Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge
Encyclopedia
Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, GCB
, GCVO
, CMG
(Adolphus Charles Alexander Albert Edward George Philip Louis Ladislaus), born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later The Duke of Teck (13 August 1868 – 23 October 1927), was a member of the British Royal Family
and a younger brother of Queen Mary
, the consort of King George V
. In 1900, he succeeded his father as Duke of Teck
in the Kingdom of Württemberg
. He relinquished his German titles in 1917 to become Marquess of Cambridge
.
, London
. His father was Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, the eldest son of Duke Alexander of Württemberg
and Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
(created the Countess von Hohenstein). His mother was the Duchess of Teck, (formerly Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
), the youngest daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
, and a granddaughter of King George III
. Adolphus was styled His Serene Highness
Prince Adolphus of Teck at birth. With a string of nine Christian names, among his immediate family he was always known as "Dolly", a pet form of 'Adolphus'. He was educated at Wellington College
in Berkshire
.
, the regiment of his maternal uncle, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, who was the commander-in-chief of the British Army
from 1856-1895. In 1894, he transferred to the 1st Life Guards.
He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Post Office Rifles in 1912.
, he married Lady Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor
(9 April 1873 – 27 March 1929), the daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster
. The couple had 4 children:
The new Duke served with his regiment during the Boer War
and at one time was a transport officer in the Household Cavalry
. He then served as the British military attaché
in Vienna
from 1904 to 1910, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel
. With the outbreak of the First World War
, he returned to active duty, serving first as temporary military secretary at the War Office
and later as military secretary to the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Forces (B.E.F.) in France, with the rank of brigadier general
. He was created Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) in 1897, promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.) in 1900, and made a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (G.C.B.), in 1911. Though lionized during his lifetime as a "soldier-prince", papers released in 1998 undermined this assessment, as they revealed that he had spent much of the First World War facing a series of Army medical boards to request sick leave.
With an Order in Council dated 9 June 1911, his brother-in-law King George V, as a gift to mark his own Coronation, granted his cousin the style His Highness
, which echoed the gift of the King's Grandmother, Queen Victoria, to the Duke's father.
, anti-German
feeling in the United Kingdom
led Teck's brother-in-law King George V
to change the name of the Royal House from the Germanic House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to the more English-sounding House of Windsor
. The King also renounced all his Germanic titles for himself and all members of the British Royal Family who were British subjects.
In response to this, Teck renounced, through a Royal Warrant from the King, dated 14 July 1917, his title of Duke of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg and the style His Highness. Adolphus, along with his brother, Prince Alexander of Teck
, adopted the name Cambridge, after their grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.
He was subsequently created Marquess of Cambridge, Earl of Eltham, and Viscount Northallerton all in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
. His elder son took the title Earl of Eltham as a courtesy title. His younger children became Lord/Lady (Christian Name) Cambridge.
Vera Bate Lombardi
, Coco Chanel
's muse
and PR representative, was rumored to be Adolphus' illegitimate daughter.
Lord Cambridge died in 1927 at Shotton Hall, Shrewsbury
. He was first buried at St George's Chapel and later transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore. His elder son, the Earl of Eltham, succeeded him as Marquess of Cambridge
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(Adolphus Charles Alexander Albert Edward George Philip Louis Ladislaus), born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later The Duke of Teck (13 August 1868 – 23 October 1927), was a member of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
and a younger brother of Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, the consort of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. In 1900, he succeeded his father as Duke of Teck
Duke of Teck
Duke of Teck was, in medieval times, a title borne by the head of a principality named Teck in the Holy Roman Empire, centered around Teck castle in Germany. That territory was held by a branch line of the Zähringen dynasty from 1187 to 1439, known historically as the first House of Teck...
in the Kingdom of Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
. He relinquished his German titles in 1917 to become Marquess of Cambridge
Duke of Cambridge
Duke of Cambridge is a title which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family several times. It was first used as a designation for Charles Stuart , the eldest son of James, Duke of York , though he was never formally created Duke of Cambridge...
.
Early life
Prince Adolphus of Teck was born on 13 August 1868 at Kensington PalaceKensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His father was Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, the eldest son of Duke Alexander of Württemberg
Duke Alexander of Württemberg
Duke Alexander of Württemberg was the father of Prince Francis of Teck and the grandfather of Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge and Queen Mary of Great Britain, wife of King George V....
and Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
Countess Claudine Rhédey de Kis-Rhéde was the wife of Duke Alexander of Württemberg. Her son, Francis, Duke of Teck was the father of Mary of Teck, Queen consort to George V of the United Kingdom....
(created the Countess von Hohenstein). His mother was the Duchess of Teck, (formerly Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III, and great-grandmother of Elizabeth II. She held the title of Duchess of Teck through marriage.Mary Adelaide is remembered as the mother of Queen Mary, the consort of...
), the youngest daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
The Prince Adolphus, 1st Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV...
, and a granddaughter of King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. Adolphus was styled His Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
Prince Adolphus of Teck at birth. With a string of nine Christian names, among his immediate family he was always known as "Dolly", a pet form of 'Adolphus'. He was educated at Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
Army
Prince Adolphus was a cavalry officer, following in the footsteps of his father, both of his grandfathers, and his maternal uncle. He received his education at Wellington College, before entering the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. At the age of 19, he joined the 17th Lancers17th Lancers
The 17th Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War...
