Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Encyclopedia
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Ernest Albert; 6 August 1844 – 30 July 1900) was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family
, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was created Duke of Edinburgh
, Earl of Kent
and Earl of Ulster
in the peerage of the United Kingdom
on 24 May 1866. He succeeded his paternal uncle Ernst II
as the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the German Empire
on 23 August 1893.
. His mother was the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria
, the only daughter of Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
. His father was Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
, the second son of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
. As a son of the monarch, he was styled His Royal Highness The Prince Alfred at birth, and was second in the line of succession
behind his elder brother, The Prince of Wales. He was known to his family as "Affie", a childhood mispronunciation of the name "Alfred".
Alfred was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury
, William Howley
, at the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle on 6 September 1844. His godparents were his maternal great-uncle, Prince George of Cambridge
(represented by his father, the Duke of Cambridge
); his paternal aunt, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (represented by his maternal grandmother, the Duchess of Kent
); and Queen Victoria's half-brother, Carl, Prince of Leiningen
(represented by The Duke of Wellington
, Conservative Leader in the Lords
).
. A separate establishment was accordingly assigned to him, with Lieutenant Sowell, R. E.
, as governor
. He passed the examination in August 1858, and was appointed as midshipman on the at the age of 14. In July 1860, while in this ship, he paid an official visit to the Cape Colony
, and made a very favourable impression both on the colonials and on the native chiefs. On the abdication of King Otto of Greece
, in 1862, Prince Alfred was chosen to succeed him
, but the British government blocked plans for him to ascend the Greek throne.
Prince Alfred, therefore, remained in the navy, and was promoted lieutenant on 24 February 1863, serving under Count Gleichen
on , and captain on 23 February 1866, being then appointed to the command of the frigate .
had their first son Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale on this date. Any legitimate children of his older brother took priority in the succession list. Alfred became third-in-line to the throne.
As Edward and Alexandra continued to have children, Alfred was further demoted in the order of succession.
and Earl of Ulster
and Kent
, with an annuity of £15,000 granted by Parliament. He took his seat in the House of Lords
on 8 June.
, reached the Cape of Good Hope
on 24 July and paid a royal visit to Cape Town
on 24 August 1867 after landing at Simon's Town
a while earlier. He landed at Glenelg, South Australia
, on 31 October.
Being the first member of royal family to visit Australia, the Duke was received with great enthusiasm. During his stay of nearly five months he visited Adelaide
, Melbourne
, Sydney
, Brisbane
and Tasmania
. Adelaide school Prince Alfred College
was named in his honour to mark such an occasion.
, President of the Sydney Sailors' Home to picnic at the beachfront suburb of Clontarf to raise funds for the home. At the function he was wounded in the back by a revolver fired by Henry James O'Farrell
. The Prince was shot just to the right of his spine, and was tended for the next two weeks by six nurses, trained by Florence Nightingale
and led by Matron Lucy Osburn, who had just arrived in Australia in February, 1868.
The Melbourne Argus reported:
On the evening of 23 March 1868, the most influential people of Sydney voted for a memorial building to be erected, “to raise a permanent and substantial monument in testimony of the heartfelt gratitude of the community at the recovery of HRH”. This led to a public subscription which paid for the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
's construction.
Prince Alfred soon recovered from his injury and was able to resume command of his ship and return home in early April 1868.
Henry James O'Farrell was arrested at the scene, quickly tried, convicted and hanged on 21 April 1868.
