Social Victorians/People/Gleichen

Also Known As
Surname: functionally, Gleichen, especially after 1917, when German titles were replaced with surnames.

Counts and Countesses Gleichen

 * Count von Gleichen (the father and son were both count at the same time)
 * Victor Ferdinand Franz Eugen Gustaf Adolf Constantin Friedrich of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (15 December 1885 – 31 December 1891)
 * Edward Gleichen (31 December 1891 – 14 December 1947)
 * Countess von Gleichen (26 January 1861 – 13 February 1912) (The mother and daughters were all countess at the same time, and when Laura Williamina died, the title went to her son.)
 * Laura Williamina Seymour (26 January 1861 – 15 December 1885)
 * Feo (Feodora Georgina Maud)
 * Valda (Victoria Alice Leopoldina Ada Laura)
 * Helena Emily of Hohenlohe, Countess of Gleichen

Laura Williamina Seymour of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

 * HSH Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (15 December 1885 – 13 February 1912)
 * Laura Williamina Seymour
 * Princess Victor of Hohenlohe

Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

 * Prince Victor of Hohenlohe

Valda Gleichen

 * Arnold Dolmetsch, Valda's teacher

Valda Gleichen

 * The Magpie Minstrels Madrigal Society — "a body of singers gathered together by Alfred Scott-Gatty to sing for charity"

Timeline
1861 January c. 13, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha created Laura Williamina Seymour Countess von Gleichen so that she could marry Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

1861 January 26, Laura Williamina Seymour and Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg married, a morganatic marriage for him.

1870, Queen Victoria granted Laura, Countess von Gleichen the rank and style of a daughter of a marquess; she would use the honorific Lady.

1885 December 15, Queen Victoria gave Laura Williamina of Hohenlohe-Langenburg permission to share Prince Victor's rank at court; from then on they were known as HSH Prince and Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

1890 May 21, Arnold Dolmetsch and Valda Gleichen performed together, perhaps in the Magpie Minstrels; possibly this is an event Queen Victoria disapproved of.

1897 July 2, Friday, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg and Countess Helena Gleichen attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. (Laura, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg is #16 on the list of people who were present; Countess Helena Gleichen is #17.)

1905 December 5, Valda (Victoria Alice Leopoldina Ada Laura), Countess Gleichen and Percy Wilfred Machell married.

Laura, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg
At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Laura, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg was in a Louis Quinze or Elizabethan costume, and she was at the first seating for supper, at Table 6. She is usually called Princess Victor of Hohenlohe; twice (likely the same story repeated in the typical copy-and-paste editing) she is called Princess Hohenlohe.


 * She was dressed "in Louis Quinze costume."
 * "Princess Hohenlohe wore a fifteenth century dress of old brocade and velvet with many jewels."
 * She was dressed in a "Louis Quinze costume, consisting of a dark red velvet skirt, with front of old brocade, long b[??] with pearl and / diamond stomacher, tight short sleeves with full antique black lace, and wig draped with the latter."
 * "Princess Hohenlohe wore a fifteenth century drew of old brocade velvet, with many jewels."
 * She "made an admirable appearance in her Elizabethan gown, with skirt of dark red velvet."
 * She "wore a fifth century dress of old brocade and velvet with many jewels."
 * The Gentlewoman includes a line drawing of her in her costume, which it describes as a "dark red velvet skirt over crinoline front of old brocade; long bodice with pearl and diamond stomacher, tight short sleeves with very full old black lace; wig draped with black lace."
 * "Princess Victor Hohenlohe-Langenburg, in Louis XV. costume, consisting of a dark red velvet skirt front of old brocade, with diamond and pearl stomacher."
 * Her costume was "made by Mr. W. Clarkson, of Wellington-street."

Henry Bullingham's portrait of "Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Laura Williamina (née Seymour), Countess von Gleichen) as Margravine of Anspach (Ansbach)" in costume is photogravure #50 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Princess Victor of Hohenlohe as Margravine of Anspach," with a Long S in Princess.

Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg died in 1891.



Countess Helena Gleichen
Countess Helena Gleichen went as Joan of Arc. Henry Bullingham's portrait of Lady Helena Gleichen (Countess Helena Emily Gleichen) as Joan of Arc" in costume is photogravure #256 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Countess Helena Emily Gleichen as Joan of Arc," with a Long S in Countess.
 * She was dressed "as Joan of Arc, in a suit of armour."
 * She "was conspicuous in a Joan of Arc suit of armour."
 * "The Countess Gleichen (Joan of Arc), suit of armour."

Demographics

 * Nationality: Prince Victor, Württembergian (now Germany), naturalized to British; her, English
 * Residence: St. James's Palace

Family

 * Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Victor Ferdinand Franz Eugen Gustaf Adolf Constantin Friedrich of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (11 December 1833 – 31 December 1891)
 * Laura Williamina Seymour of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg) (17 December 1832 – 13 February 1912) or (27 January 1833 – 3 February 1912)
 * 1) Feo (Feodora Georgina Maud) (20 December 1861 – 22 February 1922)
 * 2) Edward (Albert Edward Wilfred) (15 January 1863 – 14 December 1937)
 * 3) Valda (Victoria Alice Leopoldina Ada Laura) (1868–1951)
 * 4) Helena Emily (1 February 1873 – 28 January 1947)

Relations

 * Prince Victor of Hohenlohe was a half-nephew of Queen Victoria (i.e., his mother was Victoria's half sister Feodora).
 * Laura Williamina was a sister of Francis Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford.

Questions and Notes

 * 1) The London Daily News and the Belfast News-Letter say Princess Hohenlohe, who seems likely to be Laura, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg
 * 2) Valda Gleichen was one of Arnold Dolmetsch's students and performed with him once (21 May 1890).
 * 3) Neither Lady Feodora Georgina Maud Gleichen nor Lady Helena Emily Gleichen married.