The dramatic life of King Charles’ ‘secret’ grandmother, Alice: Princess Philip’s deaf mother was sectioned twice, experimented on by Sigmund Freud and eventually became a nun, as shown in The Crown

Jan 1, 2023

Princess Alice, Prince Philip’s mother, was considered a royal enigma. What else do we know about her life? Photos: @maiarolorin/Instagram

Meghan Markle and Princess Diana’s mental health suffered while part of the royal family, but in the 1900s, Princess Alice was committed into two sanatoriums involuntarily

The great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria married Greek royalty, and her son Prince Philip married Queen Elizabeth; but she lived a life of philanthropy and became a nun in her final years

Meghan Markle and Princess Diana may be the most well-known royals to openly discuss their depression, but long before either were born, it was Britain’s Princess Alice of Battenberg whose mental health struggles threatened to define her. According to Esquire, Prince Philip’s mother was committed to a psychiatric ward twice against her will.

Princess Alice was born in 1885 in Windsor Castle. Photo: @shinyhistorygems/Instagram

King Charles’ paternal grandmother was an enigma in many ways, but her life was shielded from public and media attention, and even today, she’s considered a lesser-known royal.

Ultimately the Princess of Battenberg was an eccentric character who turned her back on royal life in favour of philanthropy and religion after suffering numerous hardships – from being separated from her children to undergoing controversial treatment at the hands of psychologist Sigmund Freud.

She is briefly portrayed in The Crown’s third season, but the show hardly scratches the surface of her story. So who do we know about this fascinating figure?

An English princess who married Greek royalty

Queen Victoria had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including Princess Alice of Battenberg. Photo: @queen.victoria.roses/Instagram

Princess Alice was born in Windsor Castle in 1885 to Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, making her British royalty by blood. Alice was born deaf and by the age of eight, she could lip read three languages, The Washington Post reports.

Princess Alice of Battenberg married Prince Andrew of Greece in 1903. Photo: @princess.alice.of.battenberg/Instagram

But her royal roots don’t stop there. She met her husband, Prince Andrew of Greece, when she was 17 at Edward VII’s coronation in London. The lovebirds got married in 1903, then moved to Greece to live in the royal palace. Alice and Andrew had four daughters together – Cecilie, Sophie, Theodora and Margarita – and one son, Philip, who would go on to marry Queen Elizabeth.