Alice Roosevelt Longworth, often known as Princess Alice and ‘The Other Washington Monument,’ was the oldest child of President Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee. She lived a tumultuous life as a socialite and writer. Alice had always been a rebellious child. She lived her life on her own terms, unconcerned with what the rest of society thought of her. When Theodore Roosevelt assumed the presidency, she immediately rose to prominence and became a celebrity and fashion icon. She was a rule-breaker and a nonconformist, unlike other women at the time. Her rebellious temperament, along with a defiant attitude, unusual behavior, and scathing comments on her peers, made her a press favorite. She initially backed the Republican Party before converting to the Democratic Party during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
Childhood and Adolescence
Alice Lee Roosevelt was born in New York City, New York, to Alice and Theodore Roosevelt. His father was a New York State Assemblyman, and his mother was a Boston financial heiress.
Several hours after Alice’s birth, tragedy struck the Roosevelt home. Her paternal grandmother Martha Stewart ‘Mittie’ Bulloch died of typhoid illness, and her mother and Theodore’s wife Alice died of kidney failure eleven hours later.
Theodore, upset and agitated by the sad events, withdrew himself from anything that reminded him of Alice Sr. He even dubbed Alice, the young girl, Baby Lee. As a result, she chose to be addressed as Mrs. L. later in life.
To lift his spirits, Theodore Roosevelt left New York and traveled westward. He traveled for the next two years. He was from North Dakota. Baby Lee was placed under the supervision of Theodore’s sister, Anna.
Throughout her stay, Lee was heavily affected by her aunt Anna. She returned to the care of her parents after her father’s remarriage to Edith Kermit Carow. She had five half-brothers and sisters, as well as one sister.
A Later Years
She had a strained connection with both her father and stepmother, so she would travel to Boston to see Anna and her maternal grandparents, George Cabot Lee and Caroline Watts Haskell. Anna, on the other hand, had a big influence on her and gave her the structure and stability she needed.
She grew up to be a model of beauty, much like her mother. She was showered with presents and grew into a fiercely independent and extroverted lay. She was also calculating and self-assured.
When her father was elected President of the United States in 1901, she became an instant celebrity. She rose to prominence as a fashion icon and a strong, independent woman. She defied conformism and traditionalism at every turn, breaking all of society’s rules.
Journalists’ favorite subject, she was all over the news, but for all the wrong reasons. She smoked cigarettes in public, traveled in cars with guys, partied till the early hours of the morning, had a pet snake named Emily Spinach, and gambled money with a bookie.
With 23 Congressmen, seven senators, and other diplomats and officials, she set off on the Imperial Cruise to Japan, Hawaii, China, the Philippines, and Korea in 1904. She kept the press occupied throughout the trip by taking photos with the Emperor of Japan, and the Empress of China, and attending sumo wrestling tournaments.
Roosevelt relished being the focus of attention during his presidency.
She refused to fill her husband’s position after his death in 1931. During the Great Depression, she became an author and published ‘Crowded Hours,’ an autobiography that was highly appreciated by the public.
She remained a Republican Party member throughout her life and kept herself socially and politically active. On a handful of occasions, she was a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
Personal History and Legacy
When she returned from her diplomatic trips in 1905, she became engaged to Nicholas Longworth, a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Cincinnati, Ohio. Despite the fact that she had known him since childhood, their bond became stronger over the trip.
The divergent support for the 1912 Bull Moose presidential race caused a wedge between her and her husband. In the partnership, her infidelity to him was also a source of anxiety.
In the 1950s, her health began to deteriorate. She fell down and shattered her hip in 1955. She was diagnosed with breast cancer the following year. She had a double mastectomy but afterward developed health problems, including weight loss, shortness of breath, and coughing.
She died of emphysema, pneumonia, and other chronic ailments on February 20, 1980, at the age of 96. She was laid to rest in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Cemetery.
Estimated Net worth
Alice is one of the wealthiest and most popular members of the family. Alice Roosevelt Longworth has a net worth of $10 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
She was the matron of honor at the wedding of cousin Eleanor Roosevelt, the eldest child of US President Theodore Roosevelt.