The Markund Times Online
Princess Alexandra, doyenne of the Atlantic Gotha, dies at 95
The Court announced today that Princess Alexandra, the King’s great aunt, unexpectedly died of a heart attack at 11.00 this morning at the age of 95.
The Princess was visiting the grave of a relative near Schloss Allsbach, the royal hunting lodge. She was found lying unconscious by an assistant, and when an ambulance arrived at the place she was declared dead.
Her coffin will be moved to the Royal Chapel tomorrow morning.
The Court has released the following statement: "The King, with the greatest sadness, has asked for the following announcement to be made immediately: his beloved great aunt, Princess Alexandra, died today after a long life of service to the Crown.”
The Princess, born Alexandra Theodora Clotilde Amalia Caroline Maria at the Residenz on March 11 1927, was the fifth child of King Friedrich V and Queen Maria Anna.
Fiercely independent and strong-willed, she never married, although she was briefly engaged to the Emperor of Excalbia, Joshua II. She was also courted by the Prince of Ilonburg, and some suggest that the late King of Cyretopolitania had an interest in her.
Alexandra led an active public life after her mother’s death in 1955, serving as first lady of the court until the marriage of her brother, the future Georg III. Afterwards, she assumed a discreet second place, and after her father’s death she withdrew completely from court, apparently due to disagreements with the Queen consort.
From the 1960s, the princess' life was quite colourful. She established her residence at Kloster St Agnes, a remote convent in the Lansborner Alps. She never took vows and kept a retinue of servants, much to the mother superior’s annoyance. She also made frequent trips abroad, mainly to visit her many cousins in Excalbia, Kartlis, Caldas and Mayagua.
In 1989, the princess’ quiet existence in the Alps took a sudden turn when her niece-in-law, the Empress of New Chalcedon, offered her a position as an advisor. It is not known officially what this role consisted of, but she became a well-known, if very discreet figure among intelligence circles in the Western Atlantic. She established her residence in the empire, and from there she actively supported the restoration of the Braslander monarchy, which had been deposed in 1994.
After General Lütken overthrew the increasingly dictatorial regime of President Palmersohn, Alexandra held several secret meetings to convince him about the necessity of reinstating her nephew, King Paul II. Negotiations went for several months and Lütken agreed to hold a referendum, including the possibility of restoration under Paul’s son, Crown Prince Georg. This last option was supported by over 80% of the people, and the young prince was crowned in 2009 at the Nikolausdom.
Alexandra stayed in New Chalcedon for only a few more years until she returned to her homeland in 2013. She led a peaceful life at Schloss Sprinzenwald, where she lived with her younger – and only surviving – sister Laure, the Dowager Landgravine of Henslen. However, she still occasionally took charge over sensitive diplomatic issues. Her influence in the Pantocratorian court was vital to pressure the Despot of New Constantinople to marry the Duchess of Lansborn, after years of postponing the issue.
She was not so successful in her support of the King’s younger sister, Princess Helena, who had to leave Brasland after her lesbian affaire was discovered and exposed publicly. Alexandra pushed the palace to protect the princess, but Georg IV decided against so. That was the princess’ last battle. She finally retired from active life, although she continued her traditional round of trips across the region, visiting the old friends and cousins that remained, such as the Dowager Queen Safiya of Cyretopolitania, Princess Zofia of Kartlis and Princess Eleonora of Itaytá.
Princess Alexandra will be remembered for her fiery temper, her sharp tongue, a strict sense of duty and an unwavering loyalty to the Crown. The Court has not yet informed of funeral arrangements, but it is believed that she wished for a private and small affair, restricted to close friends and family.
