in Russian uniform. In 1846, Alexander accompanied his mother and sister Princess Sophie of the Netherlands to Italy. The company left Rotterdam on 26 August 1846 and arrived at Domodossola on 11 September. At the end of September they reached Genoa where Prince Henry's ship lay moored. On 9 October the Queen, Alexander and Sophie reached Rome. They visited the Pope Pope Pius IX and the Protestant prince knelt to receive his blessing. Alexander returned to The Netherlands in November. As an adult, Prince Alexander lived rather modestly. Aide-de-camp Eliza Pieter Matthes in 1842 described the prince's home behind the Kloosterkerk as "rather small for a prince", but the interior was "charming." In 1844, Alexander bought villa Boschlust in The Hague after the death of the former inhabitant Johannes van den Bosch. Alexander relocated to villa Boschlust in 1845, but stayed for only two years, until his departure to Madeira. After his death the villa was inherited by his parents. Anna Pavlovna inhabited Boschlust for a short time after the death of her husband (The widowed queen fled her former home, Kneuterdijk Palace in tears when she visited one last time). Soon afterwards, the Queen dowager also left Boschlust. The villa was sold in March 1851. Villa Boschlust was demolished shortly after 1888. Career As the Prince of Orange's second son, Alexander was destined for a career in the army. On 2 August 1828, for his tenth birthday, Alexander received the rank of colonel by Royal Order. He originally started his military career in the Navy, but soon switched to the Cavalry. With his father and brother William, Alexander joined the campaign against Belgium in 1833-4. Being an excellent horseman, Alexander from 1840 on served as Lieutenant-General and Inspector of the Cavalry, a position he took very seriously. Eliza Pieter Matthes, aide-de-camp to King William II, recalled a conversation he had with Alexander about the cavalry: "I had the impression he was quite knowledgeable about that weapon [the cavalry]. It is a shame he is only our Inspector-General in name, we would not be worse off if he would be so [inspector-general] effectively." Prince Alexander held the positions of Lieutenant-General and Inspector-General from 1840 until his death. The Regiment Huzaren Prins Alexander is named for him. In the Autumn of 1844, King William II planned to name his second son Governour-General of the Dutch East Indies. Many people, including Minister