The British masses completely adored Queen Alexandra of Denmark as she earned a positive reputation with her charity work and fashion sense. During her time as queen, Queen Alexandra directly impacted women’s wardrobes as she always took the effort to be the most finely dressed in any public appearance.
Queen Alexandra’s fashion style showed itself through her clever ways of masking physical impediments, like how she used day dresses with high collars and layered pearl chokers to hide a neck scar from surgery.
The Legacy of Queen Alexandra of Denmark
Born on December 1, 1844, in Copenhagen’s Yellow Palace, Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia, now famously known as Queen Alexandra of Denmark, emerged as one of the daughters of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel, his consort. King Christian VII’s death ultimately led to Alexandra’s father inheriting the crown as King Christian VII’s son, Frederick, produced no children.
A princess of Denmark, Alexandra was notable for her charity work and fashion style. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert initially didn’t seek Alexandra as the wife of their son, Prince Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, but regardless of that, Edward proposed in September 1862. The two had six children together, and many knew Alexandra as a hands-on mother that still managed to balance her social life.
As the Princess of Wales, the British masses favored Alexandra. She continued to do her numerous public duties, including the needed public appearances of her mother-in-law. Soon, Alexandra became queen consort to Edward when Queen Victoria passed in 1901. During this period, Alexandra held anti-German opinions as she became suspicious of the German expansion. To deny Queen Alexandra any political influence, King Edward and his ministers prevented her from reading briefing papers and excluded her from trips abroad. In 1910, Queen Alexandra became the first queen to watch a debate in the House of Commons.
When King Edward died, Queen Alexandra became the queen mother to her son, George V. She continued to be known for her generosity as she sent financial aid to the people who contacted her for help. At the outset of World War I, George V solidified his decision to change the royal family’s name to Windsor to steer clear of German associations.
The news of Queen Alexandra’s death due to a heart attack on November 20, 1925, filled the British public with grief. Her legacy continues to prevail as she’s still remembered as a style icon with limitless generosity. (Source: Thought Co.)
Queen Alexandra as a Royal Fashion Icon
In terms of fashion sense, Queen Alexandra never failed to amaze the people whenever she made appearances publicly. Queen Alexandra even used clothing and accessories to cover numerous physical impediments.
For a neck scar she obtained from a surgery she underwent as a child, Queen Alexandra masked the mark by wearing high collared day dresses; in the evening, she always wore layer after layer of pearl chokers and diamond necklaces. A fashion trend soon emerged from her style of wearing chokers and necklaces.
Another fashion trend that developed from Queen Alexandra’s is the Alexandra Limp. When Alexandra obtained a spine curvature as one of the complications of rheumatic fever in 1867, she’d since attempted to minimize the attention from her limp using her clothing. As she was very famous among the British public, the women soon made her physical disability a trend, using canes or walking with specially-designed shoes to imitate her limp.
Queen Alexandra’s time as queen heavily influenced women’s fashion, changing full skirts that required many layers of undergarments to tapered skirts, laced corsets, and flowy trains with lace and bead detailing. (Source: The Enchanted Manor)