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| Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn |
Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert was born in London on 1 May 1850, the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was apparently Victoria's favourite. In 1877 he was created Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and Earl of Sussex.
Military Career
He entered the Royal Military College, Woolwich, in 1866 and started his career as a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers. He spent a year with his regiment in Montreal, and served on the Red River expedition of 1870. In 1871 he was promoted captain in the Rifle Brigade, lieutenant-colonel in 1876 and major-general in 1880. After serving with the during the Egypt campaign of 1882 in command of the Brigade of Guards (he was at Tell-el-Kebir and was Governor of Cairo), he served in India (Commander-in-Chief Bombay, 1886-1890), Ireland, the Mediterranean and South Africa. In 1902 he was appointed field marshal and Inspector-General of the Forces.
Governor-General of Canada
Prince Arthur was appointed Governor-General of Canada in 1911, the first member of the royal family to hold the office. His tenure was dominated by the First World War and the massive contribution the country made to the war effort.
He was active in auxiliary
war services and charities and conducted hospital visits, while the Duchess of
Connaught worked for the Red Cross and other organizations to support the war
cause. She was also Colonel-in-Chief of the Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish
Canadian Rangers battalion, one of the regiments in the Canadian Expeditionary
Force. She also acquired a knitting machine and made socks for the troops.
Their daughter, Princess Patricia, lent her name and support to the raising of a new Canadian army regiment -- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. As the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief, she played an active role in the regiment until her death in 1974.
Connaught's tenure as Governor-General came to an end in 1916. The Prime Minister, Robert Borden, gave a mixed review of him, considering that he over-stepped his constitional role, having 'laboured under the handicap of his position as a member of the Royal Family and never realised his limitations as Governor General.' He was succeeded by an experience politician, the Duke of Devonshire.
After Canada
Prince Arthur continued to carry out duties as a minor royal he withdrew from public duties in 1928. He was a freemason, being Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, 1901-1939. He was president of the Boy Scouts Association. He died at his home, Bagshot Park, on 16 Jan 1942, aged 91 years and 8 months. He was succeeded by his grandson Alastair who died in shady circumstances the following year - the title becoming extinct.
Family
On 13 Mar 1879 Connaught married, Princess Lousie Margaret of Prussia, daughter of Prince Frederick Karl of Prussia (who is said to have beaten her mother so hard for giving birth to a daughter as to permanently deafen her). The Duchess died of influenza at Clarence House on 14 Mar 1917. She was
the first member of the royal family to be cremated, and was interred at
Frogmore.
They had three children: Princess Margaret (1882-1920), Prince Arthur (1883-1938), and Princess Patricia (1886-1974).
Princess Margaret married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden in 1905, becoming Crown Princess in 1907 when his father acceded to the throne. Gustaf succeeded his father in 1950, but Margaret had died in 1920. Her grandchildren include King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Queen (consort) Anne-Marie of Greece.
Prince Arthur served as an army officer in the Boer War and First World War, reaching the rank of major-general. He married his cousin, Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife, in 1913. He was Governor-General of South Africa, 1920-1924, and died in 1938.
Princess Patricia married Capt (later Adm Sir) Alexander Ramsey, son of the Earl of Dalhousie, and an aide-de-camp of her fathers' in 1919. She relinquished her royal titles
The Orders and Medals
Military Career
He entered the Royal Military College, Woolwich, in 1866 and started his career as a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers. He spent a year with his regiment in Montreal, and served on the Red River expedition of 1870. In 1871 he was promoted captain in the Rifle Brigade, lieutenant-colonel in 1876 and major-general in 1880. After serving with the during the Egypt campaign of 1882 in command of the Brigade of Guards (he was at Tell-el-Kebir and was Governor of Cairo), he served in India (Commander-in-Chief Bombay, 1886-1890), Ireland, the Mediterranean and South Africa. In 1902 he was appointed field marshal and Inspector-General of the Forces.
Governor-General of Canada
 |
| Princes Patricia of Connaught |
Their daughter, Princess Patricia, lent her name and support to the raising of a new Canadian army regiment -- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. As the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief, she played an active role in the regiment until her death in 1974.
Connaught's tenure as Governor-General came to an end in 1916. The Prime Minister, Robert Borden, gave a mixed review of him, considering that he over-stepped his constitional role, having 'laboured under the handicap of his position as a member of the Royal Family and never realised his limitations as Governor General.' He was succeeded by an experience politician, the Duke of Devonshire.
After Canada
Prince Arthur continued to carry out duties as a minor royal he withdrew from public duties in 1928. He was a freemason, being Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, 1901-1939. He was president of the Boy Scouts Association. He died at his home, Bagshot Park, on 16 Jan 1942, aged 91 years and 8 months. He was succeeded by his grandson Alastair who died in shady circumstances the following year - the title becoming extinct.
