Ayşe Osmanoğlu

The Ottomans : The Story of a Family

The Secret Suitor for Princess Louise: How Murad V Almost Became The Son-in-Law of Queen Victoria

by

By Feyza Bolat
From: Bergkamen, Germany
Attending: University of Münster
Age: 19 years old

A First Impression

For the first time, an Ottoman sultan set foot on British soil. After a magnificent parade through buzzing streets and ecstatic crowds, Sultan Abdülaziz, along with Prince Edward, Prince George and Fuad Pasha in his carriage, made his way to Windsor Castle to be received by Queen Victoria. The Sultan’s two nephews, Prince Murad and Prince Hamid, accompanied by Abdülaziz’s 10-year-old son Yusuf Izzeddin were also seated in one of the carriages within the convoy.

In a whirlwind of cheering and excitement, eloquently dressed Victorian ladies and gentlemen were trying to catch a glimpse of the Caliph of the Muslim world, who in turn frequently touched his fez to respectfully acknowledge the flattering attention. Having had arrived at Windsor Castle, two young royals were about to make a first impression of each other…

Abdülaziz ‘s State Visit to Britain

Following an invitation from Napoleon III. for the Paris Exhibition in June 1867, the 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire decided to realize a State Visit across Europe. After attending the exhibition, he resumed his visit to Great Britain, then to Belgium, Prussia and Austria. Since the Crimean War, the British Empire had developed into being an important ally for the Ottomans. To maintain profitable diplomatic relations and to gain the sympathy of the West during critical times (revolts occurring in Serbia and Crete), the Sultan agreed upon the advice of his ministers and met up with European monarchs of his time.

The Star of the Show

The 26-year-old crown prince Murad (later Murad V.), nephew and future successor of Abdülaziz, seemed to enjoy his stay immensely. Prince Murad managed to attract the attention of many diplomats and royals due to his cosmopolitanism, his proper way of presenting himself, the liberal ideas he proudly claimed and his interest in the western world. Anglophile and highly educated, the young Muslim prince spoke accent less French, exchanged views on political and cultural matters and made himself new acquaintances at the British court. 

Diplomacy or Soap Opera?

After a short deep dive into the major events of the State Visit, you can come across the most peculiar stories, the kind that makes your jaw drop and made me personally question my passion for history. That the Sultan allegedly wanted to have his nephew Murad poisoned in Buckingham Palace out of boiling envy or the newly ignited love of Empress Eugenie for Sultan Abdülaziz, which is why she is said to have started an affair with the Sultan just two years later during her visit in Istanbul, are only a few of many absurd narrations. 

One Among Many…

Despite all the rumors, one of them is a little more concealed, however much closer to the truth: A marriage that was being considered between Prince Murad and Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s sixth child, known for her emancipated nature, 19 years old. 

“…that evening when I first met Queen Victoria’s beautiful but headstrong and rather rebellious daughter Princess Louise. Did you know that it was even suggested that I might consider making her my wife? I was offered a castle in Scotland and the hand of an English princess in marriage…”

These lines were written by Ayşe Gülnev Osmanoğlu in her book “The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus”, who is the daughter of Osman Selahaddin Osmanoğlu, a direct descendant of Prince Murad (later Sultan Murad V.). The author unfolds a meticulously crafted story, breathing life into her ancestor Murad V. in the form of a historical fiction novel.

But she is not the only one to describe this incident. Turkish writers from that time such as Ebuzziya Tevfik as well as historians like Ziya Şakir and Cemal Kutay address similar occurrences in their work: Queen Victoria was overly impressed by the charm of the Ottoman prince that she came up with the idea of ​​welcoming Murad into her family. A close friendship developed between Prince Murad and Prince Edward (later Edward VII.) as well but more importantly, at balls, banquets and other formal events during the visit, Louise and Murad surprisingly seemed to get along well with each other. Ultimately, the idea of a marriage alliance was dropped primarily due to Murad’s position as Crown Prince. (Such marriage could have triggered succession disputes between Murad and Abdülaziz)

Prince and Princess, East and West – But Carved from the Same Wood

Among all the stories circulating around the Ottoman Imperial family in Europe, why is this one the most convincing? 

As the German saying in the subheading indicates, the idea of Prince Murad and Princess Louise having good chemistry seems astonishingly plausible because of their striking similarities.

Both were shaped by progressive fathers (Sultan Abdülmecid & Prince Albert) who were very fond of their children and took special care of their education. Eventually, both men tragically died in the same year at a relatively young age, leaving Murad and Louise under the control of rather boring, conservative guardians: A depressed, stern mother Queen Victoria and a firm, traditional uncle Sultan Abdülaziz. Being heavily overwhelmed with their new course of life, the Prince and Princess developed a similar way of navigating their emotions and forming their identity: With time, Louise and Murad rebelled against everything the Sultan and The Queen expected them to be.

Louise enraged her mother by defying norms through scandalous behavior and feminist tendencies, while Murad irritated his uncle by embracing ideas of the opposition and an unconventional lifestyle. 

Described as free-spirited, charming and attractive individuals, their mutual longing for freedom could have easily created a strong connection between them – despite religious and cultural differences.

A Dead End

But here we must put an abrupt end to our journey because nothing else can be found regarding Murad and Louise.

Especially if you enter the realm of English sources, you might as well enter a graveyard.

Among Dutch, Prussian or Danish princes, there are no hints of Prince Murad as a suitor for Louise. Neither in letters nor in Queen Victoria’s journals can be evidence found that might suggest Victoria may have considered Prince Murad as her son-in-law. How come, Queen Victoria, who wrote every obscene detail about her personal life, didn’t utter a word about the Ottoman prince she was “exceptionally delighted by “? 

Or was it all just a brief, insignificant consideration that would have been quashed by the British government anyway?

Interestingly, Princess Louise’s tumultuous life is a whole mystery to begin with. Lucinda Hawksley, Princess Louise’s biographer says that she “came across whole fortresses of brick walls” while trying to tell the secretive woman’s story. Hawksley points out that Louise’s life in the second half of the 1860s appears to be carefully edited and hand – picked by archivists. The reason why Louise’s personal files are nowadays suffering from heavy censorship by The Royal Archives is linked to an illegitimate child – a whole another story for itself. Also keep in mind that Queen Victoria’s writings were reduced and then presented to the public by her youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice.

Too Many Questions

Now I can’t help but try to connect (maybe) some far-fetched dots. Let’s say in June 1867 a serious marriage was considered; Edward and Victoria gave the green light, and things were settled until the proposal was rejected. But what exactly were the motives of the Royal Household? More importantly, what role did Louise play in the whole matter? What did Louise think of the Ottoman prince before declaring “she dislikes foreign men” and broke a rule after 356 years by marrying a commoner in 1871? Could it be that traces of Murad V. within a short span of 11 days in Louise’s life, also happen to suffer from censorship? Is it “Louise’s Secret” instead of “Victoria’s Secret” after all?

List of sources:

Images: