Francis, Duke of Teck
Encyclopedia
Francis, Duke of Teck was a member of the German nobility, and later of the British Royal Family
. He was the father of Queen Mary
, the wife of King George V
. Francis held the titles of Count of Hohenstein (Graf von Hohenstein) and later Duke of Teck
(Herzog von Teck) and was granted the style His Serene Highness in 1863. He was granted the British style of Highness in 1887.
(now Osijek
, Croatia
). His father was Duke Alexander of Württemberg
, the son of Duke Louis of Württemberg
. His mother was Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde. The marriage was morganatic, meaning that Francis had no succession rights to the Kingdom of Württemberg
. His title at birth was Count Francis von Hohenstein, after his mother was created Countess of Hohenstein in her own right by Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria
. Through the House of Württemberg, Francis was distantly descended from the Habsburgs, the then-powerful ruling family of Austria.
In 1863, Francis was created Prince of Teck, with the style His Serene Highness in the Kingdom of Württemberg, and in 1871, was created Duke of Teck
.
. He retired from the Austrian Army when he married and moved to England in 1866. Later he became attached to the staff of British General Sir Garnet Wolseley during the 1882 Egyptian campaign
. He was gazetted a Colonel in the British Army
in November 1882 and subsequently promoted to Major General, supernumerary to the establishment, in July 1893.
He was appointed Honorary Colonel of 49th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers (Post Office Rifles) on 16 August 1876 a position he held until his death.
, and without succession rights to the throne, Francis was not accepted as a husband for princesses in most of the European royal houses. He further had little income in comparison with other European princes. He thus married into a richer family, by marrying his father's third cousin (in descent from King George II of Great Britain
) Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
, the younger daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
, and a granddaughter of George III
, who was known as 'Fat Mary' because of her wide girth. That, together with the fact that she was (by 1866) already in her thirties, meant that Mary Adelaide was also short of choices for marriage.
The couple married on 12 June 1866 at St. Anne's Church, Kew
, west London
. They had four children:
, London
and a country house, White Lodge
, the former Royal deer-hunting lodge in Richmond Park
, Southwest London.
Despite the modest incomes of the Duke and Duchess, they lived remarkable lives of social engagements, leading to the build-up of large debts. In 1883, the Tecks fled the UK to continental Europe, where they stayed with relatives in Florence
and Germany
. They eventually returned to the UK in 1885.
. Despite this, the Tecks were still seen as minor relatives, with little status or wealth. Their fortunes improved when in 1891, their only daughter, Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (known as May to her family) became engaged to the second-in-line to the British throne, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence
. The death of the Duke of Clarence only six weeks later looked like a cruel blow. However, Queen Victoria was fond of Princess May and persuaded the Duke of Clarence's brother (and next in the line of succession), Prince George, Duke of York
, to marry her instead.
In 1897, the Duchess of Teck died, leaving Francis a widower. He continued to live at White Lodge, Richmond, but did not carry out any Royal duties, although he continued to receive the late Duchess' Parliamentary annuity.
Francis died on 21 January 1900 at White Lodge. He was buried next to his wife in the Royal Vault at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
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...
. He was the father 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 wife 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....
. Francis held the titles of Count of Hohenstein (Graf von Hohenstein) and later 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...
(Herzog von Teck) and was granted the style His Serene Highness in 1863. He was granted the British style of Highness in 1887.
Early life
Francis was born Franz Paul Karl Ludwig Alexander on 28 August 1837 in Esseg, SlavoniaSlavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
(now Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
). His father was 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....
, the son of Duke Louis of Württemberg
Duke Louis of Württemberg
Duke Louis of Württemberg was the second son of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt...
. His mother was Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde. The marriage was morganatic, meaning that Francis had no succession rights to 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....
. His title at birth was Count Francis von Hohenstein, after his mother was created Countess of Hohenstein in her own right by Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I was Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation, King of Hungary and Bohemia , as well as associated dominions from the death of his father, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, until his abdication after the Revolutions of 1848.He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child...
. Through the House of Württemberg, Francis was distantly descended from the Habsburgs, the then-powerful ruling family of Austria.
In 1863, Francis was created Prince of Teck, with the style His Serene Highness in the Kingdom of Württemberg, and in 1871, was created 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...
.
Army
Like his father, Duke Alexander, Francis embarked upon a career in the Austrian army, eventually rising to the rank of Captain in the 7th Hussars during the Austro-Prussian WarAustro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
. He retired from the Austrian Army when he married and moved to England in 1866. Later he became attached to the staff of British General Sir Garnet Wolseley during the 1882 Egyptian campaign
Urabi Revolt
The Urabi Revolt or Orabi Revolt , also known as the Orabi Revolution, was an uprising in Egypt in 1879-82 against the Khedive and European influence in the country...
