Battenberg
name of a family history. The title Countess of Battenberg was conferred in 1851 on Prince Alexander of Hesse's morganatic spouse, 1825-1895). Fruits of that union were Prince Louis Alexander (born at Gratz, May 24, 1854; admiral British royal navy), who in 1884 married the eldest daughter of the Prin- 1917 was created by royal decree Marquis of Milford Haven, dropped his former title of Prince of together with the other members of the British branch of the assumed the family name of Mountbatten ; Prince Alexander (1857-1893) see below; and Prince BATTERING RAM Henry Maurice (born at Milan, Oct. 5, 1858; died at sea of fever caught in the Ashanti war, Jan. 20, 1896), who in 1885 married the Princess Beatrice (born April 14, 1857), youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. Their eldest daughter, Princess Victoria Ena, in 1906, married Alfonso XIII., King of Spain.
The above Prince Alexander, chosen Prince of Bulgaria in 1879, proclaimed the union of Eastern Rumelia with Bulgaria (1885) without consulting Russia and thereby also provoked the jealousy of the Serbians, whom he defeated in a fortnight's campaign. But in August, 1886, partisans of Russia overpowered him in his palace at Sofia, forced him to abdicate, and carried him off to Reni, in Russian territory. Set free in a few days, he returned; but after a futile attempt to conciliate the Czar, he abdicated finally next month, and, assuming the title of Count Hartenau, retired to Darmstadt. He died Feb. 17, 1893.