Prince Louis of Battenberg

Born in Austria in 1854, Louis Alexander of Battenberg joined the Royal Navy at fourteen and spent four decades navigating a peculiar obstacle: Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales kept pulling him onto royal yachts and ceremonial tours, which made his promotions look like handouts rather than merit. He pushed for assignments that let him prove himself. By 1912 he'd become First Sea Lord, the professional head of the service, and began preparing the fleet for the war everyone saw coming. But when fighting broke out, his German title made him a target of public anger. He was forced to retire. In 1917, at King George V's request, he gave up his princely rank and became the Marquess of Milford Haven. He died in 1921, father to a future Queen of Sweden and grandfather to Prince Philip.