Prince Louis of Battenberg
Prince Louis of Battenberg was born on June 25, 1854, in Graz, Austria, as the son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia von Hauke. He served in the British Royal Navy and rose to the rank of admiral. He was also a member of the British royal family, having married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, in 1884. Together, they had two sons and two daughters. Prince Louis was appointed First Sea Lord in 1912 but resigned in 1914 due to anti-German sentiment during World War I, despite his family's ties to England. He changed his surname to Mountbatten and renounced his German titles. After the war, he was appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight, and in 1937, he became the first Earl Mountbatten of Burma. During World War II, he became the Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia and was instrumental in defeating the Japanese forces. On August 27, 1979, Prince Louis of Battenberg, who had retired to Romsey in Hampshire, died at the age of 94.
