Prince Alexander John of Wales
Encyclopedia
Prince Alexander John Charles Albert of Wales (6 April 1871 – 7 April 1871) was the youngest son and sixth child of Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
(later King Edward VII) and his wife Princess Alexandra
, Princess of Wales
(later Queen Alexandra) and grandson of Queen Victoria and Christian IX of Denmark
.
. As a result of his premature birth
, he died twenty-four hours after his birth
. He was christened
privately in the evening after his birth by Reverend W. Lake Onslow. Both the Prince and Princess of Wales, a lady-in-waiting and a doctor who had been at the birth attended the christening.http://users.uniserve.com/~canyon/christenings.htm Although he was christened Alexander John Charles Albert, his family always referred to him as John. Forty-eight years later, when his brother (who by then was George V
) buried his youngest son The Prince John
, the king recorded in his diary (21 January 1919): "dear little Johnnie was laid in the churchyard next to brother John." Similarly, Queen Alexandra also wrote, "now our two darling Johnnies lie side by side." The prince was buried below the wall of Sandringham Church (the Church of St Mary Magdalene), Norfolk.
, the youngest son of George V
. Also buried at Sandringham is John Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales
, who died within ten hours of his birth on 12 January 1960.
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
(later King Edward VII) and his wife Princess Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
(later Queen Alexandra) and grandson of Queen Victoria and Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
.
Life
Prince Alexander John Charles Albert of Wales was born prematurely at 2:45 p.m. on 6 April 1871 at Sandringham HouseSandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. The house is privately owned by the British Royal Family and is located on the royal Sandringham Estate, which lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History and current...
. As a result of his premature birth
Premature birth
In humans preterm birth refers to the birth of a baby of less than 37 weeks gestational age. The cause for preterm birth is in many situations elusive and unknown; many factors appear to be associated with the development of preterm birth, making the reduction of preterm birth a challenging...
, he died twenty-four hours after his birth
Birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. The offspring is brought forth from the mother. The time of human birth is defined as the time at which the fetus comes out of the mother's womb into the world...
. He was christened
Infant baptism
Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...
privately in the evening after his birth by Reverend W. Lake Onslow. Both the Prince and Princess of Wales, a lady-in-waiting and a doctor who had been at the birth attended the christening.http://users.uniserve.com/~canyon/christenings.htm Although he was christened Alexander John Charles Albert, his family always referred to him as John. Forty-eight years later, when his brother (who by then was George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
) buried his youngest son The Prince John
Prince John of the United Kingdom
The Prince John was a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary. The Prince had epilepsy and consequently was largely hidden from the public eye.-Early life:...
, the king recorded in his diary (21 January 1919): "dear little Johnnie was laid in the churchyard next to brother John." Similarly, Queen Alexandra also wrote, "now our two darling Johnnies lie side by side." The prince was buried below the wall of Sandringham Church (the Church of St Mary Magdalene), Norfolk.
Legacy
For the royal family, the name John has brought bad luck upon the bearer. Buried beside Alexander John at Sandringham is his nephew, The Prince JohnPrince John of the United Kingdom
The Prince John was a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary. The Prince had epilepsy and consequently was largely hidden from the public eye.-Early life:...
, the youngest son of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. Also buried at Sandringham is John Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, who died within ten hours of his birth on 12 January 1960.