Augusta became very fond of her niece, Mary (the future Queen Mary), and Mary often wrote to her to keep her informed. The Teck family frequently had financial troubles and had been forced to spend some time on the continent to save money. By 1885, they were regularly back in England, and they were part of the royal procession during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Year.
In 1889, the end came for Augusta’s mother, the Duchess of Cambridge. Despite her stroke in 1873 and her subsequent health troubles, she had made it through the winter in relatively good health and seemed like she would be going on for some time. She died quite suddenly on 6 April 1889 at the grand age of 91. Mary Adelaide was only sent for when it was too late, and both George and Augusta were out of the country. Only the Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark) was present at the Duchess’s deathbed.
Mary Adelaide wrote, “Of the future I dare not think, with its terrible blank, for the one great object and constant care of my life has been taken away.”1
Queen Victoria wrote, “The sad ceremony is over. We returned at half past one. It was simple, not long and very impressive: just as at darling Leopold‘s. I enclose a Ceremonial and the Service. The church was very full. I was between poor Augusta (who looked so crushed) and Mary [Adelaide] with Alix and Beatrice behind us, the only ones who had seats on chairs, quite close to the coffin, which was placed facing the altar, all the others being in pews. […] Mary was also moved, but Augusta and George the most. […] I was very thankful to have been there with my poor cousins, the two eldest my contemporaries, and it was a help to them.”2 The Duchess was laid to rest in St Anne’s Church at Kew, but like her husband, she was moved to St George’s Chapel in 1930.
The late Duchess had spent a lot of time planning for Princess Mary’s future, but she did not live to see her become engaged to the Prince of Wales’s elder son, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. Prince Albert Victor dutifully proposed to her on 3 December 1891. Mary did not know Prince Albert Victor well, and during their short engagement, she would have doubts. The wedding date was set for 27 February as Queen Victoria disliked long engagements.
On 7 January, Prince Albert Victor felt unwell while out shooting. He returned home and to his bed, where Mary sat with him. It soon became clear that he had influenza, and just two days later, he was diagnosed with an inflammation of the lungs. By the 13th, he was delirious, and he frequently cried out, “Hélène, Hélène!” His fingernails turned blue, and the doctors began to fear the worst. The following day, it was clear he was dying. For six hours, he struggled as his mother held his hand. Mary watched on in horror. He died at 9.35 a.m. on 14 January 1892. Augusta wrote to her brother, “Poor Mary! After all… to come to this! No! It is too distressing!3
Queen Victoria certainly already saw the future quite clearly – Mary should marry the next heir, Prince George. After some time, George proposed to her, and they were married on 6 July 1893, and her beloved aunt Augusta was present. When she became pregnant not much later, Augusta anxiously awaited the new arrival. She wrote, “No telegram about dear May! We had so reckoned upon it, so each time the door went open, we jumped up, hoping!”4
When their first child, the future King Edward VIII, was born on 23 June 1894, Augusta was extremely happy. She wrote, “I still am in a twitter, can hardly take in the immense happiness of the moment! of this great Historical Event! Are you not beside yourself? I am! […] I longed to telegraph all over the world!”5 As the new Duchess of York’s family grew, she kept in touch with the ageing Augusta. Augusta’s circle grew smaller and smaller as she aged, and the first of the three siblings to die was Mary Adelaide.
Mary Adelaide began to feel unwell on 25 October 1897. She became sicker the following day, and an operation was performed. Her heart failed a few hours after the surgery, and she died at 3:00 a.m. on 27 October 1897. Augusta could not come over for the funeral but wrote to Mary. The following spring, Mary came over to the south of France, where Augusta was staying. Augusta needed the help more than ever, as a scandal had arisen concerning her granddaughter, Marie.
Marie had become pregnant by a palace servant named Hecht, who was responsible for turning off the gas lights in her bedroom and those of her siblings. It was only brought to her mother’s attention when Marie was about to have the baby. The story quickly spread around the royal courts of Europe after Hecht consulted a lawyer because of his dismissal.
Marie’s parents refused to have anything to do with her and insisted that she be sent away. Even Queen Victoria had an opinion, “It is too awful & shameful & almost sinful to send the poor Baby away. I hear fm (sic) a reliable source that the family have forbidden that poor, unhappy girl’s name ever being mentioned in the family… I think it is too wicked.”6 Augusta believed Marie had been terrorised by Hecht or even drugged or hypnotised.
Part five coming soon.
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