Last night, during the Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations in London, Prince William delivered a heartfelt tribute to his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, in a moving speech. I wasn’t aware of his paternal great-grandmother’s involvement in the Holocaust.
Princess Alice of Battenberg, a member of the British royal family and mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, holds a unique place in history as a symbol of courage, compassion, and moral integrity. Her recognition as “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial institution, in 1993, reflects her extraordinary bravery and selflessness during one of humanity’s darkest periods—the Holocaust.
Who Was Princess Alice?
Born in 1885 in Windsor Castle, Princess Alice was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. A woman of noble birth, she led a complex life marked by personal struggles and extraordinary strength. Married to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, she lived through wars, exile, and political upheavals. Despite being deaf from birth, she mastered multiple languages and developed a deep sense of empathy for others.
Her strong Christian faith, nurtured by her conversion to the Greek Orthodox Church, played a vital role in shaping her values and actions. After enduring personal challenges, including a period of institutionalization for mental health issues, Alice emerged as a deeply spiritual and philanthropic figure, dedicating herself to charitable causes.
The Rescue of the Cohen Family
During World War II, Princess Alice found herself in a challenging position, with sons-in-law fighting for the Germans and her son serving in the British Royal Navy. Her cousin, Prince Victor zu Erbach-Schönberg, served as the German ambassador to Greece until the Axis occupation of Athens in April 1941. While most of the Greek royal family went into exile in South Africa, Princess Andrew and her sister-in-law, Princess Nicholas of Greece, remained in Athens throughout the war.
She moved out of her small flat and into a three-storey house owned by her brother-in-law, George, in central Athens. Dedicated to humanitarian work, she joined the Red Cross, organized soup kitchens for the starving population, and even flew to Sweden under the pretense of visiting her sister, Crown Princess Louise, to secure medical supplies. Princess Andrew also established two shelters for orphaned and displaced children, as well as a nursing service to aid impoverished neighborhoods.
Princess Alice’s recognition by Yad Vashem stems from her heroic efforts during the Nazi occupation of Greece in World War II. Residing in Athens during the German occupation, she became acutely aware of the atrocities being committed against Jews. Despite the risks involved, she chose to shelter members of the Cohen family, a Jewish family she had known before the war.
Haimaki Cohen, the family patriarch, had been a former Greek parliamentarian who had supported Princess Alice’s family during their earlier exile. When the Nazis began deporting Jews from Greece to concentration camps in 1943, the Cohen family sought refuge. Alice offered them sanctuary in her own home, hiding Rachel Cohen and her two children, Tilde and Michel, in the heart of Athens, close to Nazi headquarters.
Alice’s actions were not without danger. The German authorities frequently questioned her loyalties, and her home was under constant scrutiny. Yet, she stood firm, using her status and determination to shield the Cohens. When German officers interrogated her, she exploited their assumptions about her disability, pretending not to understand their questions. Her courage and resourcefulness ensured the Cohen family’s survival until Greece’s liberation in October 1944.
Moral Courage in the Face of Peril
Princess Alice’s decision to protect the Cohens was driven by her unwavering moral compass and deep Christian faith. She believed in the sanctity of all human lives and acted in defiance of the oppressive forces around her. Her actions exemplify the essence of the title “Righteous Among the Nations,” which is bestowed upon non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
What makes Alice’s story particularly poignant is her quiet heroism. She sought no recognition for her deeds and never spoke publicly about her role in protecting the Cohens. Her humility and selflessness highlight the profound humanity that guided her actions.
Legacy and Recognition
In 1993, Yad Vashem honored Princess Alice as “Righteous Among the Nations,” ensuring that her bravery would not be forgotten. Her name is inscribed on the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. In a deeply symbolic gesture, Princess Alice’s remains were moved to the Church of Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, fulfilling her lifelong wish to be buried near her aunt, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna, a canonized saint.
Princess Alice’s legacy continues to inspire people worldwide. Her story serves as a reminder of the power of individual courage in the face of systemic evil. Despite her royal status, she chose to act as a protector of the vulnerable, embodying the principle that moral duty transcends personal risk.
The recognition of Princess Alice of Battenberg as “Righteous Among the Nations” is a testament to her extraordinary bravery, compassion, and unwavering commitment to justice. In a time of immense danger, she chose to uphold humanity and protect the innocent, leaving an indelible mark on history. Her life is a beacon of hope, demonstrating that even in the darkest times, acts of kindness and courage can shine through.
sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Alice_of_Battenberg
https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/princess-alice.html
https://deafhistory.eu/index.php/very-short-histories/princessalice
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