Variations of Name | Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia | Alix |
Biography | Alexandra of Denmark was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 1901 to 1910 as the wife of King-Emperor Edward VII.
Alexandra's family had been relatively obscure until 1852, when her father, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was chosen with the consent of the major European powers to succeed his second cousin Frederick VII as king of Denmark. At sixteen Alexandra was chosen as the future wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent of Queen Victoria. Alexandra was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has ever held that title. Largely excluded from wielding any political power, she unsuccessfully attempted to sway the opinion of British ministers and her husband's family to favour Greek and Danish interests. Her public duties were restricted to uncontroversial involvement in charitable work.
On the death of Queen Victoria, Albert Edward became king-emperor as Edward VII, with Alexandra as queen-empress. |