
] ]
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] ]
]
]
]
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] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 12:54, 21 October 2024

Member of the British royal family

Prince Henry of Battenberg
Prince Henry aged about 27Prince Henry c. 1885
Born(1858-10-05)5 October 1858
Milan, Lombardy–Venetia, Austrian Empire
Died20 January 1896(1896-01-20) (aged 37)
HMS Blonde, near Sierra Leone
Burial5 February 1896
St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham, Isle of Wight
Spouse Princess Beatrice ​(m. 1885)​
Issue
FamilyBattenberg
FatherPrince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine
MotherJulia, Princess of Battenberg

Prince Henry of Battenberg (Henry Maurice; 5 October 1858 – 20 January 1896), formerly Count Henry of Battenberg, was a morganatic descendant of the Grand Ducal House of Hesse. He became a member of the British royal family by marriage to Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, the youngest child of Queen Victoria. Through his daughter, Victoria Eugenie, who became the queen consort of Spain, Henry is a direct ancestor of the current Spanish royal family.

Early life

Henry was born on 5 October 1858 in Milan, Lombardy–Venetia. He was the son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, and his wife Countess Julia von Hauke. His father was the third son and fourth child of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and Wilhelmina of Baden.

His parents' marriage was morganatic, as Julia was not considered a proper wife for a prince of a reigning dynasty, being only a countess. As such, at the time of his birth, Henry could not bear his father's title or name, and was styled His Illustrious Highness Count Henry of Battenberg. He was known as 'Liko' to his family. When his mother was raised to Princess von Battenberg and given the higher style of Her Serene Highness by Alexander's older brother, Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse, Henry and his siblings shared in their mother's new rank. He became His Serene Highness Prince Henry of Battenberg, although he remained ineligible to inherit the throne of Hesse or to receive a civil list stipend.

Prince Henry received a military education and took up a commission as a lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of the Rhenish Hussars in the Prussian Army. He served in the Prussian Garde du Corps and was also Honorary Colonel of the 1st Infantry Regiment of Bulgaria, where his brother Alexander was Prince.

Marriage

Because of their close relationship to the Grand Ducal House of Hesse, the Battenbergs came into close contact with various ruling families of Europe, including the British Royal House. In April 1884, Henry's elder brother, Prince Louis of Battenberg, married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, his first cousin once-removed, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Empress of India. Shortly after that wedding, Prince Henry became engaged to Princess Beatrice, fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort. Queen Victoria agreed to the marriage on the condition that the couple make their home with her. The Queen-Empress formally gave her consent to the marriage at a meeting of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on 27 January 1885.

On 22 July 1885, the Queen made Prince Henry a Knight Companion of the Garter, and granted him the style Royal Highness to give him rank equal to his wife. This style took effect in the United Kingdom, but not in the German Empire (where the Prince was still considered a Serene Highness).

Beatrice and Henry were married at St Mildred's Church at Whippingham, near Osborne, on 23 July 1885. On the same day, a bill to naturalise Prince Henry a British subject passed the House of Lords. The couple adopted the style Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg.

On 22 August 1885, exactly a month after the wedding, Henry was made Honorary Colonel of the 5th (Isle of Wight, Princess Beatrice's) Volunteer Battalion, the Hampshire Regiment, In early 1886, it was announced in The Times that he would be made a captain in the 1st Life Guards, but the Secretary of State for War (Henry Campbell-Bannerman) denied knowledge of this in the House of Commons and the appointment did not take place.

Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg had four children. By royal warrant of 13 December 1886, the Queen granted their children the style Highness. This style took immediate effect in the United Kingdom and elsewhere except within the German Empire, where, as Princes and Princesses of Battenberg, they were only entitled to the style Serene Highness.

Later life and death

Tomb of Prince Henry and Princess Beatrice in St Mildred's Church, Whippingham, Isle of Wight

In 1889, Prince Henry was made Governor of Carisbrooke Castle and Captain-General and Governor of the Isle of Wight. He was made Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army on 21 June 1887, Colonel on 22 February 1893 and appointed to the Privy Council on 20 November 1894.

In November 1895, Prince Henry persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the Ashanti War. He served as the military secretary to the commander-in-chief of British forces, Colonel Sir Francis Scott. He contracted malaria when the expedition reached Prahsu, about 30 miles (50 km) from Kumasi, and subsequently died aboard the cruiser HMS Blonde stationed off the coast of Sierra Leone.

