Prince Leopold

A carte-de-visite portrait of Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria’s youngest son, known as ‘Leo’ within the family.

Born on 7 April 1853 at Buckingham Palace, he was the youngest and cleverest of Victoria’s sons. He managed to overcome his mother’s initial objections and studied at Christchurch, Oxford from 1872 to 1876, leaving with an honorary DCL (Doctor of Civil Law). In 1881 he was created Duke of Albany, and the following year he married Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont. The couple had two children, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1883-1981) and Charles Edward, 2nd Duke of Albany (1884-1954). The latter was born after his father’s death. Prince Leopold, a haemophiliac, died on 28 March 1884 at Cannes, after falling on the tiled floor of a clubhouse.

Photographed by Hills and Saunders of Eton and Oxford.