, the regiment of his maternal uncle, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, who was the commander-in-chief of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
from 1856-1895. In 1894, he transferred to the 1st Life Guards.
He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Post Office Rifles in 1912.
Marriage
On 12 December 1894, at Eaton HallEaton Hall (Cheshire)
Eaton Hall is the country house of the Duke of Westminster. It is set within a large estate south of the village of Eccleston, in Cheshire, England . The house is surrounded by formal gardens, parkland, farmland and woodland. The estate covers an area of about .The first substantial house was...
, he married Lady Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor
Margaret Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge
Margaret Evelyn Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge was the sixth child and third daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster and the wife of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge...
(9 April 1873 – 27 March 1929), the daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
. The couple had 4 children:
- Prince George of TeckGeorge Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of CambridgeGeorge Francis Hugh Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge, GCVO , known as Prince George of Teck until 1917 and as Earl of Eltham from 1917 to 1927, was a descendant of the British Royal Family. He was the elder son of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge, formerly the Duke of Teck, and his wife, the...
, later 2nd Marquess of Cambridge, (11 October 1895 – 16 April 1981); married 1923 Dorothy Hastings (18 May 1899 – 1 April 1988). - Princess Mary of TeckMary Somerset, Duchess of BeaufortVictoria Constance Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort was the daughter of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge and Lady Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor.Princess Mary was born at White Lodge, Richmond Park...
, later The Lady Mary Cambridge (12 June 1897 – 23 June 1987); married 1923 the 10th Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 10th Duke of BeaufortHenry Hugh Arthur FitzRoy Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort KG GCVO KStJ PC was a British peer, the son of Henry Somerset, 9th Duke of Beaufort....
(4 April 1900 – 4 February 1984). - Princess Helena of TeckLady Helena GibbsLady Helena Gibbs , born Princess Helena of Teck, was a descendant of the British Royal Family, great-great-granddaughter of King George III, and a niece of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V...
, later The Lady Helena Cambridge (23 October 1899 – 22 December 1969); married 1919 Colonel John Evelyn Gibbs (22 December 1879-11 October 1932). - Prince Frederick of Teck, later styled Lord Frederick Cambridge (23 September 1907 – 30 May 1940).
Duke of Teck
In January 1900, Adolphus succeeded his father as Duke of Teck.The new Duke served with his regiment during the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and at one time was a transport officer in the Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
. He then served as the British military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
from 1904 to 1910, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. With the outbreak of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he returned to active duty, serving first as temporary military secretary at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
and later as military secretary to the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Forces (B.E.F.) in France, with the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. He was created Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) in 1897, promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.) in 1900, and made a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (G.C.B.), in 1911. Though lionized during his lifetime as a "soldier-prince", papers released in 1998 undermined this assessment, as they revealed that he had spent much of the First World War facing a series of Army medical boards to request sick leave.
With an Order in Council dated 9 June 1911, his brother-in-law King George V, as a gift to mark his own Coronation, granted his cousin the style His Highness
Highness
Highness, often used with a possessive adjective , is an attribute referring to the rank of the dynasty in an address...
, which echoed the gift of the King's Grandmother, Queen Victoria, to the Duke's father.
Marquess of Cambridge
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, anti-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
feeling in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
led Teck's brother-in-law King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
to change the name of the Royal House from the Germanic House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to the more English-sounding House of Windsor
House of Windsor
The House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom...
. The King also renounced all his Germanic titles for himself and all members of the British Royal Family who were British subjects.
In response to this, Teck renounced, through a Royal Warrant from the King, dated 14 July 1917, his title of Duke of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg and the style His Highness. Adolphus, along with his brother, Prince Alexander of Teck
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
, adopted the name Cambridge, after their grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.
He was subsequently created Marquess of Cambridge, Earl of Eltham, and Viscount Northallerton all in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
. His elder son took the title Earl of Eltham as a courtesy title. His younger children became Lord/Lady (Christian Name) Cambridge.
Vera Bate Lombardi
Vera Bate Lombardi
Vera Bate Lombardi, born Sarah Gertrude Arkwright, was a British socialite and close associate of Coco Chanel. The mother of Bridget Bate Tichenor, she may have been the illegitimate daughter of Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge...
, Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist thought, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of one of the most famous fashion brands, Chanel...
's muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
and PR representative, was rumored to be Adolphus' illegitimate daughter.
Lord Cambridge died in 1927 at Shotton Hall, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
. He was first buried at St George's Chapel and later transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore. His elder son, the Earl of Eltham, succeeded him as Marquess of Cambridge
Duke of Cambridge
Duke of Cambridge is a title which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family several times. It was first used as a designation for Charles Stuart , the eldest son of James, Duke of York , though he was never formally created Duke of Cambridge...
.
Ancestors
Styles from birth to death
- His Serene Highness Prince Adolphus of Teck (1868–1900)
- His Serene Highness The Duke of Teck (1900–1911)
- His Highness The Duke of Teck (1911–1917)
- Sir Adolphus Cambridge, GCB, GCVO (1917-1917)
- The Most Honourable The Marquess of Cambridge, GCB, GCVO, CMG (1917–1927)