His body was repatriated by the cruiser HMS Blenheim from the Canary Islands and his funeral service took place on 5 February 1896, at the same St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham, on the Isle of Wight, where he had been married. Interment followed in what became known as the Battenberg Chapel. The remains of his wife, Princess Beatrice, were placed there in August 1945, and those of his eldest son, the Marquess of Carisbrooke, in July 1961.

Beatrice's sister Louise told Sir James Reid of "Prince Henry's attempted relations with her, which she had declined."

In 1896, Victoria erected a memorial to Prince Henry in the form of a Celtic cross, near Connachat Cottage in the grounds of Balmoral Castle. It is inscribed "Brief Life! In sport and war so keen, morned by these winds in heath and fir as where the falling breakers stir the pains that crowned thy closing scene".

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

  • 5 October 1858 – 21 December 1858: His Illustrious Highness Count Henry of Battenberg
  • 21 December 1858 – 20 January 1896: His Serene Highness Prince Henry of Battenberg
  • In the UK: 22 July 1885 – 20 January 1896: His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Battenberg

Honours

Arms

Coat of arms of Prince Henry of Battenberg

Issue

Image Name Birth Death Notes
Prince Alexander of Battenberg
later
Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke		 23 November 1886 23 February 1960 Married, 1917 Irene Denison (4 July 1890 – 16 July 1956); had issue.
Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg 24 October 1887 15 April 1969 Married, 1906, Alfonso XIII of Spain (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941); had issue.
Prince Leopold of Battenberg
later
Lord Leopold Mountbatten		 21 May 1889 23 April 1922 Suffered from haemophilia; died unmarried and without issue during a knee operation.
Prince Maurice of Battenberg 3 October 1891 27 October 1914 Killed in action during World War I.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Prince Henry of Battenberg
8. Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine
4. Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine
9. Princess Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt
2. Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine
10. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Princess Wilhelmine of Baden
11. Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt
1. Prince Henry of Battenberg
12. Friedrich Carl Emanuel Hauke
6. Count Hans Moritz Hauke
13. Maria Salomé Schweppenhäuser
3. Countess Julia Hauke
14. Franz Leopold Lafontaine
7. Sophie Lafontaine
15. Maria Theresia Kornély

References

  1. "No. 26712". The London Gazette. 17 February 1896. p. 955.
  2. "No. 25436". The London Gazette. 27 January 1885. p. 357.
  3. "No. 25493". The London Gazette. 24 July 1885. p. 3425.
  4. ^ Dennison, M., The Last Princess, p.150
  5. Beatrice and her siblings were confirmed here
  6. Purdue (2004). "Beatrice, Princess; Battenberg, Prince Henry of". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30658. Retrieved 8 November 2007. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  7. "No. 25495". The London Gazette. 28 July 1885. p. 3529.
  8. "No. 25503". The London Gazette. 21 August 1885. p. 3948.
  9. "Army Prince Henry of Battenberg (1886)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 26 February 1886. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  10. "No. 25655". The London Gazette. 14 December 1886. p. 6305.
  11. Dennison, M., The Last Princess, p.182-183
  12. "No. 25712". The London Gazette. 21 June 1887. p. 3366.
  13. "No. 25773". The London Gazette. 5 January 1888. p. 223.
  14. "No. 26374". The London Gazette. 21 February 1893. p. 946.
  15. ^ "No. 26573". The London Gazette. 23 November 1894. p. 6625.
  16. "No. 26712". The London Gazette. 17 February 1896. p. 953.
  17. Stamp, Robert (1 May 1988). Royal rebels: Princess Louise & the Marquis of Lorne. Dundurn Press. ISBN 9781550020397.
  18. Historic Environment Scotland. "Connachat, Prince of Battenberg Memorial (Category C Listed Building) (LB51502)". Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Genealogy", Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen (in German), Darmstadt: Im Verlag der Invalidenanstalt, 1896, p. 5 – via hathitrust.org
  20. ^ Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste (in German), Darmstadt: Staatsverlag, 1894, pp. 5, 36 – via hathitrust.org
  21. Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) The Knights of England, I, London, p. 67

External links

Prince Henry of Battenberg House of BattenbergCadet branch of the House of Hesse-DarmstadtBorn: 5 October 1858 Died: 20 January 1896
Honorary titles
Preceded byThe Viscount Eversley Governor of the Isle of Wight
1889–1896 		Succeeded byPrincess Beatrice


Battenberg/Mountbatten family
Generations are numbered by their descent from Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Julia, Princess of Battenberg
1st generation
2nd generation
3rd generation
4th generation
5th generation
*Not Mountbatten or Battenberg by birth. Adopted the surname Mountbatten from his maternal line on abandoning his patrilineal Greek and Danish princely titles.
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