Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar
Encyclopedia
Prince William Augustus Edward of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, KP
, GCB
, GCH
, GCVO
, PC
(11 October 1823 – 16 November 1902) was a British
military officer of German
parents.
at Bushy House
, the home of his mother's sister Adelaide
and her husband the future King William IV of the United Kingdom
.
Edward's military career began in 1841, when he joined the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
as an ensign
.
On 27 November 1851 he married, morganatically
, Lady Augusta Katherine Gordon-Lennox, (a daughter of Charles Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond), who was created Countess of Dornburg by the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar the day before the wedding. The Court Circular
shows that she was usually known by that title until early 1886, when the Circular began to consistently refer to her by her husband's title, i.e. "HSH
Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar" (Laura Seymour, sister of the 5th Marquess of Hertford
and morganatic wife of Queen Victoria
's nephew, HSH Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
, was also belatedly accorded her husband's princely style by an announcement in the Court Circular dated 15 December 1885. Both wives remained morganatic countesses in Germany, however).
His royal connections ensured that he proceeded quickly through the ranks, attaining major
in the Grenadier Guards
on 20 June 1854. He served in the Crimean War
and fought at the Battle of Alma
, the Siege of Sevastopol the Battle of Balaclava
and the Battle of Inkerman
.
Edward received his colonel
cy in the Grenadier Guards
on 5 October 1855. In 1870 he was appointed Major General commanding the Brigade of Guards
and General Officer Commanding
the Home District and in 1878 he became General Officer Commanding Southern District
. In 1885 he became Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
, thereby becoming a member of the Irish Privy Council
. He was promoted to field marshal
in 1897.
Edward died in 1902 at Portland Place in London
. He was buried in Chichester Cathedral
, in the crypt of his wife's family, the dukes of Richmond and Lennox.
Order of St. Patrick
The 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...
, GCB
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...
, GCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
, 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...
, PC
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...
(11 October 1823 – 16 November 1902) was a British
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...
military officer of 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...
parents.
Life
Edward was born to Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Princess Ida of Saxe-MeiningenPrincess Ida of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Ida of Saxe-Meiningen was a German princess. She was the second child and first daughter of George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg...
at Bushy House
Bushy House
Bushy House is a former royal residence in Teddington in South West London, on the site of the National Physical Laboratory, overlooking Bushy Park....
, the home of his mother's sister Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
and her husband the future King William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
.
Edward's military career began in 1841, when he joined the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
The 67th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1758 and amalgamated into The Hampshire Regiment in 1881....
as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
.
On 27 November 1851 he married, morganatically
Morganatic 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...
, Lady Augusta Katherine Gordon-Lennox, (a daughter of Charles Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond), who was created Countess of Dornburg by the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar the day before the wedding. The Court Circular
Court Circular
The Court Circular is the official record that lists the engagements carried out by the Monarch of the United Kingdom and of the other Commonwealth Realms; the Royal Family; and appointments to their staff and to the court. It is issued by Buckingham Palace and printed a day in arrears at the back...
shows that she was usually known by that title until early 1886, when the Circular began to consistently refer to her by her husband's title, i.e. "HSH
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...
Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar" (Laura Seymour, sister of the 5th Marquess of Hertford
Marquess of Hertford
The titles of Earl of Hertford and Marquess of Hertford have been created several times in the peerages of England and Great Britain.The third Earldom of Hertford was created in 1559 for Edward Seymour, who was simultaneously created Baron Beauchamp of Hache...
and morganatic wife of 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....
's nephew, HSH Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
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:...
, was also belatedly accorded her husband's princely style by an announcement in the Court Circular dated 15 December 1885. Both wives remained morganatic countesses in Germany, however).
His royal connections ensured that he proceeded quickly through the ranks, attaining major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
on 20 June 1854. He served in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and fought at the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, the Siege of Sevastopol the Battle of Balaclava
Battle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia's principal naval base on the Black Sea...
and the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
.
Edward received his colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
cy in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
on 5 October 1855. In 1870 he was appointed Major General commanding the Brigade of Guards
Major-General commanding the Household Division
The Major-General commanding the Household Division commands the troops of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He is also General Officer Commanding London District.-Recent Commanders:The holders of this office include:...
and General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
the Home District and in 1878 he became General Officer Commanding Southern District
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
. In 1885 he became Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland was title of the commander of British forces in Ireland before 1922.The role nominally is held by the President of Ireland today as the supreme commander of the Defence Forces.-Commanders-in-Chief, Ireland, 1700-1922:...
, thereby becoming a member of the Irish Privy Council
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
. He was promoted to field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
in 1897.
Edward died in 1902 at Portland Place in 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...
. He was buried in Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...
, in the crypt of his wife's family, the dukes of Richmond and Lennox.