Prince Alfred reached Spithead on 26 June 1868, after an absence of seventeen months. He was also the first member of the Royal Family to visit New Zealand, arriving in 1869 on HMS Galatea. The Duke's next voyage was to India, where he arrived in December 1869 and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
), which he visited the following year. In both countries and at Hong Kong, which he visited on the way, he was the first British prince to set foot in the country. The native rulers of India vied with one another in the magnificence of their entertainments during the Duke's stay of three months.
and his wife Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Wilhelmine of Baden
, at the Winter Palace
, Saint Petersburg
. To commemorate the occasion, a small English bakery made the now-internationally-popular Marie biscuit
, with the Duchess' name imprinted on its top.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh made their public entry into London on 12 March. The marriage, however, was not a happy one, and the bride was thought haughty by London Society. She insisted on taking precedence before the Princess of Wales (the future Queen Alexandra) because she and her father the Tsar considered the Princess of Wales' family (the Danish Royal Family) as inferior to their own. Queen Victoria refused this demand and granted her precedence immediately after the Princess of Wales. Her father gave her the then-staggering sum of £100,000 as a dowry, plus an annual allowance of £28,000.
for several years and his third child, Victoria Melita, was born there in 1876. He was promoted rear-admiral on 30 December 1878, vice-admiral on 10 November 1882, admiral on 18 October 1887 and received his baton as Admiral of the Fleet on 3 June 1893. He commanded the Channel Fleet
from 1883 to 1884, the Mediterranean Fleet
from 1886 to 1889 and was Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
from 1890 to 1893. He always paid the greatest attention to his official duties and was most efficient as an admiral.
Percy Scott
wrote in his memoirs that "as a Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of Edinburgh had, in my humble opinion, no equal. He handled a fleet magnificently, and introduced many improvement in signals and manoeuvring." He "took a great interest in gunnery." "The prettiest ship I have ever seen was the [The Duke of Edinburgh's flagship] . I was informed that £2,000 had been spent by the officers on her decoration."
on 22 August 1893, the duchy fell to the Duke of Edinburgh, since the Prince of Wales
had renounced his right to the succession. At first regarded with some coldness as a "foreigner", he gradually gained popularity. By the time of his death in 1900, he had generally won the good opinion of his subjects. The Duke was exceedingly fond of music and took a prominent part in establishing the Royal College of Music
. He was a keen violinist, but had little skill. At a dinner party given by his brother, he was persuaded to play. Sir Henry Ponsomby wrote: 'Fiddle out of tune and noise abominable.'(King George V, Kenneth Rose, Macmillan 1983) He was also a keen collector of glass and ceramic ware, and his collection, valued at half a million marks, was presented by his widow to the Veste Coburg, a fortress near Coburg
. When he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, he surrendered his British allowance of £15,000 a year and his seats in the House of Lords
and the Privy Council
, but he retained the £10,000 granted on his marriage in order to maintain Clarence House
as his London residence.
The Duke of Saxe-Coburg died of throat cancer
on 30 July 1900 at Schloss Rosenau
, his summer residence outside Coburg. He was buried at the ducal family's mausoleum in the public Glockenburg Cemetery of Coburg. He was succeeded as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by his nephew, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, the posthumous son of his youngest brother, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
because Alfred's next brother, the Duke of Connaught and his son, Prince Arthur of Connaught
, had renounced their succession rights to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Alfred's full style in the United Kingdom at his death was His Royal Highness The Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Ulster, Earl of Kent, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, Knight of the Star of Schwarzenberg, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Knight of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, Knight of the Legion of Honour, Knight of the Order of St. Stephen, Knight of the Order of St. Andrew, Osmanieh of the Ottoman Empire.
In Germany his style and titles included Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha, Herzog zu Sachsen, Prinz von Großbritannien und Irland, Herzog von Edinburg, Herzog zu Jülich, Kleve, und Berg, zu Engern und Westfalen, Graf von Ulster und von Kent, Landgraf in Thüringen, Markgraf zu Meissen, gefürsteter Graf zu Henneberg, Graf zu der Mark und Ravensberg, Herr von Ravenstein und Tonna, which translates to Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Duke in Saxony; Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; Duke of Edinburgh; Duke of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, of Angria and Westphalia; Earl (Count) of Ulster and Kent; Landgrave of Thuringia; margrave of Meissen; Princely Count of Henneberg; Count of the Mark and Ravensberg; Lord of Ravenstein and Tonna.
Foreign Honours Knight of the Black Eagle
Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
Knight of the Legion of Honour
Order of St. Stephen
Order of St. Andrew
Osminieh of the Ottoman Empire
, the main settlement of Tristan da Cunha
, was named after Alfred after he visited the remote islands in 1867 while Duke of Edinburgh.
in Melbourne, again one of the busiest in the country, is also named after him.
The Foundation Stone for Prince Alfred College, an all boys K-12 day and boarding school in Adelaide, was laid by the Prince himself, during his visit in 1867. This prestigious college has the biggest Old Scholars Association in the Southern Hemisphere, and has educated several outstanding citizens.
, Queenstown
, Grahamstown
, Durban
and Caledon
. There is some opposition to Prince Alfred Street in Durban being renamed Florence Nzama Street. In Port Elizabeth there is a Prince Alfred‘s Terrace.
Port Elizabeth’s 2010 FIFA World Cup
stadium was constructed in Prince Alfred Park.
Prince Alfred sailed into Port Elizabeth on 6 August 1860 and celebrated his 16th birthday among its citizens.
There was a Prince Alfred Hospital in Grahamstown for many years.
The Alfred Rowing Club was established in 1864 and was housed under the pier at Table Bay. It was named after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who visited the Cape in the 1860. It is the oldest organised sporting club in South Africa.http://www.alfred.wcrowing.org/
The Prince Alfred Primary School is situated in Pietermaritzburg.
The Port Elizabeth Rifle Corps was formed in 1856 under Sir George Grey’s scheme to have a volunteer force to help secure the borders of the Cape Colony
. Four years later the it provided a Royal Guard to Prince Alfred and reportedly bore itself so well that, at the suggestion of the Governor, the Prince gave permission for it to be renamed Prince Alfred's Guard
. It bears the name to the present day.
The opening ceremony of the South African Library http://www.nlsa.ac.za/ was performed by Prince Alfred in 1860. An impressive portrait of the Prince hangs in the main reading room.http://africanadrenalin.co.za/Legacy/commodore.htm
The Port Elizabeth chapter of the Memorable Order of the Tin Hat, a veteran
s association, is known as the Prince Alfred Shellhole.http://www.moth.org.za/moth310.htm
Prince Alfred's Hamlet
is a small town in the Western Cape
province.
Port Alfred, on the Kowie River in the Eastern Cape, was originally known as Port Frances after the daughter-in-law of the governor of the Cape Colony
, Lord Charles Somerset
.http://home.intekom.com/african_lioness/history~.html
Of all the passes built in South Africa by the famous Andrew Geddes Bain
and his son, Thomas, Prince Alfred's Pass remains, for many people, a favourite because of its lavish variety winding through some of the world's most unspoiled scenery.http://www.whalerally.co.za/pa_pass.htm
, who benefited the sale of his collection by Alfred to his brother, the Prince of Wales. The merging of Alfred's and George's collections gave birth to the Royal Philatelic Collection
.
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Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the collective name of two duchies, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha, in Germany. They were located in what today are the states of Bavaria and Thuringia, respectively, and the two were in personal union between 1826 and 1918...
, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also 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...
, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was created Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
, Earl of Kent
Earl of Kent
The peerage title Earl of Kent has been created eight times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.See also Kingdom of Kent, Duke of Kent.-Earls of Kent, first creation :*Godwin, Earl of Wessex...
and Earl of Ulster
Earl of Ulster
The title of Earl of Ulster has been created several times in the Peerage of Ireland and Peerage of the United Kingdom. Currently, the title is a subsidiary title of the Duke of Gloucester, and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's son, Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster...
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...
on 24 May 1866. He succeeded his paternal uncle Ernst II
Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the second sovereign duke of the German duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, reigning from 1844 to his death...
as the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
on 23 August 1893.
Early life
Alfred was born at Windsor CastleWindsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
. His mother was the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, the only daughter of Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
. His father was Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the husband of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland....
, the second son of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, formerly Ernest III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and from 1826, the first sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....
. As a son of the monarch, he was styled His Royal Highness The Prince Alfred at birth, and was second in the line of succession
Line of succession to the British Throne
The line of succession to the British throne is the ordered sequence of those people eligible to succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom and the other 15 Commonwealth realms. By the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, the succession is limited to the descendants of the Electress Sophia of...
behind his elder brother, The Prince of Wales. He was known to his family as "Affie", a childhood mispronunciation of the name "Alfred".
Alfred was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, William Howley
William Howley
William Howley was a clergyman in the Church of England. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1828 to 1848.-Early Life, education, and interests:...
, at the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle on 6 September 1844. His godparents were his maternal great-uncle, Prince George of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
(represented by his father, the 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...
); his paternal aunt, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (represented by his maternal grandmother, the Duchess of Kent
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
); and Queen Victoria's half-brother, Carl, Prince of Leiningen
Carl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Emich, Prince of Leiningen was a German nobleman and the elder half-brother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Biography:...
(represented by The Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, Conservative Leader in the Lords
Leaders of the Conservative Party
The Leader of the Conservative Party is the most senior politician within the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. The post is currently held by David Cameron, who s eeded Michael Howard in 2005, and who since 2010 is also the serving Prime Minister....
).
Entering the Royal Navy
In 1856 it was decided that Prince Alfred, in accordance with his own wishes, should enter the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. A separate establishment was accordingly assigned to him, with Lieutenant Sowell, R. E.
John Clayton Cowell
Major-General Sir John Clayton Cowell PC KCB was a British Army officer and later Master of the Queen's Household and Governor of Windsor Castle.-Early life:...
, as governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
. He passed the examination in August 1858, and was appointed as midshipman on the at the age of 14. In July 1860, while in this ship, he paid an official visit to the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, and made a very favourable impression both on the colonials and on the native chiefs. On the abdication of King Otto of Greece
Otto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
, in 1862, Prince Alfred was chosen to succeed him
Greek head of state referendum, 1862
The Greek head of state referendum, 1862, was held in December 1862 on the issue of the form and identity of the Greek head of state. The results were announced in February the following year. Of the 240,000 votes reported, the vast majority were in favour of appointing Prince Alfred of the United...
, but the British government blocked plans for him to ascend the Greek throne.
Prince Alfred, therefore, remained in the navy, and was promoted lieutenant on 24 February 1863, serving under Count Gleichen
Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Admiral Victor Ferdinand Franz Eugen Gustaf Adolf Constantin Friedrich of Hohenlohe-Langenburg GCB , also known as Count Gleichen, was an officer in the Royal Navy, and a sculptor.-Biography:...
on , and captain on 23 February 1866, being then appointed to the command of the frigate .
Second-in-line to the British throne
Alfred remained second-in-line to the British throne from his birth until 8 January 1864. His older brother Edward and his wife Alexandra of DenmarkAlexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
had their first son Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale on this date. Any legitimate children of his older brother took priority in the succession list. Alfred became third-in-line to the throne.
As Edward and Alexandra continued to have children, Alfred was further demoted in the order of succession.
Duke of Edinburgh
In the Queen's Birthday Honours on 24 May 1866, the Prince was created Duke of EdinburghDuke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
and Earl of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, with an annuity of £15,000 granted by Parliament. He took his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on 8 June.
Military career
While still in command of the Galatea, the Duke of Edinburgh started from Plymouth on 24 January 1867 for his voyage round the world. On 7 June 1867, he left GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, reached the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
on 24 July and paid a royal visit to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on 24 August 1867 after landing at Simon's Town
Simon's Town
Simon's Town , sometimes spelled Simonstown; is a town in South Africa, near Cape Town which is home to the South African Navy. It is located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula. For more than two centuries it has been an important naval base and harbour...
a while earlier. He landed at Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...
, on 31 October.
Being the first member of royal family to visit Australia, the Duke was received with great enthusiasm. During his stay of nearly five months he visited Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. Adelaide school Prince Alfred College
Prince Alfred College
Prince Alfred College is an independent, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town, near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia...
was named in his honour to mark such an occasion.
Assassination attempt
On 12 March 1868, on his second visit to Sydney he was invited by Sir William ManningWilliam Montagu Manning
Sir William Montagu Manning KCMG LLD was an English-born Australian politician, judge and University of Sydney chancellor.-Early life:...
, President of the Sydney Sailors' Home to picnic at the beachfront suburb of Clontarf to raise funds for the home. At the function he was wounded in the back by a revolver fired by Henry James O'Farrell
Henry James O'Farrell
Henry James O'Farrell is infamously recorded as the first person to attempt a political assassination in Australia. In 1868, he shot and wounded HRH The Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria.-Biography:...
. The Prince was shot just to the right of his spine, and was tended for the next two weeks by six nurses, trained by Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
and led by Matron Lucy Osburn, who had just arrived in Australia in February, 1868.
The Melbourne Argus reported:
On the evening of 23 March 1868, the most influential people of Sydney voted for a memorial building to be erected, “to raise a permanent and substantial monument in testimony of the heartfelt gratitude of the community at the recovery of HRH”. This led to a public subscription which paid for the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown...
's construction.
Prince Alfred soon recovered from his injury and was able to resume command of his ship and return home in early April 1868.
Henry James O'Farrell was arrested at the scene, quickly tried, convicted and hanged on 21 April 1868.
Prince Alfred reached Spithead on 26 June 1868, after an absence of seventeen months. He was also the first member of the Royal Family to visit New Zealand, arriving in 1869 on HMS Galatea. The Duke's next voyage was to India, where he arrived in December 1869 and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
), which he visited the following year. In both countries and at Hong Kong, which he visited on the way, he was the first British prince to set foot in the country. The native rulers of India vied with one another in the magnificence of their entertainments during the Duke's stay of three months.
Marriage
On 23 January 1874, the Duke of Edinburgh married the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, the second (and only surviving) daughter of Tsar Alexander II of RussiaAlexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
and his wife Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Wilhelmine of Baden
Wilhelmine of Baden
Wilhelmine of Baden was Grand Duchess consort of Hesse and the Rhine.She was the youngest daughter of Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalia of Hesse-Darmstadt...
, at the Winter Palace
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and...
, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. To commemorate the occasion, a small English bakery made the now-internationally-popular Marie biscuit
Marie biscuit
A Marie is a type of sweet biscuit similar to a Rich tea. It is made with wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil and, unlike the Rich Tea biscuit, vanilla flavoring. The biscuit is round and has its name engraved into its top surface. The edges of the top surface are also engraved with an intricate design...
, with the Duchess' name imprinted on its top.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh made their public entry into London on 12 March. The marriage, however, was not a happy one, and the bride was thought haughty by London Society. She insisted on taking precedence before the Princess of Wales (the future Queen Alexandra) because she and her father the Tsar considered the Princess of Wales' family (the Danish Royal Family) as inferior to their own. Queen Victoria refused this demand and granted her precedence immediately after the Princess of Wales. Her father gave her the then-staggering sum of £100,000 as a dowry, plus an annual allowance of £28,000.
Issue
| Image | Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Alfred ("Young Affie") |
15 October 1874 | 6 February 1899 | Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 22 August 1893 | |
| Princess Marie ("Missy") Marie of Edinburgh Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:... |
29 October 1875 | 18 July 1938 | married, 10 January 1893, King Ferdinand I of Romania (1865–1927); had issue | |
| Princess Victoria Melita ("Ducky") |
25 November 1876 | 2 March 1936 | married (1), 19 April 1894, Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; had issue; divorced 21 December 1901 (2) 8 October 1905, the Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia was a member of the Russian Imperial Family. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the deaths of Tsar Nicholas II and his brother Michael, Cyril assumed the Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia and later the title Emperor and Autocrat of all the... ; had issue |
|
 |
Princess Alexandra | 1 September 1878 | 16 April 1942 | married, 20 April 1896, Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; had issue |
| Stillborn son | 13 October 1879 | 13 October 1879 | ||
| Princess Beatrice | 20 April 1884 | 13 July 1966 | married, 15 July 1909, Don Alfonso, Infante of Spain, 3rd Duke of Galliera Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón, Infante of Spain, Duke of Galliera was a Spanish military aviator.-Early life:... ; had issue |
Flag Rank
The Duke of Edinburgh devoted himself to his profession, showing complete mastery of his duties and unusual skill in naval tactics. He was stationed in MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
for several years and his third child, Victoria Melita, was born there in 1876. He was promoted rear-admiral on 30 December 1878, vice-admiral on 10 November 1882, admiral on 18 October 1887 and received his baton as Admiral of the Fleet on 3 June 1893. He commanded the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
from 1883 to 1884, the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
from 1886 to 1889 and was Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
from 1890 to 1893. He always paid the greatest attention to his official duties and was most efficient as an admiral.
Percy Scott
Percy Scott
Admiral Sir Percy Moreton Scott, 1st Baronet GCB KCVO was a British Royal Navy officer and a pioneer in modern naval gunnery.-Early years:...
wrote in his memoirs that "as a Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of Edinburgh had, in my humble opinion, no equal. He handled a fleet magnificently, and introduced many improvement in signals and manoeuvring." He "took a great interest in gunnery." "The prettiest ship I have ever seen was the [The Duke of Edinburgh's flagship] . I was informed that £2,000 had been spent by the officers on her decoration."
Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
On the death of his uncle, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaErnst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the second sovereign duke of the German duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, reigning from 1844 to his death...
on 22 August 1893, the duchy fell to the Duke of Edinburgh, since the Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
had renounced his right to the succession. At first regarded with some coldness as a "foreigner", he gradually gained popularity. By the time of his death in 1900, he had generally won the good opinion of his subjects. The Duke was exceedingly fond of music and took a prominent part in establishing the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. He was a keen violinist, but had little skill. At a dinner party given by his brother, he was persuaded to play. Sir Henry Ponsomby wrote: 'Fiddle out of tune and noise abominable.'(King George V, Kenneth Rose, Macmillan 1983) He was also a keen collector of glass and ceramic ware, and his collection, valued at half a million marks, was presented by his widow to the Veste Coburg, a fortress near Coburg
Coburg
Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920...
. When he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, he surrendered his British allowance of £15,000 a year and his seats in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, but he retained the £10,000 granted on his marriage in order to maintain Clarence House
Clarence House
Clarence House is a royal home in London, situated on The Mall, in the City of Westminster. It is attached to St. James's Palace and shares the palace's garden. For nearly 50 years, from 1953 to 2002, it was home to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, but is since then the official residence of The...
as his London residence.
Later life
The Duke's only son, the Hereditary Prince Alfred, became involved in a scandal involving his mistress and shot himself in January 1899, in the midst of his parents' twenty-fifth wedding anniversary celebrations. He survived, but his embarrassed parents sent him off to Meran to recover, where he died two weeks later, on 6 February.The Duke of Saxe-Coburg died of throat cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
on 30 July 1900 at Schloss Rosenau
Schloss Rosenau, Coburg
Schloss Rosenau, called in English The Rosenau or Rosenau Palace, is a former castle, converted into a ducal country house, between the towns of Coburg and Rödental, formerly in Saxe-Coburg, now lying in Bavaria, Germany....
, his summer residence outside Coburg. He was buried at the ducal family's mausoleum in the public Glockenburg Cemetery of Coburg. He was succeeded as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by his nephew, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, the posthumous son of his youngest brother, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
The Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was the eighth child and fourth son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow...
because Alfred's next brother, the Duke of Connaught and his son, Prince Arthur of Connaught
Prince Arthur of Connaught
Prince Arthur of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of Queen Victoria. Prince Arthur held the title of a British prince with the style His Royal Highness...
