1. Alexandra's family had been relatively obscure until 1852, when her father, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg, was chosen with the consent of the major European powers to succeed his second cousin Frederick VII as King of Denmark.
At the age of sixteen, Alexandra was chosen as the future wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the son and heir apparent of Queen Victoria.
Alexandra of Denmark was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has ever held that title, and became generally popular; her style of dress and bearing were copied by fashion-conscious women.
Princess Alexandra of Denmark Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia, or "Alix", as her immediate family knew her, was born at the Yellow Palace, an 18th-century town house at 18 Amaliegade, immediately adjacent to the Amalienborg Palace complex in Copenhagen.
Alexandra of Denmark's father was Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg and her mother was Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.
Alexandra of Denmark had five siblings: Frederick, William, Dagmar, Thyra and Valdemar.
Alexandra of Denmark's father's family was a distant cadet branch of the Danish royal House of Oldenburg, which was descended from King Christian III of Denmark.
In 1848, Christian VIII of Denmark died and his only son Frederick acceded to the throne.
Alexandra of Denmark shared a draughty attic bedroom with her sister, Dagmar, made her own clothes, and waited at table along with her sisters.
At Bernstorff, Alexandra of Denmark grew into a young woman; she was taught English by the English chaplain at Copenhagen and was confirmed in Christiansborg Palace.
Alexandra of Denmark was devout throughout her life, and followed high church practice.
Alexandra of Denmark was not their first choice because the Danes were at loggerheads with the Prussians over the Schleswig-Holstein Question, and most of the British royal family's relations were German.
Alexandra of Denmark's first child, Albert Victor, was born two months premature in early 1864.
All of Alexandra of Denmark's children were apparently born prematurely; biographer Richard Hough thought Alexandra of Denmark deliberately misled Queen Victoria as to her probable delivery dates, as she did not want the Queen to be present at their births.
In public, Alexandra of Denmark was dignified and charming; in private, affectionate and jolly.
Alexandra of Denmark enjoyed many social activities, including dancing and ice-skating, and was an expert horsewoman and tandem driver.
Alexandra of Denmark knew about most of these relationships and later permitted Alice Keppel to visit her husband as he lay dying.
Distressed at their threats, and following the advice of Sir William Knollys and the Duchess of Teck, Alexandra of Denmark informed the Queen, who then wrote to the Prince of Wales.
Alexandra of Denmark spent the spring of 1877 in Greece recuperating from a period of ill health and visiting her brother King George of Greece.
Alexandra of Denmark spent the next three years largely parted from her two sons as the boys were sent on a worldwide cruise as part of their naval and general education.
Alexandra of Denmark smiled her way through the ordeal, which the British press still portrayed in a positive light, describing the crowds as "enthusiastic".
Alexandra of Denmark was deeply saddened by the death of her eldest son, Prince Albert Victor, in 1892.
Alexandra of Denmark deputised for him at a military parade and attended the Royal Ascot races without him, in an attempt to prevent public alarm.
Alexandra of Denmark roused Alexandra and shepherded her to safety.
Alexandra of Denmark was denied access to the King's briefing papers and excluded from some of his foreign tours to prevent her meddling in diplomatic matters.
Alexandra of Denmark was deeply distrustful of Germans, particularly her nephew German Emperor Wilhelm II, and she invariably opposed anything that favoured German expansion or interests.
For example, in 1890 Alexandra of Denmark wrote a memorandum, distributed to senior British ministers and military personnel, warning against the planned exchange of the British North Sea island of Heligoland for the German colony of Zanzibar, pointing out Heligoland's strategic significance and that it could be used either by Germany to launch an attack, or by Britain to contain German aggression.
The Germans fortified the island and, in the words of Robert Ensor and as Alexandra of Denmark had predicted, it "became the keystone of Germany's maritime position for offence as well as for defence".
Alexandra of Denmark despised and distrusted Emperor Wilhelm, calling him "inwardly our enemy" in 1900.
In 1910, Alexandra of Denmark became the first queen consort to visit the British House of Commons during a debate.
Alexandra of Denmark returned at once and arrived only the day before her husband died.
From Edward's death, Alexandra of Denmark was queen mother, being a dowager queen and the mother of the reigning monarch.
Alexandra of Denmark did not attend the coronation of her son and daughter-in-law in 1911 since it was not customary for a crowned queen to attend the coronation of another king or queen, but otherwise continued the public side of her life, devoting time to her charitable causes.
One such cause was Alexandra of Denmark Rose Day, where artificial roses made by people with disabilities were sold in aid of hospitals by women volunteers.
Alexandra of Denmark joined calls to "have down those hateful German banners".
Alexandra of Denmark retained a youthful appearance into her senior years, but during the war her age caught up with her.
Alexandra of Denmark took to wearing elaborate veils and heavy makeup, which was described by gossips as having her face "enamelled".
Alexandra of Denmark made no more trips abroad, and her health worsened.
Alexandra of Denmark died on 20 November 1925 at Sandringham House from a heart attack.
Unlike her husband and mother-in-law, Alexandra of Denmark was not castigated by the press.
Alexandra of Denmark hid a small scar on her neck, which was probably the result of a childhood operation, by wearing choker necklaces and high necklines, setting fashions which were adopted for fifty years.
Alexandra of Denmark used predominantly the London fashion houses; her favourite was Redfern's, but she shopped occasionally at Doucet and Fromont of Paris.
Alexandra of Denmark has been portrayed on television by Deborah Grant and Helen Ryan in Edward the Seventh, Ann Firbank in Lillie, Maggie Smith in All the King's Men, and Bibi Andersson in The Lost Prince.
Alexandra of Denmark was portrayed in film by Helen Ryan again in the 1980 film The Elephant Man, Sara Stewart in the 1997 film Mrs Brown, and Julia Blake in the 1999 film Passion.
Also, in 1907, the Royal Alexandra of Denmark Theatre was built in Toronto, Canada, as North America's first royal theatre.
Alexandra of Denmark was the first woman since 1488 to be made a Lady of the Garter.