Helena Augusta Victoria, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, 1846-1923

Princess Helena of the United Kingdom; Helena Augusta Victoria; Born, 25 May 1846, Buckingham Palace, London; Died 9 June 1923 (aged 77), Schomberg House, London; Her godparents were the Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (the husband of Queen's cousin); the Duchess of Orléans (for whom the Queen's mother the Duchess of Kent stood proxy); and the Duchess of Cambridge (the Queen's aunt); Princess Helena began an early flirtation with her father's former librarian, Carl Ruland, following his appointment to the Royal Household on the recommendation of Baron Stockmar in 1859. He was trusted enough to teach German to Helena's brother, the young Prince of Wales, and was described by the Queen as "useful and able". When the Queen discovered that Helena had grown romantically attached to a royal servant, he was promptly dismissed back to his native Germany, and he never lost the Queen's hostility; married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein but however, the match was politically awkward, and caused a severe breach within the royal family; The Queen allowed the ceremony to take place at Windsor Castle, albeit in the Private Chapel rather than the grander St George's Chapel on 5 July 1866; Helena had a firm interest in nursing, and was the founding chair of the Ladies' Committee of the British Red Cross in 1870, playing an active role in recruiting nurses and organising relief supplies during the Franco-Prussian War. She subsequently became President of the British Nurses' Association (RBNA) upon its foundation in 1887. In 1891, it received the prefix "Royal", and received a Royal Charter the following year; Helena was also active in the promotion of needlework, and became the first president of the newly established School of Art Needlework in 1872; in 1876, it acquired the "royal" prefix, becoming the Royal School of Needlework; Among Helena's other interests was writing, especially translation. In 1867, when the first biography of her father, the Prince Consort was written, the author, Sir Charles Grey, notes that the Prince's letters were translated (from German to English) by Helena "with surprising fidelity". Other translations followed, and in 1887 she published a translation of The Memoirs of Wilhelmine, Margravine of Bayreuth. It was noted by the Saturday Review that Helena wrote an English version that was thoroughly alive, with a sound dictionary translation and a high accuracy in spirit. Her final translation was undertaken in 1882, on a German booklet called First Aid to the Injured, originally published by Christian's brother-in-law. It was republished several times until 1906; Princess Helena, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, died at Schomberg House on 9 June 1923 at the age of 77; Children: Prince Christian Victor; Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein; Princess Helena Victoria; Princess Marie Louise