Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Prince George | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Duke of Cambridge | |||||
Born | Prince George of Cambridge 26 March 1819 Cambridge House, Hanover | ||||
Died | 17 March 1904 Gloucester House, London | (aged 84)||||
Burial | 22 March 1904 | ||||
Spouse | [a] | ||||
Issue | George FitzGeorge Adolphus FitzGeorge Augustus FitzGeorge | ||||
| |||||
House | Hanover | ||||
Father | Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge | ||||
Mother | Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel | ||||
Signature | |||||
Military career | |||||
Allegiance | United Kingdom | ||||
Service/ | British Army | ||||
Rank | Field marshal | ||||
Commands held | Commander-in-Chief of the Forces |
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (George William Frederick Charles; 26 March 1819 – 17 March 1904) was a member of the British royal family, a grandson of King George III and cousin of Queen Victoria. The Duke was an army officer by profession and served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces (military head of the British Army) from 1856 to 1895. He became Duke of Cambridge in 1850 and field marshal in 1862. Deeply devoted to the old Army, he worked with Queen Victoria to defeat or minimise every reform proposal, such as setting up a general staff. His Army's weaknesses were dramatically revealed by the poor organisation at the start of the Second Boer War.
Early life
Prince George was born at Cambridge House, Hanover.[1][2] His father was Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the seventh son of King George III and Queen Charlotte.[2] His mother was the Duchess of Cambridge (née Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel).[1]
He was baptised at Cambridge House (94
Military career
Prince George of Cambridge was educated in Hanover and from 1830 in England by the Rev. J. R. Wood, a canon of Worcester Cathedral.[1] Like his father, he embarked upon a military career, initially becoming a colonel in the Hanoverian Army and then, on 3 November 1837, becoming a brevet colonel in the British Army.[4] He was attached to the staff at Gibraltar from October 1838 to April 1839.[2] After serving in Ireland with the 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's), he was appointed substantive lieutenant-colonel of the 8th Light Dragoons on 15 April 1842[5] and colonel of the 17th Lancers on 25 April 1842.[2]
From 1843 to 1845 he served as a colonel on the staff in the
The Duke of Cambridge became Inspector of the Cavalry in 1852.
In December 1854, owing to illness, the Earl of Cardigan returned first to Malta and then to England: before the conclusion of the Crimean campaign he was back in London.[9] Meanwhile, Lord Raglan died at 9.30 pm on 28 June 1855 from dysentery; General Simpson succeeded Raglan in commanding in the Crimea, followed by General Codrington. Field Marshal Viscount Hardinge, the serving general commanding-in-chief since 1852, was forced to resign in July 1856 on grounds of ill-health.[10] (The Crimean War had ended in March 1856.)
On 5 July 1856, the Duke was appointed general commanding-in-chief of the British Army,
Policies
The Duke of Cambridge served as commander-in-chief for 39 years.
Opposition to reforms
Under the Duke's command, the British Army became a moribund and stagnant institution. There were no new ideas. He allegedly rebuked one of his more intelligent subordinates with the words: "Brains? I don't believe in brains! You haven't any, I know, Sir!" He was equally forthright on his reluctance to adopt change: "There is a time for everything, and the time for change is when you can no longer help it."[17]
In the wake of the Prussian victories in the 1870–71
The Duke opposed most of the reforms because they struck at the heart of his view of the Army. According to Theo Aronson, he "stoutly resisted almost every attempt at reform or modernization."[20] He feared that the newly created force of reservists would be of little use in a colonial conflict, and that expeditionary forces would have to strip the most experienced men from the home-based battalions in order to fill the gaps in their ranks.[1] His fears seemed to be confirmed in 1873, when Wolseley raided battalions for the expedition against the Ashanti. In 1881, when the historic numbers of regiments were abolished and facing colours standardised for English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish regiments, the Duke protested that regimental spirit would be degraded; the majority of facing colours were restored by the time of World War I, although the numbers of regiments were not.[1]
The reforming impetus, however, continued. Parliament passed the War Office Act 1870, which formally subordinated the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces to the Secretary of State for War and in 1871 Cardwell abolished the custom of purchasing an office which had done much to instil elitism in the form of discipline and training. The Duke of Cambridge strongly resented this move, a sentiment shared by a majority of officers, who would no longer be able to sell their commissions when they retired.[1]
Pressures for reform built up as the Duke of Cambridge aged; his strongest ally was his cousin, Queen Victoria. While the Queen insisted on reform, she was also protective of the Household brigades and their long association and traditions. An 1890 royal commission led by Lord Hartington (later the 8th Duke of Devonshire) criticised the administration of the War Office and recommended the devolution of authority from the Commander-in-Chief to subordinate military officers.[1] A number of reformers opposed to the Duke banded together, including Henry Campbell-Bannerman and Lord Lansdowne, the Liberal and Conservative Secretaries for War between 1892 and 1900. The leading generals eager to replace the Duke were Wolseley, Buller (1802–1884), Roberts (1832–1914), and the Duke of Connaught (1850–1942). The Duke of Cambridge was forced to resign his post on 1 November 1895, and was succeeded by Lord Wolseley.[21] On his resignation he was given the title of honorary colonel-in-chief to the Forces.[22]
