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Queen Victoria -

Europe was in the process of recovering from decades of brutal conflicts during the early years of Queen Victoria's reign, such as the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars, which resulted in the loss of millions of lives.

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Rebuilding Europe -

European leaders reconstructed major European countries like Germany and France, fostering peace and a fresh equilibrium in terms of political power. Great Britain remained one of the most formidable states during this period.

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A peace plan -

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert devised an unconventional strategy to uphold harmony and unity within Europe.

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Marriage strategy -

They had a total of nine children, and even more grandchildren. Throughout their lives, they arranged numerous unions between their successors and notable European royals.

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The German strategy -

Germany, being a highly divided and unstable nation during that period, prompted Queen Victoria to strategically marry most of her children to the royalty of various German states, with the expectation of uniting them in the future. 

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Princess Victoria -

Princess Victoria's firstborn married Prince Frederick III, who later became the King of Prussia.

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Germany divided -

At that time, Prussia was the strongest among the German states. Queen Victoria held the belief that it would be Prussia who would most likely unify and govern Germany.

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Prince Arthur Rewrites -

Prince Arthur wedded Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, another royal from Prussia.

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Princess Alice -

Princess Alice wedded Louis IV and became the Grand Duchess of Hesse through marriage.

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Princess Beatrice -

Princess Beatrice wed Prince Henry of Battenberg.

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Prince Leopold -

Prince Leopold wedded Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

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Princess Helena -

Princess Helena wed Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein.

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Prince Alfred Prince Alfred -

Complications emerged when the second son of Queen Victoria expressed his desire to marry the daughter of the Russian tsar. The Queen held serious reservations regarding a potential alliance with Russia.

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The Russian Monarchy -

The Russian monarchy functioned as an autocracy, with a single leader holding absolute power. On the other hand, the British monarchy adopted a constitutional monarchy system, ensuring their accountability to the constitution.

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Joining Russia -

Despite the Queen's apprehensions, Alfred wed Maria Alexandrovna, the Grand Duchess of Russia.

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King Edward VII -

Queen Victoria's firstborn son, the future King Edward ViI, wedded Alexandra of Denmark.

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The Greek Strategy -

Alexandra's brother (on the right) was King George I of Greece, therefore this marriage forged a connection between the British royals and two significant European monarchies.

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Work done -

By the 1880s, Queen Victoria had managed to arrange marriages for all her children with influential European royal families. However, her ambitions for peace and harmony were not fully realized. Germany did achieve unification, but at the cost of a violent conflict. Meanwhile, the Russian royal family faced a decline in power, culminating in the assassination of the tsar in 1881.

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The grandchildren -

However, Queen Victoria persisted in arranging advantageous marriages for her 42 grandchildren, resulting in the ascent to the throne for seven of them.

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Kaiser Wilhelm II -

Wilhelm II, her eldest grandchild, wed a German princess and became Emperor of Germany.

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King George V -

King George V was next in line to become the King of Britain and he wed a lesser-known member of a royal family, Mary of Teck.

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Alexandra Feodorovna -

Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Alice's daughter, wed Nicolas II of Russia, thus becoming the tsarina of Russia.

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Russian Revolution -

They tragically died, along with their children, during the Russian Revolution. The rumor of a possible escape by one daughter inspired the 1997 animated children's movie 'Anastasia,' which portrayed their story.

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Princess Maud -

Maud of Wales, the daughter of King Edward VII, wedded King Haakon VII and assumed her role as the Queen of Denmark.

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Princess Marie -

Marie, the daughter of Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, wed King Ferdinand I and was crowned Queen of Romania.

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Queen Victoria's passing -

Queen Victoria's numerous alliances, though powerful, failed to achieve lasting peace and unity in Europe. She passed away 13 years prior to the outbreak of World War I.

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World War I -

Her grandchildren engaged in a huge and historical war against each other, resulting in the loss of 10 million lives and destroying any semblance of peace in Europe. 

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A fresh perspective -

The World Wars resulted in the downfall of many monarchies in Europe. The British royals recognized the importance of being relatable and accessible to their citizens to ensure their own survival. Consequently, marriages gradually shifted from strategic political alliances to ones based on love.

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Current royal unions -

The British royal family is now closely related to nearly all the other European royal families, which further explains why they began seeking love elsewhere!

Sources: (Vox)

See also: Top royal wedding moments from around the world

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