Four sisters - photographs of the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh

Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, later Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was the second son of Queen Victoria. The duchess, the former Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, was the only daughter of Alexander II of Russia. The couple's first born, Alfred, died a suicide at the age of twenty-four. But they had four daughters: Marie "Missy" (29 October 1875 - 18 July 1938), later Queen of Romania; Victoria Melita "Ducky" (25 November 1876 - 2 March 1936), later Grand Duchess of Hessen und bei Rhein and, after that, Grand Duchess Kirill of Russia; Alexandra "Sandra" (1 September 1878 - 16 April 1942), later Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenberg; and Beatrice "Baby Bee" (20 April 1884 - 13 July 1966), later Infanta of Spain. The sisters were very close, the first three more so; they were only a year and two years apart in age. Beatrice was six year younger than her closest sibling and doesn't always appear in these group portraits.

Victoria Melita, Alexandra, Marie.

Marie, Victoria Melita, Alexandra. Though second born, Victoria Melita was always dominant among the sisters.

Alexandra, Victoria Melita, Marie.

Victoria Melita, Alexandra, Marie.

Marie, Victoria Melita, Alexandra.

Marie, Victoria Melita, Alexandra.

Beatrice, Victoria Melita, Alexandra, Marie.

Victoria Melita, Marie, Alexandra, Beatrice. Victoria Melita and Marie had by far the closest bond among the four.

Alexandra, Beatrice, Victoria Melita, Marie.

Beatrice, Marie, Alexandra, Victoria Melita. From a portrait by Friedrich August von Kaulbach.

Beatrice, Marie, Victoria Melita.

Marie, Victoria Melita, Alexandra.

Alexandra, Marie, Beatrice, Victoria Melita.