Historian Correlli Barnett blames British failures in the Second Boer War of 1899–1902 on the Duke, stressing the Army's "[l]ack of organization, ignorant and casual officers, inferior human material in the ranks" as well as "soldiers drilled to machine-like movements [versus the Boer] with a rifle working on his own initiative."[23]
Friend of Haig
During the Duke's long career he helped to further the career progress of Douglas Haig, a talented and able young officer, who succeeded through Staff College to gain promotion. As Commander-in-Chief, the Duke was able to admit any candidate to the college so long as they passed three out of eight of the tests. Haig, who was also acquainted with Sir Evelyn Wood, left for India in 1893 knowing that the Duke had also made a friend of Henrietta Jameson (née Haig), his older sister. The Duke's nomination was made in 1894 and 1895, but Haig did not take up the place until 15 January 1896 under Army Regulations Order 72 (1896). The Duke, who was replaced by Lord Wolseley, after 32 years was not the only patron of preferment. The Staff College was not intended to educate a General Staff until much later in its historical development. However the traditional system of informal patronage was gradually giving way to more than gifted amateurs.[24]
On 22 November 1909 the reforms to which Haig, as Director of Staff Duties was a part, abolished the post of Commander-in-Chief which the Duke had made his own. In setting up the Army Council, with its head being called the Chief of the General Staff by Order in Council, the Liberal government separated the army from the monarchy.[25]
Marriage and mistress
It is believed, according to
The Duke of Cambridge made no secret of his view that "arranged marriages were doomed to failure." He married privately, without seeking Queen Victoria's consent, at
Later life
The Duke of Cambridge served as colonel-in-chief of the
Cambridge's strength and hearing began to fade in his later years. He was unable to ride at Queen Victoria's funeral and had to attend in a carriage.[46] He paid his last visit to Germany in August 1903.[1] He died of a haemorrhage of the stomach in 1904 at Gloucester House, Piccadilly, London.[1] His remains were buried five days later next to those of his wife in Kensal Green Cemetery, London.[1]
In 1904, his estate was probated at under £121,000.[47]
The Duke is today commemorated by an equestrian statue standing on Whitehall in central London; it is positioned outside the front door of the War Office that he so strongly resisted.[48] He is also commemorated by two street names in Kingston Vale and Norbiton, in southwest London, George Road and Cambridge Road; the Duke inherited much of the land in the area from his father in 1850.[49]
Titles, styles and honours
Titles and styles
- 26 March 1819 – 8 July 1850: His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge
- 8 July 1850 – 17 March 1904: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge
As the male-line grandson of a
His title, 'Duke of Cambridge', fell into extinction upon his death. It was not revived until 107 years later, when
Honours
- British
- KG: Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 15 August 1835[52]
- KP: Extra Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, 17 November 1851[52]
- Hon DCL: Oxford University, 1853[53]
- GCB: Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (military division), 5 July 1855[52]
- PC: Privy Counsellor of Great Britain, 1856[53]
- Hon LLD: Cambridge University, 1864[53]
- PC (I): Privy Counsellor of Ireland, 21 April 1868[53]
- Hon LLD: Dublin University, 1868[53]
- GCMG: Grand Master and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, 30 May 1877[52]
- GCSI: Extra Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, 2 June 1877[52]
- KT: Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, 17 September 1881[52]
- GCIE: Extra Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, 21 June 1887[52]
- VD: Volunteer Decoration[54]
- ADC: Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Sovereign, 1 November 1895[55]
- KJStJ: Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, 1896[56]
- GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 30 June 1897[52]
- Foreign
- Grand Cross of the
- Grand Cross of the Order of Henry the Lion, 1835 (Brunswick)[58]
- Knight of the Order of St George, 1839 (Hanover)[59]
- Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour, September 1843 (France)[60]
- Grand Cross of the House Order of the Golden Lion, 18 December 1844 (Hesse-Kassel)[61]
- Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 7 September 1852 (Prussia)[62]
- Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1856 (Baden)[63]
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Zähringer Lion, 1856 (Baden)[64]
- Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St Stephen, 1857 (Austria)[65]
- Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, September 1859 (Nassau)[66]
- Grand Cross of the House Order of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore, 13 August 1865 (Mecklenburg)[67]
- Grand Cross of the Royal Military Order of the Tower and Sword, 8 January 1866 (Portugal)[68]
- Knight of the Order of the Elephant, 26 March 1867 (Denmark)[69]
- Knight of the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-called, 1874 (Russia)[53]
- Grand Commander's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, 23 September 1880 (Prussia)[62]
Issue
The Duke of Cambridge and Mrs. FitzGeorge had three sons, two of whom were born before their marriage in contravention to the Royal Marriages Act 1772,[70] and all of whom pursued military careers.
Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
George FitzGeorge | 24 August 1843 | 2 September 1907 | m. Rosa Baring, daughter of William Baring of Norman Court, Hants., by Elizabeth Hammersley; had issue |
Adolphus FitzGeorge | 30 January 1846 | 17 December 1922 | m. (1) Sofia Holden; had issue (Olga FitzGeorge); (2) Margaret Watson; no issue |
Augustus FitzGeorge | 12 June 1847 | 30 October 1933 | Col Sir Augustus FitzGeorge, KCVO, CB; no marriage or issue |
Ancestors
Ancestors of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Notes
- ^ This marriage was contracted in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act 1772, as George failed to seek permission from the then-monarch, his cousin Queen Victoria. The marriage was not legally recognised.
References
- ^ required.)
- ^ a b c d e f g Heathcote, p. 141
- ^ "No. 17479". The London Gazette. 22 May 1819. p. 881.
- ^ "No. 19555". The London Gazette. 3 November 1837. p. 2797.
- ^ "No. 20091". The London Gazette. 15 April 1842. p. 1047.
- ^ "No. 20469". The London Gazette. 9 May 1845. p. 1395.
- ^ a b c d e Heathcote, p. 142
- ^ "No. 21564". The London Gazette. 22 June 1854. p. 1931.
- ^ "The King and his Navy and Army" 26 March 1904
- ^ George, HRH Duke of Cambridge, Letters and Diaries, vol.1, pp.114-124
- ^ "No. 25762". The London Gazette. 29 November 1887. p. 6604.
- ^ "No. 21902". The London Gazette. 15 July 1856. p. 2485.
- ^ "No. 22679". The London Gazette. 10 November 1862. p. 5343.
- ^ "HBSA lecture Monday 15 March 2010 at Imperial War Museum – Westley Richards Monkeytails". 3 June 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ a b "No. 22600". The London Gazette. 21 February 1862. p. 898.
- ^ "Flogging in the Army". The Times. 14 January 1860. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "After the triumph of the Royal Wedding, now we need a stronger monarchy". The Freedom Association. 30 April 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ Ensor, p. 16
- ^ Spiers (1994)
- ^ Aronson, Theo (1981). Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone. London: Cassell. p. 76. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
- ^ Brian Bond, "The Retirement of the Duke of Cambridge", Journal of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies (1961), Vol. 106 Issue 624, pp. 544–553.
- ^ "No. 26676". The London Gazette. 1 November 1895. p. 5922.
- ^ Correlli Barnett, Britain and Her Army 1509-1970: A Military, Political and Social Survey (1970) p. 340.
- ^ Reid, pp. 65–66
- ^ Reid, p. 168
- ISBN 0-00-633589-6.
- ISBN 0-297-17001-5.
- ^ Countess of Athlone, Princess Alice (1966). For my Grandchildren. London: Evans Brothers. p. 110. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
- ISBN 978-1317203988.
- ^ Anthony J. Camp, Royal Mistresses and Bastards: Fact and Fiction 1714–1936 (London, 2007) pp. 330–38.
- ISBN 9780571281718.
- ^ Camp, op.cit., p. 339.
- ^ "No. 24338". The London Gazette. 20 June 1876. p. 3563.
- ^ a b "No. 26676". The London Gazette. 1 November 1895. p. 5923.
- ^ "No. 26992". The London Gazette. 2 August 1898. p. 4651.
- ^ "No. 23479". The London Gazette. 16 March 1869. p. 1696.
- ^ "No. 22598". The London Gazette. 14 February 1862. p. 774.
- ^ Heathcote, p.143
- ^ "No. 25265". The London Gazette. 31 August 1883. p. 4276.
- ^ "No. 26311". The London Gazette. 29 July 1892. p. 4317.
- ^ "No. 22361". The London Gazette. 28 February 1860. p. 852.
- ^ "No. 21362". The London Gazette. 28 September 1852. p. 2573.
- ^ "No. 21371". The London Gazette. 22 October 1852. p. 2760.
- ^ "No. 23598". The London Gazette. 15 March 1870. p. 1737.
