Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
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Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, born His Serene Highness Prince Alexander of Teck (14 April 1874–16 January 1957, was a member of the British Royal Family, the younger brother of Queen Mary. He held the titles of a Prince of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg until 1917, when he relinquished his Germanic titles and assumed the name Cambridge and was created Earl of Athlone. Alexander also served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa from 21 January 1924 to 21 December 1930 and then as Governor General of Canada from 21 June 1940 to 12 April 1946.
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Early life
Alexander was born on 16 January 1874 at Kensington Palace in London. His father was Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, the son of Duke Alexander of Württemberg and the Countess von Hohenstein. His mother was the Duchess of Teck (née Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge), the youngest daughter of HRH Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and a granddaughter of King George III. Alexander was styled His Serene Highness Prince Alexander of Teck at birth.
Alexander was educated at Eton College, Windsor.
Army
Following his education Alexander attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 7th Hussars (the Queen's Own) in 1894. He received the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) for his conduct during the Matabele campaign in the 1898–1901 Boer War.
At the beginning of World War I Alexander had been appointed Governor General of Canada in 1914. However, he convinced his brother-in-law King George V to release him for military service. At the outbreak of war, he was a major in the 2nd Life Guards, with whom he served throughout the war. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1915, brigadier in 1917, and honorary major general in 1918. During the closing months of the war, he served as head of the British Mission to the Belgian army.
Marriage
On 10 February 1904 Alexander married Her Royal Highness Princess Alice of Albany (23 February 1883 – 3 January 1981), the daughter of HRH Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
Alexander and Alice had three children:
- Her Serene Highness Princess May of Teck, later styled Lady May Cambridge (23 January 1906–29 May 1994), married 23 October 1931 Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith (26 January, 1900-24 January1993)
- His Serene Highness Prince Rupert of Teck, later styled Viscount Trematon (24 August 1907–15 April 1928)
- His Serene Highness Prince Maurice of Teck (29 March 1910–14 September 1910).
Earl of Athlone
During World War I, anti-German feeling in the United Kingdom led Alexander'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 citizens.
In response to this, Alexander renounced his title of a Prince of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg and the style His Serene Highness. Alexander, along with his other Teck relation, Prince Adolphus of Teck, adopted the name Cambridge, after their grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.
A few days later, the King created his brother-in-law Earl of Athlone and Viscount Trematon. Alexander was now styled The Right Honourable Earl of Athlone. His elder daughter was now styled Lady May Cambridge, and his surviving son adopted the courtesy title of Viscount Trematon. Alexander's wife, Alice, retained her title of a British princess with the style Her Royal Highness and became known as Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.
Governor General of the Union of South Africa
In 1923, Alexander was appointed governor general of the Union of South Africa, in succession to his cousin, HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught. In that capacity, he helped to resolve the controversy surrounding a proposal by Prime Minister James Hertzog that South Africa should have its own flag, in addition to the Union Jack. In recognition, George V made him a Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG) in April 1928. A suburb in the South African city of Cape Town was also named after him.
Governor General of Canada
In June 1940, Alexander was appointed Governor-General of Canada at the age of 68, following the sudden death of Lord Tweedsmuir while in office. There had been calls from government and the media for a Canadian Governor General, but Prime Minister Mackenzie King did not feel the time was right for this while Canada was still at war with Germany. Alexander and Alice travelled to Canada to take up their positions, zig-zagging across the Atlantic in the RMS Queen Mary to avoid submarine attack, arriving safely in Halifax.
As World War II continued, Alexander was very active in supporting the war effort by continuously inspecting troops, training schools, and military hospitals. Princess Alice was Honorary Commandant of the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service, Honorary Air Commandant of the Royal Canadian Air Force (Women's Division), and president of the nursing division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade.
As governor-general, Alexander hosted Prime Minister Mackenzie King, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Quebec Citadel on two separate occasions in 1943 and 1944. These meetings, known as the Quebec Conferences, helped decide the strategies of the Western Allies that would lead to victory over Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945.
Not everything was focused on the war, though. The Earl of Athlone created the Athlone-Vanier Engineering Fellowship at the Engineering Institute of Canada, recognizing academic excellence, leadership, and management potential. He also enjoyed the social activities around Ottawa, hosting tobogganing parties, skiing in Gatineau Park and learning how to skate.
Later life
In 1946, he was replaced as governor-general of Canada by The Earl Alexander of Tunis. Alexander returned to the United Kingdom to retirement at his residence in Kensington Palace. He attended the coronation of his great-niece, Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and other major royal events; however, he carried out few royal appearances on his own.
Alexander died at Kensington Palace on January 16, 1957. He was buried at Frogmore Royal Burial Ground, Windsor. With his death, the earldom of Athlone became extinct. His wife survived until 1981, the oldest surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria.
Titles and honours
Titles
- His Serene Highness Prince Alexander of Teck
- Mr Alexander Cambridge
- The Right Honourable Earl of Athlone
Honours
| Preceded by: HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught | Governor-General of South Africa 1924–1931 | Succeeded by: The Earl of Clarendon | |||
| Preceded by: The Lord Tweedsmuir | Governor-General of Canada 1940–1946 | Succeeded by: The Earl Alexander of Tunis
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