Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton |
|
|---|---|
| Hereditary Princess of Monaco | |
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| Born | Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton 11 December 1850 Hamilton Palace, Scotland |
| Died | 14 May 1922 (aged 71) Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary |
| Burial | Festetics Mausoleum |
| Spouse |
Tassilo Festetics von Tolna
(m. 1880) |
| Issue | Louis II, Prince of Monaco Countess Mária Matild Festetics de Tolna Prince György Tasziló Festetics de Tolna Countess Alexandra Olga Festetics de Tolna Countess Karola Friderika Festetics de Tolna |
| House | Douglas |
| Father | The 11th Duke of Hamilton |
| Mother | Princess Marie Amelie of Baden |
Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton (born December 11, 1850 – died May 14, 1922) was a Scottish noblewoman. She was an important figure in European royal families. She was the great-grandmother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and the great-great-grandmother of Albert II, Prince of Monaco. She was also a distant cousin to King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
Lady Mary's Early Life
Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton was born in Scotland at Hamilton Palace. She was the only daughter and youngest child of the 11th Duke of Hamilton, William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton. Her mother was Princess Marie Amelie of Baden.
Becoming a Princess of Monaco
Lady Mary's first marriage took place on September 21, 1869. She married Prince Albert, who was the only son and future ruler of Monaco. This marriage was arranged because Albert's family wanted him to marry someone from a British royal family. Even though Queen Victoria did not want one of her closer relatives to marry Albert, Lady Mary was chosen as a good match.
Lady Mary and Prince Albert had one son together, named Louis. Louis later became the ruler of Monaco after his father passed away. Their marriage was ended by the Church in 1880.
Life in Hungary: A New Chapter
On June 2, 1880, Lady Mary Victoria married for a second time. She married Count Tassilo Festetics de Tolna. They had four children:
- Countess Mária Matild Georgina (1881–1953)
- Prince György (1882–1941)
- Countess Alexandra Olga Eugénia (1884–1963)
- Countess Karola Friderika Mária (1888—1951)
During her 40 years of marriage to Count Tassilo, Lady Mary helped to make their family home, Festetics Palace, even grander. The palace is located in Keszthely, Hungary. She worked on improving the palace and its beautiful gardens.
Lady Mary and her husband often welcomed important guests to their home. These guests included her brother, the Duke of Hamilton, and his good friend, the Prince of Wales. You can still see portraits of her family members, including her father, hanging in the palace today. Outside the main entrance, there are special armorial bearings (family symbols) for both Lady Mary and her husband.
The Helikon Library at the palace holds many books that Lady Mary brought from her father's and brother's collections. These books came from Hamilton Palace in Scotland.
Lady Mary and her husband are buried in the Festetics family Mausoleum. This special burial place is located on the palace grounds, near Lake Balaton.