- ^ "Visit by the Duke of Cambridge, Oxford Military College". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "No. 27316". The London Gazette. 22 May 1901. p. 3552.
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33372. Retrieved 10 February 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ "Duke of Cambridge Statue, Whitehall". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 19 November 1928. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "List of conservation areas: Coombe Hill". Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ "Kate and William become Duke and Duchess of Cambridge". BBC News. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
- ^ This did not become official until 26 May 2011, when Letters Patent to that effect were signed and recorded in the Crown Office on the Roll of the Peerage.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Shaw, William Arthur (1906). The Knights of England. Vol. 1. London: Sharrett & Hughes. pp. 55, 88, 101, 191, 311, 337, 401, 417.
- ^ a b c d e f g The Complete Peerage, Volume II. St Catherine's Press. 1912. p. 499.
- ^ Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1895. Kelly's. p. 227.
- ^ "No. 26676". The London Gazette. 1 November 1895. p. 5922.
- ^ "No. 26725". The London Gazette. 27 March 1896. p. 1960.
- ^ "House of Guelph". Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ Braunschweigisches Adreßbuch für das Jahr 1896. Braunschweig 1896. Meyer. p. 3
- ^ Königliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen. Hof-und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Hannover. 1865. p. 37.
- ISBN 978-2-35077-135-9.
- ^ Kurfürstlich Hessisches Hof- und Staatshandbuch: 1866. Waisenhaus. 1866. p. 15.
- ^ a b "Königlich Preussische Ordensliste", Preussische Ordens-Liste (in German), 1, Berlin: 5, 936, 1886
- ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1862), "Großherzogliche Orden" p. 33
- ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch ... Baden (1862), "Großherzogliche Orden" p. 44
- ^ "Ritter-Orden: Königlich-ungarischer St. Stephans-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, 1895, p. 66, retrieved 29 August 2021
- ^ Staats- und Adreß-Handbuch des Herzogthums Nassau (1866), "Herzogliche Orden" p. 8
- ^ "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen". Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Mecklenburg-Strelitz: 1878 (in German). Neustrelitz: Druck und Debit der Buchdruckerei von G. F. Spalding und Sohn. 1878. p. 11.
- ^ Bragança, Jose Vicente de (2014). "Agraciamentos Portugueses Aos Príncipes da Casa Saxe-Coburgo-Gota" [Portuguese Honours awarded to Princes of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]. Pro Phalaris (in Portuguese). 9–10: 13. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
- ^ Kongelig Dansk Hof-og Statskalendar (1878) (in Danish), "De Kongelig Danske Ridderordener", p. 4
- ^ The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 would have made George and Sarah Fairbrother marriage legal as Royal consent is now limited to only the first six persons in succession in line to the British throne; George was eighth in line to succession.
Bibliography
- Cambridge, George, HRH Duke of (1906). Edgar Sheppard (ed.). George, Duke of Cambridge: A Memoir of his Private Life of Based on the journals and correspondence of His Royal Highness. Vol. 2 vols. Longmans & Co.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Barnett, Correlli (1970). Britain and Her Army 1509-1970: A Military, Political and Social Survey. Allen Lane. ISBN 978-0713901122.
- Beckett, Ian F.W. A British Profession of Arms: The Politics of Command in the Late Victorian Army (U of Oklahoma Press, 2018).
- Ensor, R.C.K. (1963). England 1870–1914, The Oxford history of England 14, New edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-285261-2.
- St.Aubyn, Giles (1963). The Royal George, 1819–1904: The Life of HRH Prince George, Duke of Cambridge. London: Constable. ISBN 978-0571281701.
- Heathcote, Tony (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5.
- Parker, Erasmus; Verner, William (2009) [1906]. The Military Life of the Duke of Cambridge. Vol. 2 vols. ISBN 978-1113265166.
- Reid, Walter (2006). Architect of Victory: Douglas Haig. Birlinn. ISBN 978-1841585178.
- Searle, Geoffrey Russell (2004). A New England?: Peace and War, 1886-1918. Oxford U.P. ISBN 9780198207146.
- Spiers, Edward M. (1992). The Late Victorian Army, 1868-1902. Manchester History of the British Army.
- Spiers, Edward M. (1994). David Chandler (ed.). The Late Victorian Army, 1868-1902. The Oxford History of the British Army. pp. 187–210.
- Spiers, Edward M. (2008). "George, Prince, Second Duke of Cambridge (1819–1904)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33372. Retrieved 10 February 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Weir, Alison (1996). Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Pimlico. ISBN 978-0099539735.
- "The Late Duke of Cambridge". The Times (Obituary): 7. 19 March 1904.