, had renounced their succession rights to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Ancestors
Titles and styles
- 6 August 1844–24 May 1866: His Royal Highness The Prince Alfred
- 24 May 1866–23 August 1893: His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
- 23 August 1893–30 July 1900: His Royal Highness The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred's full style in the United Kingdom at his death was His Royal Highness The Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Ulster, Earl of Kent, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, Knight of the Star of Schwarzenberg, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Knight of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation, Knight of the Legion of Honour, Knight of the Order of St. Stephen, Knight of the Order of St. Andrew, Osmanieh of the Ottoman Empire.
In Germany his style and titles included Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha, Herzog zu Sachsen, Prinz von Großbritannien und Irland, Herzog von Edinburg, Herzog zu Jülich, Kleve, und Berg, zu Engern und Westfalen, Graf von Ulster und von Kent, Landgraf in Thüringen, Markgraf zu Meissen, gefürsteter Graf zu Henneberg, Graf zu der Mark und Ravensberg, Herr von Ravenstein und Tonna, which translates to Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Duke in Saxony; Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; Duke of Edinburgh; Duke of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, of Angria and Westphalia; Earl (Count) of Ulster and Kent; Landgrave of Thuringia; margrave of Meissen; Princely Count of Henneberg; Count of the Mark and Ravensberg; Lord of Ravenstein and Tonna.
Honours
British Honours- KG: Knight of the GarterOrder of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, 1863 - KT: Knight of the ThistleOrder of the ThistleThe Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, 1864 - KP: Knight of St PatrickOrder of St. PatrickThe Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by George III. The regular creation of knights of Saint Patrick lasted until 1921, when most of Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State...
, 1880 - GCB: Knight Grand Cross of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
, 1889 - GCSI: Knight Grand Commander of the Star of IndiaOrder of the Star of IndiaThe Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, 1870 - GCMG: Knight Grand Cross of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe 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....
, 1869 - GCIE: Knight Grand Commander of the Indian EmpireOrder of the Indian EmpireThe Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
, 1887 - GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe 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...
, 24 May 1899 - PC: Privy CounsellorPrivy Council of the United KingdomHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, 1866
Foreign Honours Knight of the Black Eagle
Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in mediæval Italy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ceased to be a national order when the kingdom became a republic in 1946...
Knight of the Legion of Honour
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
Order of St. Stephen
Order of St. Stephen
Order of St. Stephen may refer to:* Holy Military Order of Saint Stephen Pope and Martyr, founded in 1561 by grand duke Cosimo I of Tuscany* The Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, founded in 1764 by queen Maria Theresa of Hungary...
Order of St. Andrew
Order of St. Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called is the first and the highest order of chivalry of the Russian Empire.- Russian Empire :The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia...
Osminieh of the Ottoman Empire
Osminieh Order
The Order of Osmanieh, Order of Osmanie, Order of Osmania was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire, created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdulaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nichan Iftikhar , this became the second highest order in the Empire, ranking below the High Order of Honour...
Arms
Prince Alfred gained use of the royal arms of the United Kingdom, with an inescutcheon of the shield of Saxony, the whole differenced by a label argent of three points, the outer points bearing anchors azure, and the inner a cross gules. When he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, his Saxon arms were his British arms inverted, the ducal arms of Saxony, with an inescutcheon of the royal arms of the United Kingdom differenced with a label argent of three points, the outer points bearing anchors azure, and the inner a cross gules.Tristan da Cunha
Edinburgh of the Seven SeasEdinburgh of the Seven Seas
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is the main settlement of the island of Tristan da Cunha, in the Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha overseas territory of the United Kingdom, in the South Atlantic Ocean...
, the main settlement of Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...
, was named after Alfred after he visited the remote islands in 1867 while Duke of Edinburgh.
Australia
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, opened during his visit to Australia in 1868, and still one of the biggest hospitals in the city, is named for him. The Alfred HospitalThe Alfred Hospital
The Alfred, also known as Alfred Hospital or The Alfred Hospital, is a major hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. It is the second oldest hospital in Victoria, and the oldest Melbourne hospital still operating on its original site...
in Melbourne, again one of the busiest in the country, is also named after him.
