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| Prince George, Duke of Cambridge |
March 17, 1904 - The
last surviving grandson of King George III, Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
passed away this morning in his residence, Gloucester House, London.
The New York Times
reports that the Duke, a few days shy of his 85th birthday, had been
"confined to his house for weeks."
King Edward and Queen Alexandra had paid him regular visits,
while his sons Admiral and Col. FitzGeorge were always at his bedside. Hearing
the news of his death, the King and Queen went to Gloucester House to
"offer their condolences" to the grieving family.
In the House of Commons, Prime Minister Balfour and Liberal
Leader Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman delivered a eulogy, thanking the Duke for
"his devotion to the service of his country," expressing the House's
sympathy to the Royal Family.
The Duke was known for his staunchly conservative leanings
on crucial issues during his days, but he remained a "popular
figure." Not even his vocal opposition against modernizing and liberalizing
the armed forces tarnished the respect "with which all ranks regarded
their old Commander in Chief."
The death of the Duke puts the Court in mourning, although
the King and Queen's trip to Ireland will not be postponed. However, flags on
the buildings all throughout London have been already lowered to a half-mast.
The Duke's Fortune
A speculation on the Duke's fortune can reveal that he was a
relatively wealthy man. Upon the death of his father and after inheriting the
dukedom of Cambridge, Parliament granted him around $300,000 in annuity. As
Commander-in-Chief, he received $22,500 until 1887. This figure increased to
$33,160, and as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, he was paid $11,000 a year.
Other appointments also paid him well.
Marriage and Mrs. FitzGeorge
In 1837, the Duke fell in love and married the actress Sarah
Fairbrother, despite the opposition of his family. Since Queen Victoria refused
to grant consent on this marriage, the bride took the name Mrs. FitzGeorge. Nevertheless, she remained respected by her friends, including many members of
the Royal Family and the Court and their marriage was a very happy one. She even
went to Crimea to nurse the wounded duke after the Battle of Inkerman. The
marriage produced three sons, George, Adolphus and Augustus, who all bore the
surname FitzGeorge.
Mrs. FitzGeorge's death in 1890 took a hard blow on the
Duke. Queen Victoria finally took her resentment aside and sent a letter of
condolence to her grieving cousin. Her Majesty's equerry was present at the
funeral.
Life and Career
The Duke of Cambridge was born on March 26, 1819. His father
was Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, while her mother was Princess Augusta
of Hesse-Cassel. Her sister, Princess Augusta became the consort of the Grand
Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, whose son was the last-reigning sovereign of the
German grand duchy. Her youngest sister, Princess Mary Adelaide was the mother
of the future Queen Mary, consort of King George V.
He was educated both in Hanover and England and at the age
of 18, he joined the British Army. From 1838-1839, he was stationed in
Gibraltar and later on in Ireland before he was promoted lieutenant-colonel of
the 8th Light Dragoons and as colonel of the 17th Lancers in 1842.
From 1843-45, he was colonel on the staff in the Ionian
Islands. He was promoted Major-General in 1845.
On July 8, 1850, he succeeded his father as Duke of
Cambridge, Earl of Tipperary and Baron Culloden.
In 1852, he served as Inspector of the Cavalry.
In 1854, he saw
active service in the Crimean War, where he commanded the 1st Division of the
British Army. He was promoted lieutenant-general the same year and was present
at the battles of Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman, as well as at the siege of
Sebastopol. However, he fell ill and was forced to retreat to Malta and return
home before the end of the war.
On July 5, 1856, the Duke was promoted general
commanding-in-chief of the British army, which was later renamed into field
marshal commanding-in-chief in 1862. By Letters Patent, his post was renamed
commander-in-chief of the forces in 1887, serving as chief military advisor to
the Secretary of State for War.
He was promoted general in 1856 and field
marshal in 1862. He held the post until 1895.
The duke was criticized for his bitter opposition in
reforming the army, calling the plans as merely "fads," using
"considerably stronger language when he talked of the various suggested
changes to his brother officers." He also earned the reputation for promoting
officers based on social standing rather than merit. In 1890, a royal
commission headed by Lord Hartington criticized the administration of the War
Office and proposed that the powers of the commander-in-chief be transferred to
a number of army officers. The Duke forcibly resigned on Nov. 1, 1895 and was
succeeded by Lord Wolseley.
The Duke was highly regarded as being the most imposing
member of the royal family. A tall, handsome man with "soldierly
bearing," he had always commanded attention whenever present in public.
(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)
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