Prince Albert Victor

A carte-de-visite portrait of Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, Earl of Athlone, the eldest son of Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra of Denmark, and therefore second in line to the throne for all of his life.

Known as ‘Eddy’ within the family, he and his younger brother Prince George served as Naval cadets until 1883, after which Eddy was sent to Cambridge. In 1885, he joined the 10th Hussars Cavalry Regiment.

Various royal princesses were put forward as prospective brides for the Prince. The first was Alix of Hesse, who did not return his affections (she later became the Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia). The second was Princess Hélène of Orléans, who did, but refused to give up her Roman Catholic faith. He eventually became engaged to Princess Mary of Teck, but died before the marriage could take place, at the age of twenty-eight of pneumonia at Sandringham on 14 January 1892. His fiancée married his younger brother George instead, and the two eventually became King George V and Queen Mary.

Photographed by William and Daniel Downey of London and Newcastle.