Prince and Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein pose for this Hills & Saunders photo. Schleswig-Holstein was the subject of two wars barely a decade apart. The Prussians won the second one in 1864, beginning Bismark's drive towards unifying Germany by force. Many of the people in the southern part of south Schleswig-Holstein were German, the people further north were predominantly Danish; so the war was in large part justifiable by the standards of the day. The issue of proper sovereignty was settled by plebiscites in 1920.
Prince Christian was 15-years older than Helena and they lived in England, as insisted upon by Helena's mother. Their political situation was delicate - Helena's sister in law Alexandra was Danish and her oldest sister, Princess Royal Victoria, was married to the Prussian Crown Prince. Despite everything, Helena and Christian had a happy marriage.
Posted to Foro Dinastias by Minnie on 9 November 2008; sepia tone removed by gogm.
Keywords: Hills & Saunders, Princess Helena, Princess, Hanover family, British, straight coiffure, hair net, high neckline, collar, long close sleeves, cuffs, belt, crinoline, neck band, earrings