- Born
- Died
- Birth nameVictoria Eugenie Julia Ena Prinzessin von Battenberg
- Nickname
- Ena
- Victoria Eugenia von Battenberg, always called "Ena", was born in Scotland on October 24, 1887, the only daughter of Prince Henry von Battenberg and Princess Beatrice, herself one of Queen Victoria's daughters. 1887 was also Queen Victoria's Jubilee Year, and in her honor her little granddaughter Ena was called the "Jubilee Princess". Her father had been obliged to live with his mother-in-law in order to marry the princess, but in 1896 he set off on the Ashanti expedition to West Africa, where he died of malaria. After turning down a marriage proposal from a Russian Grand Duke, Ena caught the eye of King Alfonso XIII, and her uncle King Edward VII gave her the title of Royal Highness in order to compensate for her morganatic status. After the wedding in 1906, Ena and Alfonso were returning to the Palace when a bomb was thrown at their carriage. It exploded and killed 24 people and wounded more than a 100. Though not injured, Ena was covered with the blood of a nearby decapitated guard. The royal couple had their first child, son and heir Prince Alfonso, in 1907, but much to their dismay he was a hemophiliac. Like so many of the female members of her family, Ena was a carrier of hemophilia (one of her brothers also suffered from hemophilia which killed him in 1922). The second son, Jaime, was deaf and their youngest Gonzalo was also a hemophiliac. Only the middle son, Juan, was healthy. Alfonso blamed Ena for their children's health problems, and their marriage deteriorated. In 1931, the King went into exile after Republican demonstrations and abdicated the throne of Spain in 1941. In 1934 Ena's children, Beatriz and Gonzalo, were in a car accident; though they were barely injured, Gonzalo was unable to stop bleeding and died at the age of 19. His eldest brother Alfonso also died in a car accident in Florida in 1938. Disheartened by the deaths of her children and the disintegration of her family, Ena lived throughout Europe for the rest of her life. She returned to Spain briefly in 1968 to stand as godmother to her great-grandson, Crown Prince Felipe. She was greeted warmly by the crowds, and when she left 50,000 people said goodbye to her at the airport. Victoria Eugenia von Battenberg, called "Ena", died on April 15, 1969.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Nichol
- SpouseKing Alfonso XIII(May 31, 1906 - February 28, 1941) (his death)
- Children
- Parents
- RelativesQueen Victoria(Grandparent)Prince Albert(Grandparent)Duke of Kent and Strathearn Prince Edward(Great Grandparent)Duchess of Kent and Strathearn(Great Grandparent)Prince Louis of Battenberg(Aunt or Uncle)Princess Royal Victoria(Aunt or Uncle)King Edward VII(Aunt or Uncle)Grand Duchess Alice(Aunt or Uncle)Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alfred(Aunt or Uncle)Helena of Schleswig-Holstein(Aunt or Uncle)Duchess of Argyll Princess Louise(Aunt or Uncle)Prince Arthur Duke of Connaught(Aunt or Uncle)Prince Leopold of Duke of Albany(Aunt or Uncle)Princess Alice of Battenberg(Cousin)Queen Louise(Cousin)Louis Mountbatten(Cousin)Kaiser Wilhelm II(Cousin)Princess Charlotte of Prussia(Cousin)Prince Henry of Prussia(Cousin)Victoria Mountbatten(Cousin)Elizabeth Feodorovna(Cousin)Princess Irene of Prussia(Cousin)Ernest Louis(Cousin)Tsarina Alexandra(Cousin)Queen Marie of Romania(Cousin)Princess Margaret of Connaught(Cousin)Princess Patricia of Connaught(Cousin)Princess Alice(Cousin)King George V(Cousin)Prince Albert Victor(Cousin)Princess Louise(Cousin)Dronning Maud(Cousin)Juan Carlos de Borbón(Grandchild)Elena de Borbón(Great Grandchild)Cristina de Borbón(Great Grandchild)King Felipe VI of Spain(Great Grandchild)Pilar de Borbón(Grandchild)Simoneta Gómez Acebo(Great Grandchild)María Zurita(Great Grandchild)Alfonso de Borbón Dampierre(Grandchild)Gonzalo de Borbón(Grandchild)Alessandro Lecquio(Great Grandchild)Lady Iris Mountbatten(Niece or Nephew)
- Children: Alfonso de Borbón; Jaime Luitpold Isabelino de Borbón (23 June 1908 - 20 March 1975); Beatriz de Borbón y Battenberg; Maria Cristina Teresa de Borbón (12 December 1911 - 23 December 1996); Juan de Borbón; Gonzalo Manuel Maria de Borbón (24 October 1914 - 13 August 1934).
- Great-grandmother of Simoneta Gómez Acebo, Cristina de Borbón, Elena de Borbón, King Felipe VI of Spain, and María Zurita.
- Grandmother of Juan Carlos de Borbón, Gonzalo de Borbón, Pilar de Borbón, and Alfonso de Borbón Dampierre.
- Great-great grandmother of Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón, Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón, Juan Urdangarín Borbón, Pablo Urdangarín Borbón, and Miguel Urdangarín Borbón.
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