Maud was born on 26 November 1869 at Marlborough House in London to the Prince And Princess of Wales, the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. She was christened Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria by The Bishop of London and had many royal godparents, including Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel, Charles XV of Sweeden, and even Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, who was also her maternal aunt. The high-spirited Maud, in comparison to her other siblings who found their upbringing oppressive and sheltered, had a happy childhood. The tomboyish Maud enjoyed riding horses and playing sports, she was even known as "Harry" by the Royal Family. Maud eventually married her first cousin Prince Carl of Denmark, who was the son of her mothers brother, Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark, on 22 July 1896 in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace, and they were given Appleton House on the Sandringham Estate for their visits to England. Maud waited until her late twenties to get married, which was quite a long wait at the time. At Appleton House, they had their son and only child, Prince Alexander, on 2 July 1903. Upon the disoultion of the 91 year old union between Norway and Sweeden in 1905, the Norwegian Parliament voted to offer the throne to Prince Carl and Princess Maud. It is believed that Maud's membership in the British Royal Family contributed heavily to Prince Carl being chosen. After a national vote, Prince Carl accepted the throne and took the name Haakon VII while his son took the name Olav. The King and Queen were crowned in Nidaros Cathedral on 22 June 1906. Britain always had a place in Queen Mauds heart, however she also conformed to Norway quickly. She played a dominant role in court and in her family; she even made an attempt to learn the language. She played her role as queen with grace, dignity, and care. Renowned for her spectacular sense of fashion, Maud used clothes and jewellery to give herself a more regal impression. She inherited this great sense of style, as well as her slender figure, from her mother Queen Alexandra. She supported many charitable causes, especially in areas concerning children and animals. She even supported and encouraged entertainers, musicians, and artistists. Maud was very much a feminist, supporting Katti Anker Moller, a great feminist of her time, and her home for unwed mothers, which was quite radical at the time. Her love for Britain never died, in fact, she visited Engalnd every year and she even had an English garden arranged at Kongsseteren, their royal lodge. She also, however, enjoyed many things about Norway, for instance, she loved the winter sports such as skiing. She was also determined to bring her son up Norwegian. Queen Maud was often described as reserved in public but very energetic and fun in private; she was a lover of practical jokes. Her last public appearance in England was at the coronation of her nephew King George VI in 1937. On a visit to England in 1938, Maud stayed at her home on the Sadrigham Estate, however she became ill and was soon moved to a nursing home in London where an abdominal surgery was performed. Immediately following the surgery, her husband travelled to London to be with his wife. Despite the success of the surgery, Maud died unexpectedly of heart failure at Appleton House on 20 November 1938, six days before her 69 birthday. She was the last surviving child of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and she is buried in the Royal Moseleum at Akershus Castle in Oslo.
1 Comment
8767
4/30/2019 06:53:31 am
"England" is spelt wrong in the 7th paragraph
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