Queen Victoria Eugenia
Queen Victoria Eugenia was born in 1887, in the Balmoral Castle in Scotland, as the daughter of Queen Ena of Spain and King Alfonso XIII. She was raised in a royal family, and her education focused on languages, arts, and history. In 1906, she met King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and they married the same year. As queen consort of Spain, she was admired for her beauty, patronage of the arts, and charitable work. However, her marriage was troubled, marred by infidelity on both sides, political crisis, and the assassination of the Spanish prime minister, Jose Canalejas. In 1931, her husband was forced to abdicate after nationwide protests, and the family went into exile in Rome. Queen Victoria Eugenia remained in Italy after her husband's death in 1941, and died there in 1969. She was remembered for her grace, intelligence, and dedication to her adopted country of Spain.
