Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

{{Infobox royalty

| name = Princess Beatrix

| birth_date = {{birthdate|df=y|1936|7|10}}

| birth_place = Schwäbisch Hall, Württemberg, Nazi Germany

| death_date = {{deathdateandage|df=y|1997|11|15|1936|7|10}}

| death_place = Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

| burial_date =

| burial_place =

| full name = {{langx|de|Beatrix Alice Marie Melita Margarete}}

| house = Hohenlohe-Langenburg

| father = Gottfried, 8th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

| mother = Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark

}}

Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg ({{langx|de|Beatrix Alice Marie Melita Margarete Prinzessin zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg}}; 10 July 1936 – 15 November 1997) was a German princess from the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. She was a niece of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and thus a first cousin of King Charles III.

Biography

Beatrix was born on 10 July 1936 in Schwäbisch Hall to Gottfried, Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, the eldest sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.{{cite news |title=Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-princess-beatrix-of/124146540/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 November 1997 |page=31}} The family was not invited to Philip's wedding to Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom in 1947, due to her parents' membership in the Nazi Party. Six years later, however, Beatrix and her family were seated in the royal box at her aunt's coronation in Westminster Abbey.{{cite book |last1=Horsley |first1=Peter |title=Sounds From Another Room: Memories of Planes, Princes and the Paranormal |date=1990 |publisher=Pen and Sword |location=London |isbn=1473818443}}

In January 1956, Beatrix and her cousin, Princess Christina of Hesse, moved to London into a flat arranged by their uncle, Prince Philip, in Dolphin Square.{{cite book |last1=Danczuk |first1=Simon |last2=Smith |first2=Daniel |title=Scandal at Dolphin Square: A Notorious History |date=2022 |publisher=The History Press |location=Cheltenham |isbn=9780750999823}}{{cite news |title=Duke's Nieces Job Hunting in London |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122020868/?terms=%22Princess%2BChristina%22%2BHesse%2B-Spain%2B-Sweden |accessdate=18 February 2019 |work=The Age |date=30 December 1955 |location=Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |page=1}} The two princesses attracted the attention of the British press as they went about the London season.{{cite news |title=Serious Minded Princesses, Toast of London, Prefer Work to Play |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/501472541/?terms=%22Princess%2BChristina%22%2BHesse%2B-Spain%2B-Sweden |accessdate=18 February 2019 |work=The Windsor Star |agency=Reuters |date=28 January 1956 |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |page=28}} Beatrix took dressmaking classes at the Royal College of Art. While Princess Christina eventually settled in the United Kingdom, marrying Prince Andrew of Yugoslavia whom the princesses were close friends with during their stay, Beatrix returned to Germany that same year.

In 1961, Beatrix became engaged to her first cousin, Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Baden.{{cite news |last1=Bridger-Linning |first1=Stephanie |title=The Margrave of Baden, King Charles III’s German cousin who was estranged from the Royal Family before attending the Queen’s coronation, dies aged 89 |url=https://www.tatler.com/article/margrave-of-baden-king-charles-iii-cousin-dies-aged-89 |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=Tatler |date=4 January 2023}} The couple broke off their engagement in September of that year.{{cite news |title=Royal Cousins End Engagement |work=The Gazette |date=9 September 1961}} Maximilian later married Archduchess Valerie of Austria (b. 1941) in 1966 and Beatrix never married.

In her later years, she served as secretary to Margaret, Princess of Hesse and by Rhine, the sister-in-law of her aunt, Princess Cecilie.{{cite book |last1=Channon |first1=Chips |editor1-last=Heffer |editor1-first=Simon |title=Henry ‘Chips’ Channon: The Diaries 1943-57 |date=2022 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=1529151740}} She lived in Langenburg, Germany, for most of her life. She continued to attend family events in Britain, such as the weddings of her cousins Prince Charles (later King Charles III) and Prince Andrew in 1981 and 1986, respectively.{{cite web |title=Lot #51: Princess Diana and Prince Charles Wedding Breakfast Program |url=https://natedsanders.com/princess_diana_and_prince_charles_wedding_breakfas-lot40195.aspx |website=Nate D. Sanders Auctions |access-date=16 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Lot #49: Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Wedding Breakfast Program |url=https://natedsanders.com/Prince_Andrew_and_Sarah_Ferguson_Wedding_Breakfast-LOT40193.aspx# |website=Nate D. Sanders Auctions |access-date=16 May 2024}}

Beatrix died on 15 November 1997, aged 61, in the town where she was born.