Duke of Cambridge Pays Tribute to Great-Grandmother Princess Alice in Jerusalem

The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, paid a touching tribute to his great-grandmother, Princess Alice Battenberg, during his final day of his historic Middle East tour.

The Duke visited the Church of St Mary Magdalene, a golden-domed Russian Orthodox church on the Mount of Olives above the Old City in East Jerusalem, where Princess Alice's tomb is located.

Upon his arrival at the church, Father Roman, the head of the Russian ecclesiastical mission in Jerusalem, and Abbas Elizabeth welcomed the Duke.

Following the Russian Orthodox tradition, William took bread and salt before entering the church.

Once inside, he laid flowers at the sarcophagus of St Elizabeth and paused for a moment of private reflection.

He then made his way to Princess Alice's crypt, where he laid flowers picked from the Garden of Philip Hall, Britain's consulate general in Jerusalem.

Father Roman recited a prayer for the reposal of Princess Alice's soul while William bowed his head in prayer for several minutes.

William was then shown several photographs of Princess Alice and her family tree, which he found fascinating.

Father Roman and Abbas Elizabeth presented William with several gifts, including a 19th-century Russian cross, a glass Easter egg for the Duchess of Cambridge, small crosses, and wooden Easter eggs for Princess George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.

William also gave Father Roman a gift, a facsimile of an icon placed by Saint Elizabeth Romanova at the grave of her maternal grandparents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, at the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore House.

Father Roman said he would hang it in Princess Alice's crypt.

As the Duke walked with Father Roman through the Garden of Gethsemane, he was told to send best wishes to his grandfather and father and let them know that they were taking care of Princess Alice and praying for her.

William replied, “Thank you so much.”

Father Roman said he found it profoundly moving and that the Duke was certainly moved to learn more about his family history and pay his respects to his great-grandmother in such a holy place.

Princess Alice was declared righteous among the nations for protecting Jews in her Athens home during the Second World War.

During a speech this week, William said of his great-grandmother, “Her story is a matter of great pride for my whole family.”

Born deaf, Princess Alice married Prince Andrew of Greece and was cast into exile when the Greek royal family was overthrown.

She later suffered from a mental breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

After the war, she founded an order of nuns and famously wore her nun's habit at the Queen's coronation in 1953.

For many years, Princess Alice's remains lay in the Royal Vault at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

However, it had always been her wish to be buried in Israel near her aunt and mentor, Elizabeth Feodorovna, the Grand Duchess of Russia, who was interred in St. Mary Magdalene.

In 1988, Princess Alice's remains were moved from Windsor to the Church on the Mount of Olives.

Prince Philip was unable to attend the burial due to political unrest at the time, but he was able to visit his mother's grave in Israel in 1994, during a ceremony where a tree was dedicated to Princess Alice's memory at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Centre in Jerusalem.

The Prince of Wales also paid his respects at his grandmother's grave during a private visit in 2016 following the state funeral of Shimon Peres.

In conclusion, the Duke of Cambridge's visit to Princess Alice's tomb was a personal and moving tribute to his great-grandmother.

It was a moment of peace and reflection for the Duke, who was touched by the family history and the opportunity to pay his respects to Princess Alice in such a holy place.

Princess Alice's story is a matter of great pride for the entire family, and her legacy will continue to inspire future generations.