The Foundation Stone for Prince Alfred College, an all boys K-12 day and boarding school in Adelaide, was laid by the Prince himself, during his visit in 1867. This prestigious college has the biggest Old Scholars Association in the Southern Hemisphere, and has educated several outstanding citizens.
South Africa
A Prince Alfred Street can be found in PietermaritzburgPietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, Queenstown
Queenstown, Eastern Cape
Queenstown, named after Queen Victoria, is a town in the middle of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, roughly half way in between the towns of Cathcart and Sterkstroom. It is currently the commercial, administrative, and educational centre of the prosperous surrounding farming district...
, Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
, Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
and Caledon
Caledon, Western Cape
Caledon is a town in the Overberg region in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located about east of Cape Town. it had a population of 10,650. It is located in, and the seat of, the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality....
. There is some opposition to Prince Alfred Street in Durban being renamed Florence Nzama Street. In Port Elizabeth there is a Prince Alfred‘s Terrace.
Port Elizabeth’s 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
stadium was constructed in Prince Alfred Park.
Prince Alfred sailed into Port Elizabeth on 6 August 1860 and celebrated his 16th birthday among its citizens.
There was a Prince Alfred Hospital in Grahamstown for many years.
The Alfred Rowing Club was established in 1864 and was housed under the pier at Table Bay. It was named after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who visited the Cape in the 1860. It is the oldest organised sporting club in South Africa.http://www.alfred.wcrowing.org/
The Prince Alfred Primary School is situated in Pietermaritzburg.
The Port Elizabeth Rifle Corps was formed in 1856 under Sir George Grey’s scheme to have a volunteer force to help secure the borders of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
. Four years later the it provided a Royal Guard to Prince Alfred and reportedly bore itself so well that, at the suggestion of the Governor, the Prince gave permission for it to be renamed Prince Alfred's Guard
Prince Alfred's Guard
Prince Alfred's Guard is an infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit. The Regiment is located in the city of Port Elizabeth.-History:Prince Alfred's Guard was...
. It bears the name to the present day.
The opening ceremony of the South African Library http://www.nlsa.ac.za/ was performed by Prince Alfred in 1860. An impressive portrait of the Prince hangs in the main reading room.http://africanadrenalin.co.za/Legacy/commodore.htm
The Port Elizabeth chapter of the Memorable Order of the Tin Hat, a veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s association, is known as the Prince Alfred Shellhole.http://www.moth.org.za/moth310.htm
Prince Alfred's Hamlet
Prince Alfred's Hamlet
Prince Alfred's Hamlet is a small town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.It was founded by Johannes Cornelis Goosen, who was born in the Klein Drakenstein and came to the Warm Bokkeveld as a young farmer....
is a small town in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
province.
Port Alfred, on the Kowie River in the Eastern Cape, was originally known as Port Frances after the daughter-in-law of the governor of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, Lord Charles Somerset
Lord Charles Somerset
General Lord Charles Henry Somerset PC was a British soldier, politician and colonial administrator. He was governor of the Cape Colony, South Africa, from 1814 to 1826.-Background:...
.http://home.intekom.com/african_lioness/history~.html
Of all the passes built in South Africa by the famous Andrew Geddes Bain
Andrew Geddes Bain
Andrew Geddes Bain , South African geologist, road engineer, palaeontologist and explorer.-Life history:...
and his son, Thomas, Prince Alfred's Pass remains, for many people, a favourite because of its lavish variety winding through some of the world's most unspoiled scenery.http://www.whalerally.co.za/pa_pass.htm
Philately
One of the stamp collectors in the Royal Family, he was elected honorary president of The Philatelic Society, London in 1890. He may have inspired his nephew George, later King George VGeorge 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....
, who benefited the sale of his collection by Alfred to his brother, the Prince of Wales. The merging of Alfred's and George's collections gave birth to the Royal Philatelic Collection
Royal Philatelic Collection
The Royal Philatelic Collection is the postage stamp collection of the British Royal Family. It is the most comprehensive collection of items related to the philately of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, with many unique pieces.- Early history :...
.
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