Prince Maurice of Battenberg
Prince Maurice of Battenberg | |
---|---|
Ypres Town War Cemetery | |
Family | Battenberg |
Father | Prince Henry of Battenberg |
Mother | Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom |
Occupation | Soldier Freemason |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Rank | Lieutenant |
Unit | King's Royal Rifle Corps |
Battles/wars | World War I |
Prince Maurice of Battenberg
Early life
Prince Maurice was born on 3 October 1891. He was given the name Maurice after his father
As he was the child of a
The youngest of his four siblings, Maurice most resembled his father, who died when the Prince was only four, the same age his mother was when her own father died. He was his mother's favourite out of his brothers. He was educated at
His elder sister
Later life
Maurice attended
The Prince served in World War I as a Lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, and was killed in action at Zonnebeke,[5] in the Ypres Salient, on 27 October 1914.[6]
The 1st Battalion war diary states, "During the advance eastwards from the ridge the battalion came under terrific shell fire as well as rifle fire… Poor [Prince] Maurice was killed outright just on top of the ridge."[5]
Word of the prince's death was passed to Brigadier-General Fanshawe, commander of the 6th Infantry Brigade. He in turn passed the news to 2nd Division Commander Major-General CC Munro. Munro spoke with the Brigadier at 23.30 before informing 1st Army Corps Commander Lieutenant-General Douglas Haig. Haig was sent the message that the prince "was killed by a shell whilst gallantly leading his company forward to attack across a ridge, east of Zonnebeke". Haig shared the news with GHQ at 7.00 the next morning. He said, "By the death of H.H. Prince Maurice of Battenberg the Army loses a most gallant and valuable officer. In peace and war he has done his duty to King and Country". The final word was sent to the War Office by Sir John French, commander of the British Expeditionary Force, "with deep regret".[5]
His mother, Princess Beatrice, declined the offer of
A memorial tablet to him and his brother Leopold is in Winchester Cathedral.[9]
Honours
Ancestry
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References
- ^ "No. 25655". The London Gazette. 14 December 1886. p. 6305.
- ^ Queen Victoria's Journals – Saturday 31st October 1891
- ^ "Artist celebrates old boys with exhibition". Hemel Today. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
- ^ "Lieutenant H.H. Prince Maurice Victor Donald of Battenberg, KCVO". Masonic Great War Project. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Pearsall, Mark (27 October 2014). "Death of a Prince". The National Archives blog. The National Archives. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ a b c "Casualty Details: Battenberg, Prince Maurice Victor Donald". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
- .
- ^ Evans, Rob; Pegg, David (18 July 2022). "£187m of Windsor family wealth hidden in secret royal wills". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
- ^ "No. 28505". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 June 1911. p. 4595.
External links
- A Royal Sacrifice, Lucinda Gosling
- Prince Maurice and Prince Leopold of Battenberg: Heroism and Haemophilia in World War I (History Answers)
- Portraits of Prince Maurice of Battenberg at the National Portrait Gallery, London