Battenberg. The title Countess of Battenberg was conferred in 1851 on Prince Alexander of Hesse's morganatic spouse, the Countess Hauke (1825-95). Fruits of that union were Prince Louis Alexander (born at Gratz, 24th May 1854; captain British R.N., 1891), who in 1884 married the eldest daughter of the Princess Alice; Prince Alexander (1857-93) see below; and Prince Henry (born at Milan, 5th October 1858; died at sea of fever caught in the Ashantee war, 20th January 1896), who in 1885 married the Princess Beatrice (born 14th April 1857), youngest daughter of Queen Victoria.
The above Prince Alexander, chosen prince of Bulgaria in 1879, proclaimed the union of Eastern Roumelia with Bulgaria (1885) without consulting Russia, and thereby also provoked the jealousy of the Servians, 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 17th February 1893. See BULGARIA.