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British Royals

The Prince of Wales makes poignant visit to grandmother’s grave

He spent his earliest years in her company and now the Prince of Wales has paid his own tribute to the paternal grandmother he described as ”inspirational”. Prince Charles made his comments as he visited the grave of Princess Alice, mother of the Duke of Edinburgh, during his time in the Middle East

Princess Alice is buried at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The Prince of Wales spent time at her flower covered tomb at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Gethsemane during a poignant visit to her last resting place. He had also had a new Greek standard made for her grave to replace the one currently there which has faded with time. Alice, who was born at Windsor Castle as a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, married Prince Andrew of Greece in 1903.

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The princess, who became a nun in later life after setting up her own religious order, was recognised as ‘Righteous Among The Nations’ in 1994 for helping a Jewish family escape the Nazis during the Second World War. The title is bestowed by Israel on non-Jewish people who risked their lives during the Holocast to save Jewish people. In 2010, Alice was also named a Hero of the Holocaust by the UK Government for hiding the Cohen family during the war.

Princess Alice, who died in 1969, had asked to be buried at St. Mary Magdalene but following her passing, she was originally laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. Her final wish was granted in 1988 when her remains were re-interred at the Church.

Her tomb is in the Church’s crypt and Prince Charles made his way there to pay his respects. He stood before her grave, face to face with a portrait of Alice as a young woman. Speaking after his visit, Charles said that he had ”long drawn inspiration from the selfless acts” performed by Alice and he referred to her as ”my dear grandmother”.

Alice spent time with her young grandson, Charles, on her visits to England and in 1967, she moved permanently to the UK as her health failed. Her final years were spent at Buckingham Palace.

The tribute to his grandmother came as the Prince of Wales visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories during his time in the Middle East.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.