Julia von Hauke

Julia von Hauke (November 12, 1825 (O.S.) = November 24 1825 (N.S.) - September 19, 1895) was wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, mother of Alexander of Bulgaria, and ancestor of the British royal House of Windsor.

She was born in Warsaw, the daughter of John Maurice von Hauke (1775-1830), also known as Hans Moritz von Hauke, and his wife, née Sophie la Fontaine. Her father was of German and military origin, and fought in Napoleon's army in Austria, Italy, Germany and the Peninsular War. He then switched sides to fight for the Russians. Recognising his abilities, Tsar Nicholas both appointed him Minister of War and made him a Count.

In the uprising of 1830 led by revolutionary army cadets, the targets were Grand Duke Constantine, Poland's Governor-General, and the Minister of War, Count Moritz von Haucke. While saving the Grand Duke, Count von Haucke was cut to pieces by sabres before the eyes of his wife and three children. His wife died of shock shortly afterwards, and their children were made wards of the Emperor.

On October 28, 1851, in Breslau in Austria (now Wroclaw in Poland) she was morganatically married to Prince Alexander von Hessen und bei Rhine.

Julia was created Her Illustrious Highness Countess of Battenberg in 1851, and created Her Serene Highness Princess of Battenberg in 1858.

There were five children of the marriage, styled princes and princesses of Battenberg:

1. Marie (1852-1923), Princess of Battenberg, married in 1872 Gustav, Count of Erbach-Erbach (d. 1908), with issue.
2. Louis (1854-1921), Prince of Battenberg, created Lord Mountbatten and First Marquess of Milford Haven in 1917, married in 1884 Princess Victoria of Hesse and the Rhine (1863-1950), with issue (including Princess Andrew of Greece, Queen Louise of Sweden, and the Earl Mountbatten of Burma).
3. Alexander (1857-1893), Prince of Battenberg, created Reigning Prince of Bulgaria in 1879, abdicated in Bulgaria and created Count von Hartenau, married morganatically in 1889 Jeanne Loisinger (1865-1951), with issue.
4. Henry (1858-1896), Prince of Battenberg, married Beatrice, Princess of Great Britain and Ireland (1857-1944), with issue (including Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain). His children resided in Britain and became Lords and Ladies Mountbatten in 1917. His eldest son was also created First Marquess of Carisbrooke in 1917.
5. Franz Joseph (1861-1924), Prince of Battenberg, married in 1897 Anna, Princess Petrovich-Niegosh of Montenegro (1874-- about 1944), with no issue.

Julia converted from Roman Catholicism to Evangelical (protestant) on 12 May 1875.

Julia von Hauke, Princess of Battenberg, died at Schloss Heiligenberg, near Jugenheim in Germany.