Prince Alexander John of Wales

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 and his wife Princess Alexandra, Princess of Wales.

Life

Prince Alexander John Charles Albert of Wales was born prematurely at 2:45 p.m. on 6 April, 1871 at Sandringham House. As a result of his premature birth, he was a sickly baby and 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.[1] 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.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 6–7 April 1871: His Royal Highness Prince Alexander John of Wales

Ancestry

Legacy

British Royalty
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Edward VII
Albert, Duke of Clarence
George V
Louise, Princess Royal
Princess Victoria
Maud, Queen of Norway
Prince Alexander John
Maternal grandchildren
Alexandra, Duchess of Fife
Maud of Fife

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 John, 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.

References

• Marlene A. Eilers, "Queen Victoria's Descendants". Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987