“Mine is a nature which requires being loved,” Victoria reportedly told one of her sons-in-law. “I have lost almost all those who loved me most.”
As a result, marriage for Beatrice seemed unlikely. In fact, by the time the Princess had come of age, the Queen dreaded the idea of her daughter leaving her so much that she forbade the mention of weddings in Beatrice’s presence. The young princess, therefore, became increasingly withdrawn and isolated.
As the youngest daughter, she was expected to uphold the customs of the time: give up any hope of marriage to spend her life as a caregiver and companion for her parent.
So, when a 27-year-old Beatrice fell in love with Prince Henry of Battenberg, Victoria was both shocked and dismayed.
The Queen reacted frostily to the prospect of her youngest daughter marrying and was determined to keep Beatrice by her side. When the Princess unofficially announced her intention to marry Henry, whom she had met at a wedding in Germany, Victoria reacted with frightening silence.
