Princess Eugenia (Ena) of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice (Bee) of Saxe Coburg, granddaughters of Queen Victoria of England, married into the Spanish royal family. In 1906, Ena became the consort of King Alfonso XIII, who had been sovereign since his birth in 1886. Three years later, Bee married his cousin, Infante Don Alfonso. Ena’s marriage proved unhappy with the ill-health of her hemophiliac sons and her husband’s infidelities. The King abdicated in 1931 and they led separate lives in exile until he died in 1941. Bee and her husband Ali were more popular, although personal differences between them and the King resulted in their temporary exile for the first years of their marriage. They later returned to Spain, staying there for the rest of their lives. Bee died in 1966 and Ena three years later. This dual biography, written by Anna de Sagrera with additional material from Doña Beatriz, Bee’s granddaughter, looks in depth at the friendship of the mutually supportive cousins against the often-turbulent background of 20th century Spanish politics. Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgements Prologue 1 Childhood 2 Coburg 3 Twilight of an Era 4 In Search of a Kindred Spirit 5 Sima 6 A May Wedding 7 History of an Engagement 8 A Controversial Marriage 9 Spanish Infanta 10 False Rumours 11 Hidden Exile 12 The Uncertain Return 13 Representing Spain 14 Glorious Days 15 Bitter Awakening 16 Forced Exile 17 Living the War 18 And Peace Came 19 Confined to Sanlúcar 20 La Señorita Infanta Epilogue Genealogical tables Bibliography Index Ana de Sagrera was born in 1918. A Spanish biographer and historian, she also published lives of Primo de Rivera; Eugenie, Empress of the French; and Queen Mercedes of Spain. She died in 2018.