. He was gazetted a Colonel in 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...
in November 1882 and subsequently promoted to Major General, supernumerary to the establishment, in July 1893.
He was appointed Honorary Colonel of 49th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers (Post Office Rifles) on 16 August 1876 a position he held until his death.
Marriage
As the product of a morganatic marriageMorganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
, and without succession rights to the throne, Francis was not accepted as a husband for princesses in most of the European royal houses. He further had little income in comparison with other European princes. He thus married into a richer family, by marrying his father's third cousin (in descent from King George II of Great Britain
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
) 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 younger 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 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...
, who was known as 'Fat Mary' because of her wide girth. That, together with the fact that she was (by 1866) already in her thirties, meant that Mary Adelaide was also short of choices for marriage.
The couple married on 12 June 1866 at St. Anne's Church, Kew
St. Anne's Church, Kew
St Anne's Church, Kew is the parish church of Kew, London, situated on Kew Green.-History:Originally built in 1714, on land given by Queen Anne as a church within the parish of Kingston, St. Anne's Church has been extended several times since, as the settlement of Kew grew with royal patronage. In...
, west 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...
. They had four children:
- HSH Princess Victoria Mary of TeckMary of TeckMary 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....
, later Queen Mary, Queen-Consort of the United Kingdom (1867–1953) - HSH Prince Adolphus of TeckAdolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of CambridgeAdolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, GCB, GCVO, CMG , born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later The Duke of Teck , was a member of the British Royal Family and a younger brother of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V...
, later Duke of TeckDuke of TeckDuke 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...
and Marquess of Cambridge (1868–1927) - HSH Prince Francis of TeckPrince Francis of TeckPrince Francis of Teck, GCVO, DSO , was a member of the British Royal Family, the brother of Queen Mary....
(1870–1910) - HSH Prince Alexander of TeckAlexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of AthloneMajor-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...
, later Earl of AthloneEarl of AthloneThe title of Earl of Athlone has been created three times. It was created first in the Peerage of Ireland in 1692 by King William III for the Dutch General Baron Godard van Reede, Lord of Ginkel, to honour him for his successful battles in Ireland. The title also had the subsidiary title of Baron...
(1874–1957)
Hard times
Given the impoverishment of Francis, the couple were forced to survive on Mary Adelaide's small Parliamentary allowance of £5,000 per annum, supplemented by income from her mother, The Duchess of Cambridge. Mary Adelaide's requests to her cousin, Queen Victoria, for more funds were met with refusal; however, they were granted a grace-and-favour apartment in 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...
and a country house, White Lodge
White Lodge
PROBLEM. Description of period of residence of George VI and Queen Elizabeth conflates White Lodge with Royal Lodge at Windsor. While they did live at White Lodge it was for only a very short time. Needs to be reworked....
, the former Royal deer-hunting lodge in Richmond Park
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
, Southwest London.
Despite the modest incomes of the Duke and Duchess, they lived remarkable lives of social engagements, leading to the build-up of large debts. In 1883, the Tecks fled the UK to continental Europe, where they stayed with relatives in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and Germany
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...
. They eventually returned to the UK in 1885.
Later life
With an Order in Council on 1 July 1887, Queen Victoria granted Francis the style of His Highness, as a gift to celebrate her Golden JubileeGolden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
. Despite this, the Tecks were still seen as minor relatives, with little status or wealth. Their fortunes improved when in 1891, their only daughter, Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (known as May to her family) became engaged to the second-in-line to the British throne, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale was a member of the British Royal Family. He was the eldest son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales , and the grandson of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria...
. The death of the Duke of Clarence only six weeks later looked like a cruel blow. However, Queen Victoria was fond of Princess May and persuaded the Duke of Clarence's brother (and next in the line of succession), Prince George, Duke of York
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 marry her instead.
In 1897, the Duchess of Teck died, leaving Francis a widower. He continued to live at White Lodge, Richmond, but did not carry out any Royal duties, although he continued to receive the late Duchess' Parliamentary annuity.
Francis died on 21 January 1900 at White Lodge. He was buried next to his wife in the Royal Vault at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles
- 28 August 1837 – 1 December 1863: Count Francis of Hohenstein
- 1 December 1863 – 16 December 1871: His Serene Highness Prince Francis of Teck
- 16 December 1871 – 11 July 1887: His Serene Highness The Duke of Teck
- 11 July 1887 – 21 January 1900: His Highness The Duke of Teck
Honours
- 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...
(Civil division), 12 June 1866 - 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...
, 30 June 1897