Family
On 13 Mar 1879 Connaught married, Princess Lousie Margaret of Prussia, daughter of Prince Frederick Karl of Prussia (who is said to have beaten her mother so hard for giving birth to a daughter as to permanently deafen her). The Duchess died of influenza at Clarence House on 14 Mar 1917. She was
the first member of the royal family to be cremated, and was interred at
Frogmore.They had three children: Princess Margaret (1882-1920), Prince Arthur (1883-1938), and Princess Patricia (1886-1974).
Princess Margaret married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden in 1905, becoming Crown Princess in 1907 when his father acceded to the throne. Gustaf succeeded his father in 1950, but Margaret had died in 1920. Her grandchildren include King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Queen (consort) Anne-Marie of Greece.
Prince Arthur served as an army officer in the Boer War and First World War, reaching the rank of major-general. He married his cousin, Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife, in 1913. He was Governor-General of South Africa, 1920-1924, and died in 1938.
Princess Patricia married Capt (later Adm Sir) Alexander Ramsey, son of the Earl of Dalhousie, and an aide-de-camp of her fathers' in 1919. She relinquished her royal titles
The Orders and Medals
From the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography:-
The duke had received every order which it had been in the power of his mother to bestow, and had received further decorations from Edward VII and George V, and from many foreign powers. He presided over many organizations, including the Royal Society of Arts, the Boy Scouts' Association, and the united lodge of freemasons, and was colonel of three, and colonel-in-chief of nineteen, army regiments.
Order of the Garter Knight Companion (KG), 31 May 1867
Order of the Thistle Knight Companion (KT), 24 May 1869
Order of St Patrick Knight Companion (KP), 30 March 1869
Order of the Bath
- Companion, Military Division (CB), 17 November 1882
- Knight Commander, Military Division (KCB), 8 July 1890
- Knight Grand Cross, Military Division (GCB), 21 May 1898
Order of the Star of India Extra Knight Grand Commander (GCSI), 1 January 1877
Order of St Michael and St George Knight Grand Cross (GCMG), 16 April 1870
Order of the Indian Empire Extra Knight Grand Commander (GCIE), 21 June 1887
Royal Victorian Order
- Knight Grand Cross (GCVO), 6 May 1896
- Awarded the Royal Victorian Chain on 11 August 1902.
- Knight Grand Cross (GBE), 4 June 1917
- Knight of Justice (KStJ), before 1896
- Bailiff Grand Cross (GCStJ), 12 June 1926
Campaign medals
Canadian General Service Medal with clasp for Fenian Raid 1870
Egypt Medal with clasp for Battle of Tel el-Kebir 1882
Long service medals
Volunteer Officers' Decoration (VD), 1892
Territorial Decoration (TD), 1934
Foreign Orders and Awards
| 1865 | Grand Cordon, the Order of Glory (Nishan al-Iftikhar) (Tunis) | |
| 1867 | Imperial Order of the Osmans (Nishan-i-Osmanieh), 1st class in brilliants (Turkey) | |
| 1872 | Knight, the Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia) | |
| 1873 | Grand Cross, the Order of the Red Eagle (Prussia) | |
| 1873 | Grand Cross, the Order of Leopold (mil) (Belgium) | |
| 1873 | Grand Cross, the Royal Hungarian Order of St Stephen (Hungary) | |
| 1873 | Knight, the Royal Order of the Seraphim (Sweden) | |
| 1873 | Knight, the Order of the Elephant (Denmark) | |
| 1876 | Grand Cross with Collar, the Most Distinguished Order of Carlos III (Spain) | |
| 1878 | Knight Grand Cross, the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Netherlands) | |
| 1879 | Grand Cross, the Order of the Redeemer (Greece) | |
| 1882 | The Order 'Pour le Merite' (Prussia) | |
| 1882 | The Imperial Order of Nobility (Nishan-i-Majidieh), 2nd class (Turkey) | |
| Grand Cross, the Order of Military Merit (Spain) | ||
| 1890 | Grand Cordon, the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum (Japan) | |
| 1897 | Grand Cross, the Order of Danilo (Montenegro) | |
| 1898 | Grand Cordon, the Order of the Legion of Honour (French Republic) | |
| Knight, the Supreme Order of the Annunziata (Italy) | ||
| Knight Grand Cross, the Order of SS Maurice & Lazarus (Italy) | ||
| 1902 | Knight, the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain) | |
| Commander Grand Cross, the Royal Order of the Sword (Sweden) | ||
| 1905 | Knight, the Order of Charles XII (Sweden) | |
| 1906 | Knight, the House Order of Fidelity (Baden) | |
| 1906 | Grand Cross with Collar, the Order of St Olav (Norway) | |
| 1917 | Knight Grand Cross, the Military Order of Savoy (Italy) | |
| Grand Cross, the Order of the Star of Ethiopia | ||
| Grand Cross, the Order of the Crown (Rumania) | ||
Grand Cross, the Order of St Charles (Monaco) | ||
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