Princess Margarita of Baden dies

Wheelchair-bound Princess Margarita of Baden (far right)
on one of the royal ceremonies she's attended.

Death came quietly to Princess Margarita of Baden, who passed away last January 15. She was approaching her 81st year. She was the widow of Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia, younger brother of the country’s last king Peter II. Born on July 14, 1932 at Salem, Germany, she was baptized Margarete Alice Thyra Viktoria Marie Louise Scholastica. Her father was Prince Berthold, Landgrave and head of the House of Baden. Her mother was Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, a sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.


In 1948, the Princess moved to London, where she worked as a nurse at St. Thomas’ Hospital. There, she was affectionately called Nurse von Baden. She met her husband, Prince Tomislav, who was living in exile in London and the two were married in a civil ceremony in Baden on June 5, 1957. The following day, their marriage was solemnized in the Orthodox and Lutheran ceremonies. Among the royalties present were King Simeon of Bulgaria, Prince Philip and his mother Princess Alice. The couple established their home in England, where they were blessed with two children: Prince Nikolas (born 1958) and Princess Katarina (born 1959). The couple divorced in 1981 and Prince Tomislav eventually remarried. He died in 2000.

Princess Margarita was a frequent guest on numerous royal occasions, including Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday celebration in 2000, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and her uncle Prince Philip’s 90th birthday celebration in 2011. She was also a familiar figure in the annual Christmas lunches hosted by The Queen.

Princess Margarita’s interest lies in Russian affairs. It was with great enthusiasm that she filled up the presidency of the Convent of Martha and Mary in Moscow, an institution established by her great-great aunt, Princess Elizabeth of Hesse, Grand Duchess of Russia. She even persuaded (with great success) her cousin, Prince Charles, to allocate half the proceeds of a concert intended for St. George’s Chapel for the convent. Way into the old age and wheelchair bound, the Princess was ceaseless in her dedication as patron of numerous charitable causes.