Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon
Encyclopedia
Prince Rupert of Teck (Rupert Alexander George Cambridge), (24 April 1907 – 15 April 1928) was a member of the British Royal Family
, a great grandson of Queen Victoria
. During World War I
, the British Royal Family relinquished their Germanic titles, and Prince Rupert assumed the style Viscount Trematon in 1917.
, Surrey
, England
. His father was Prince Alexander of Teck
, the second eldest son of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
. His mother was Princess Alexander of Teck (née Princess Alice of Albany
), the daughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
. Rupert took his title of Prince of Teck and style, His Serene Highness
, from his father and was known as Prince Rupert of Teck.
Prince Rupert was a hemophiliac
, a condition he inherited through his mother from his great-grandmother, Queen Victoria
, through his grandfather, the Duke of Albany (himself a haemophiliac). He was educated at Trinity College
, Cambridge
.
, anti-German feeling in the United Kingdom led Rupert's uncle 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, including Rupert.
In response to this, Prince Alexander, Rupert's father, renounced his title of a Prince of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg
and the style His Serene Highness
. Alexander, along with his brother, Prince Adolphus of Teck, adopted the name Cambridge
, after their maternal 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 The Earl of Athlone. Rupert adopted the courtesy title of Viscount Trematon. His mother retained her title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland
with the style Her Royal Highness and became known as Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.
. On 1 April 1928 Trematon was driving with two friends on the road from Paris to Lyon. While overtaking another car, Trematon's car hit a tree and overturned. One of his friends died from injuries and Trematon was taken to a nearby hospital at Belleville-sur-Saône with a slight fracture of the skull. He never recovered and died in hospital in the early hours of 15 April. His funeral took place in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and was attended by King George V
and Queen Mary
. He was buried in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore on 20 April 1928. His death, following the death of his brother Maurice in 1910, meant that the title of Earl of Athlone
became extinct in 1957 when his father died.
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...
, a great grandson 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....
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the British Royal Family relinquished their Germanic titles, and Prince Rupert assumed the style Viscount Trematon in 1917.
Early life
Prince Rupert was born on 24 April 1907 at Claremont House, EsherEsher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His father was Prince Alexander of Teck
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
, the second eldest son of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck and 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...
. His mother was Princess Alexander of Teck (née Princess Alice of Albany
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the longest-lived Princess of the Blood Royal of the British Royal Family and the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria...
), the daughter of 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...
. Rupert took his title of Prince of Teck and style, His Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
, from his father and was known as Prince Rupert of Teck.
Prince Rupert was a hemophiliac
Haemophilia in European royalty
Haemophilia figured prominently in the history of European royalty in the 19th and 20th centuries. Britain's Queen Victoria, through two of her five daughters , passed the mutation to various royal houses across the continent, including the royal families of Spain, Germany and Russia. Victoria's...
, a condition he inherited through his mother from his great-grandmother, 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....
, through his grandfather, the Duke of Albany (himself a haemophiliac). He was educated at Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
Viscount Trematon
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, anti-German feeling in the United Kingdom led Rupert's uncle King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
to change the name of the Royal House from the Germanic House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to the more English-sounding House of Windsor
House of Windsor
The House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom...
. The King also renounced all his Germanic titles for himself and all members of the British Royal Family who were British citizens, including Rupert.
In response to this, Prince Alexander, Rupert's father, renounced his title of a Prince of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
and the style His Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
. Alexander, along with his brother, Prince Adolphus of Teck, adopted the name Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, after their maternal grandfather, 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...
.
A few days later, the King created his brother-in-law Earl of Athlone
Earl of Athlone
The 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...
and Viscount Trematon. Alexander was now styled The Right Honourable The Earl of Athlone. Rupert adopted the courtesy title of Viscount Trematon. His mother retained her title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland
British princess
This is a list of British princesses from the accession of King George I in 1714. This article deals with both princesses of the blood royal and women who become princesses upon marriage....
with the style Her Royal Highness and became known as Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.
Death
Rupert died on 15 April 1928 from an intracerebral hemorrhage as a result of a car crash in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. On 1 April 1928 Trematon was driving with two friends on the road from Paris to Lyon. While overtaking another car, Trematon's car hit a tree and overturned. One of his friends died from injuries and Trematon was taken to a nearby hospital at Belleville-sur-Saône with a slight fracture of the skull. He never recovered and died in hospital in the early hours of 15 April. His funeral took place in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and was attended by 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....
and 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....
. He was buried in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore on 20 April 1928. His death, following the death of his brother Maurice in 1910, meant that the title of Earl of Athlone
Earl of Athlone
The 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...
became extinct in 1957 when his father died.
Styles from birth to death
- His Serene Highness Prince Rupert of Teck (1907–1917)
- Mr. Rupert Cambridge (1917)
- Viscount Trematon (1917–1928)